Stay pretty and chic for less

Saving may become the new black as fashionistas turn into frugalistas

If you're going longer between haircuts, reconsidering a handbag you might have splurged on six months ago or scouring eBay for clothing deals, you're not alone.

This fall, it looks as if saving might be the new black.

And it's no wonder, with all the job losses, higher gas and food prices and the erratic stock market. Even the most vain and stylish may be rethinking those $40 weekly mani/pedis or $180 designer jeans.

According to a shopping survey by WSL Strategic Retail, 73 percent of those asked said they were more careful about shopping than they were a year ago. More than half said they were proud to have found ways to cut costs. And 63 percent of women said they avoided stores where they knew they would overspend.

But does saving mean you have to give up chic and pretty?

Not according to the experts we turned to for tips on how to trim beauty and fashion costs but still maintain your sense of style.

1. Calculate $2 per wear

Sure, buy those $75 shoes. But be prepared to wear them at least 37 times.

That's the strategy for frugalista Kathryn Finney, who writes the popular blog The Budget Fashionista (www.thebudgetfashionista.com).

She says when you buy something new, your goal should be to wear it enough so that your cost per wear is below $2. Ideally, you'd get it to $1.

When you retrain your brain to focus on the cost per wear, you'll likely wear more of what's in your closet. It also will help keep you from buying things that might not fit perfectly or be the right color. Instead, you'll focus on how much you'll wear something rather than just thinking about the good price you are getting.

Because that's part of the problem. People too often focus on just the price, Finney said. "Then they buy something because it's cheap and they never wear it."

2. Be a chemist

You know all those half-used tubes of lipstick you have in bathroom drawers and in your handbags? Consider mixing several shades to make new shades -- maybe even one you'll actually use.

Julie Hafer, the owner of Beauty Ethics in Raleigh, says you can also mix nail polishes with good results.

"Just take the stuff you already have and make new colors," she said. "It's fun."

3. Turn off the dryer.

Your clothes will last two to three years more if you dry your clothes in the dryer for about five minutes and then hang them up, says Melissa Tosetti, the editor of Budget Savvy magazine in Redwood City, Calif. (budgetsavvymag.com). And it saves on electricity.

4.Rethink dry cleaning.

The first logical step is to shop for items that don't have to be dry-cleaned, Finney said.

But the reality is much of what you already have needs to be dry-cleaned, especially the suits. But it doesn't have to be cleaned every time you wear it. Or even after the second time. Finney, who grew up in the family dry-cleaning business, said suits should be cleaned a few times a year.

Stains? Blot them out before they set in. Freshness? Try some Febreze or a fabric softener, she suggests.

"It'll help prolong the time in between cleanings," she said.

5. Skip the higher priced cosmetics.

Do you really need a $24 mascara?

Especially when there's one with a similar formula for $7?

Hafer says when it comes to skin care and makeup, you don't have to spend a lot of money to have healthy skin or a beautifully made up face.

She's set up Beauty Ethics in Cameron Village (www.beautyethics.com) using the savvy beauty advice from the cosmetics cop Paula Begoun, who regularly analyzes beauty products to make sure they really do what companies claim.