WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND . . .

A friend asked me for a tip on how to stay fly on a dime, and I started to think about how this global economic crisis is forcing people to think creatively and strategically about everything including fashion and style. My tip is to revisit our closets, you know, that corner with stuff that you've been meaning to go through. Create three piles, one for clothes/shoes/accessories that you will keep, discard and donate.

Keep the statement pieces, no matter how atrocious or outlandish the statement; trust me, these are the ones that make good vintage in the future. Keep the staple pieces, you'll always be able to use a nicely tailored white button- down. Keep the pieces with possibilities, if an item can be used (or converted) for multiple purposes it should definitely stay. Discard the clothes/shoes/accessories that you'll no longer use to stores like The Salvation Army, Beacon's Closet or Buffalo Exchange. Pay it forward and you can get paid. Many second-hand stores will issue cash or a store credit in exchange for your wares. Donate the items that you will no longer wear to charity (I like Dress For Success, Real Simple offers some advice on how to donate clothes) or to any neighborhood drop box.

Find creative and DIY ways to incorporate the keepers into your current closet and update with a trendy bargain find from H&M or from . . . stores like the Salvation Army, Beacon's Closet or Buffalo Exchange! One Fashionista's trash is Recessionista's treasure.

Head over to In Her Shoes (hot, hot new blog!) to check out more recession proof tips on staying fashionable. Style mavens such as AfroBella, Najwa Moses, Lizz Fields, Candace Purdie-Montgomery of Essence, Tia Dantzler, Latisha Daring, Ashaka Givens and Samantha Smikle have shared their tips for staying fashionable in times like these. Share your budget friendly fashion tips. What are you doing differently?