Clothes Shopping in 2010

Gone are the days when you could browse a clothing rack and snap up a dress without thinking twice. “It's cute!”, followed by a trip to the register with a credit card in hand, is no longer the norm. You now immediately peruse the price tag and see if the price lives up to the cuteness.  You give some thought to how versatile this garment is – how many times do you think you'll actually wear it?  Good question!

Ladies, the new clothes shopping trip strategy borrows a page from the 30s and 40s fashionistas. The world was then fresh out of the Great Depression and the ladies of those days wanted to look well dressed, but on a conservative budget.  As a result, designers came out with women's clothing which, while chic, were also classic. Neutral colors, navy, black, brown and beige formed the backbone of the typical woman's wardrobe. Plainly cut, but elegant designs were all the rage. Perhaps this period was the beginning of the now well-known 'mix and match' strategy many of us use today. Using neutral colors as the staple items in the closet allowed women to brighten up the landscape with inexpensive cotton shirts in colors ranging from pastels to a fire-engine red. The same clothes shopping strategy applied to sweaters. These classic costumes could be dressed up or down, by mixing and matching.

For more on shopping, style, fashion, costumer jewelry and more visit http://www.smartwomaninfo.com/.  This general interest women's site continues to grow as new timely material is gathered!