Get crafty

In the spirit of make do and mend, the craft movement is gathering space and one of the easiest ways to update a well worn outfit is to give it some hand crafted embellishment. Gather up all your stray buttons, cut yourself a thick circle of fabric about 9-10cm in diameter. Now sew as many different buttons onto this as you like. Attach a couple of safety pins to the back to use to fasten it onto your dress or top and you have an original home made corsage. You can also sprinkle a little glitz by adding any ribbons and sequins you might have to hand into the design.

Get ahead

Your hair is generally what people notice first so a new hair do is a great way to reinvent an outfit. If time – or money – means a visit to the hairdressers is out of the question, then some home-made hair accessories are the next best thing. Big and bold headbands are easy to pull together on a shoestring. Spruce up your old scarves OR fold up an eye-catching piece of cloth. Headgear doesn’t have to stop there either – a great trilby or beret can really make an outfit, and can be as fab with a dress as with a winter coat

Suits you

If you’re bored to tears of your wardrobe it could be time to turn to your partner’s instead. The slouchy tailored look dominated catwalks for Autumn Winter and a man’s suit is the perfect tool for creating a DIY version. If you’ve got a slim boyish build then you can wear the whole suit – push up the sleeves of the jacket and turn up the trousers until they are three quarter length. Accessorise with a brightly coloured belt worn over the waist of the trousers – not through the belt loops - and a pair of killer heels. Voluptuous figures can team their other half’s jacket with their own trousers or a pencil skirt to show off curves. Additionally, a waistcoat worn as a sleeveless top with an oversized man’s shirt knotted at the waist can look also stunning with skinny jeans and heels.

Dress exchange

If your wardrobe is hiding a few designer pieces that are in good nick but no longer do you justice get down to your nearest dress exchange and trade them in for something fabulous. Also the chances are that you have a few friends in a similar boat – get together with them and trade a few pieces between you for a whole new look for nothing.

Eternal summer

Don’t pack all your summer clothes away just because the sun’s vanished for another year. With clever accessorising you can make those summer dresses work through the winter too. Tea dresses and simple cotton shifts look great with opaque coloured tights, sparkly cardigans and a thick scarf. For added edge you can even think about pairing them with chunky boots for a very on-trend look.