The credit crunch wardrobe
Did you know that you can tell the state of a country’s economy by the length of its skirts? I read in the paper the other day that hemlines begin to drop as recessions bite, and rise again when times get better: in the booms of the 20s and 60s, we got flapper dresses and mini skirts, but when economies plunged in the 30s and 70s, skirt lengths followed.
At last, a silver lining to all those gloomy business reports: we might be skint but at least our knees will be warm.
Personally, I think we’re all a bit less sheeplike about things like skirt lengths these days, but I do believe we look for different things when we’re buying clothes at a time like this. It’s a time for going back to basics, seeking out clothes that’ll work hard for our money, instead of one-season wonders that we’ll wear a few times and then get fed up with. We’re looking for timeless styles that we’ll never get tired of wearing, quality fabrics that’ll stay looking good, wear after wear, and versatile pieces we can dress up or down.
It’s a time to invest in the classics: a little black dress like this one 
, that’ll take you from desk to dinner with just a change of shoes and jewellery;
a beautifully-cut black suit like this one
, with a skirt and trousers for maximum wardrobe mileage;
or a sleek black sweater you can wear with everything from jeans to a suit. 
You’ll love wearing them now, and you’ll still be wearing them – and loving them – when the credit crunch is just a distant memory.