Dressing well when your budget's bare.

Since you probably still have a small amount of pride left, you want to give off the same air of success in person that you’ve been cultivating on your Facebook and LinkedIn pages. Not so easy now that you've started referring to the never worn taupe Juicy Couture velour sweatpants you bought in 2001 as your "dress pants".

Fortunately, all the latest in designer names are still at your disposal for those rare occassions you have to get dressed and go somewhere. Free.

Many happy returns!

If you still have a valid credit card, your best bet is buying and returning (aka “bulimic shopping” to diagnosticians and “borrowing” to those who practice it.

A psychological lifesaver for the broke fashionista, bulimic shopping allows you to binge on high end designer clothes and purge them once they're out of style (usually in a day or two). Sure, you’ll have to keep the price tag on, but a little rectangle of cardboard digging into the fleshy part of your back is a small price to pay for the status of wearing the same dress Gwyneth was spotted in at the Ivy.

Once you've worn the item once, the thrill of ownership is gone and you realize that a $1,999 white silk dress just isn't practical for your impending employment at Denny’s (if all goes well), simply bring it back for the full refund.

To ensure a successful return, be very careful when wearing the article. Don’t walk, eat, lean or sit. If you must drink, only consume clear fluids that don’t stain. Check the refund policy or you may wind up paying for a one night stand (in Stella McCartney) for the rest of your life (or 30 years, whichever comes first). To learn more about refund policies from an expert, click here.

Finally, never wear your borrowed clothes on a date in which you plan to get naked—nothing’s more of a turn off than a woman (or man, for that matter) with drooping tags.

Foot notes

Unless you don’t walk, returning shoes can present problems, as the soles can be dead giveaways come refund time.

If you’re the eccentric artistic type, you might be able to get away with wrapping those strappy Pradas in Baggies, but it does take away from their timeless, yet modern elegance. There's also the risk that logo watchers might think your shoes were designed by Ziplock. On the plus side, the Baggies can help camouflage the crappy pedicure you had to do yourself.

As a rule, the only shoes that make sense to borrow are “ f***- me” pumps, since your feet will be in the air most of the time anyways.

Fashion straight off the runway

One of the best places to pick up free, quality clothes is at airport baggage carousels . There’s little danger of getting caught since security is much more concerned with catching tweezer and fluid carriers than luggage thieves. The only risk involved is not knowing exactly what’s in the suitcase until you’ve already taken possession of it. But that’s also what makes it exciting. Every bag you steal is like a gift...maybe that Dolce & Gabbana blazer you've been wishing for is in there. Or better yet, the original owner is a jewelry smuggler!

To increase your chances of getting something wearable, stick to carousels arriving from places that wealthy people travel and shop. Paris, Milan, Hong Kong and Dubai are always good bets. The first class baggage comes out of the chute first, so get there early. Avoid discount carrier carousels. Always grab designer luggage, since even if you can't use the contents, it'll get a good price on eBay.

It's not old, it's "vintage"

If all else fails, do what Rachel Zoe does when she’s in a pinch—wear that frayed, slightly stained, hopelessly out of fashion Chanel/Gaultier/Dior you’ve got in your closet, hold your head high and tell everyone it's vintage. They'll think you’re a trendsetter instead of just a poor slob.

Keeping up appearances--revising your beauty regimen

Probably the most jarring thing about going broke is the effect it can have on your appearance.

Imagine the horror of realizing that those one inch grey roots you’re sporting aren’t going away and you can’t afford to continue paying Monsieur Groovy Pants 120.00 plus tips to fix it. Needless to say, the panic and loneliness are mind bending.

Or worse, imagine those doggone elevens between your eyebrows come back and you start to look as worried as you really are. What do you tell the children?

But poverty really doesn’t have to age you if you’re creative.

If you have scientific tendencies, you can always grow your own botulism toxin. In fact, you may already have some. Check any old jam and jelly jars in your refrigerator (if you still have one). Cans that are bulging can be good sources. (link to source that helps identify cans and jars that may contain botulism). (Link to self-injection tips)

Cut and dye your own hair. Give yourself some really heavy bangs if you feel uneasy using homemade botox.

Sure, it’s a little scary, dying your hair for the first time. But if you’ve watched a few episodes of “Shear Genius”, you probably know all you need to know.

Consider the advantages: Trying new things keeps you young; the rush of fearful adrenaline is exhirating (particularly now that you can’t afford coffee); styling your own hair is one of the few creative outlets you can afford to pursue (if you still own scissors). And the beauty of doing your own hair is, if you screw up, it’ll grow back, unlike your retirement account.

Which leads to the beauty and splendor of scarves. Chances are, you’ve still got a few designer scarves tucked away somewhere in the bottom of your drawer. Now’s the time to dig them out. In a pinch, an old pashmina or Ikea dish towel will do.

Here are a few examples of how a scarf can take years off your appearance:

A screwed up haircut can be camouflaged by creative use of the head scarf. (click for tips on head scarf wrapping that doesn’t make you look like a chemo patient, hippie or mammie).

Say you’ve finally scraped the last molecule from your $500 dollar Kanebo neck cream, and your neck is starting to resemble a sharpei, and you’ve already sold all your cashmere turtlenecks on ebay.

Of course, the scarf can also be used to mask other cosmetic issues such as deflating lips, the “elevens” between the brows, even crows feet and drooping eyelids. Use your discretion to determine how liberally you wish to apply your scarf. Always make sure the designer logo is in plain sight. It’ll make you look classier.