Fashion: Look fab for $150

A great outfit feels even better when you know it came at a good price.

I am definitely a sucker for a bargain.

I once found a $400 dress marked down to $30 in a designer seconds shop.

But instead of telling me how fantastic it looked, someone I know told me that the only reason I'd bought it was that it was cheap, and that some of my sub-$50 dresses looked better.

While not everyone can be trusted to exalt over a bargain, there are enough of us careful shoppers (sounds better than cheap, doesn't it?) to make it time to do a round-up of some of the great stuff that is available even in the chain stores at the moment.

All of these pieces can be put together in different ways to make an outfit that will cost you less than $150 all up.

If you're shopping on a budget, it's a good idea to go in with a plan.

Decide what you can afford to splash out on - a good pair of jeans or a classic trench coat, perhaps? - and look for cut-price options for everything else.

It's been said so many times, but key pieces in neutral colours are a great addition to your wardrobe.

A beige drape cardigan and a couple of well-cut black and white T-shirts will see you through lots of weekends if you match them with your favourite jeans.

And when it comes to work-wear, pieces that you can mix and match will help you achieve lots of different looks, without lots of expense.

Try to limit the really fashion-forward section of your wardrobe to about 20 per cent. If you're on a tight budget, most of your clothes need to stand up to a few seasons' wear.

Know what styles and colours will look good on you - there's no point buying something you'll never wear, no matter how cheap it is.

It is hard for me to admit that my heavily discounted dress hasn't been worn as often as some of my other old favourites - try to work out on a cost-per-wear basis how much each item is likely to cost in the long run so you can learn to recognise the truly great deals from the cheap-on-the-rack mistakes.