If there is anything that the recession affects the most, it would have to be spending on clothes. After all, between losing your home and losing the shirt off your back, literally of course, you would rather choose the latter, if only for the fact that a new shirt is more affordable than a new house!

However, this need not be the case. You can still buy new clothes for yourself with these judicious purchasing tips, which will balance your fashion sense and your money clips' finance sense.

Classics are the Way to Go

Unlike women's clothing, men's clothing is not subject to wild swings. Sure, there are wacky and weird designs that make it to the runway but definitely not on to the streets!

With that being said, open your money clips and credit cards to classic pieces like white formal shirts and T-shirts, black suits, sports jackets, ties, black belts, jeans and trousers, and oxfords. You can mix and match these pieces to create different looks for the day and night, which ought to make you look fashionable without being too trendy and too tacky.

Limit Your Spending to Your Needs

There is a vast difference between these two four-letter words - need and want - that will spell the difference between two five-letter words - keep and waste. If possible, you can take regular inventories of your closets to determine what you need to update your wardrobe and what you want just for the heck of it.

Then, make a list of the things that you need to buy before going to the stores. This way, you will not be tempted to buy what you want but don't really need. And your money clips will be the thicker for it!

For example, your socks and underwear need not be expensive designer duds. Just so long as they are of good quality, they will do especially since nobody will really notice the difference.

Out of Season Shopping

Don't think that the winter clothes you purchased in the summer will be unfashionable when the time to use them approaches. As previously stated, men's style rarely swings widely in either direction, unlike women's fashions.

Instead of your credit cards, your money clips will all be that is needed in shopping out of season. This is because retailers provide for big discounts on the current season's line in anticipation of the next season's lineup.

Better yet, you can also watch out for clearance sales and discount sales in your favorite clothing stores. Yes, even the manufacturers of branded clothes will offer discounts on their products because of the need to unload old merchandise!

You can also visit consignment shops for barely-worn designer clothing at bargain prices. Of course, there are always sample sales made by reputable designers, again, to unload their merchandise at reasonable costs. Heaven for your money clips, wouldn't you say?

Truly, why sacrifice your fashion sense in favor of your finance sense when you can balance the two and still come out looking like a million dollars? So, go out there, bring your money clips, your credit card and your sense of style and conquer the world of men's fashion!