SASHAYING down the street in a dress made from old curtains, carrying a second-hand clutch bag and sporting your nan’s old heels might not always have been seen as the height of chic. Until now – welcome to 2009, the year of the frugal fashionista.

Gazing into the great style crystal ball this time last year, who could possibly have guessed how dramatically our sense of style would shift in just 12 months? Back then we were lusting after the latest sky-high pair of Louboutins or blowing a month’s wages on a Burberry bag. Now the hottest ‘It bags’ on the high street are the ones with Oxfam emblazoned across them, as cash-strapped shoppers swap designer purchases for charity shop chic.

Job losses, tumbling house prices, and warnings of yet more financial doom and gloom – well, it just doesn’t make you feel like spending all your hard-earned pennies, does it? Even high street giants like Next, which has reported a seven per cent drop in like-for-like sales, reckon people just aren’t in the mood to go shopping.

But chin up, girls. Just because budgets aren’t as big as they used to be doesn’t mean glamour has to go out of the window. Instead, it’s time to get a bit more savvy with your sense of style and find fashion in more unusual places.

Style on a shoestring pioneers Rose Arnold and Lisa Barrington, from Chorlton, have taken the idea to the extreme – having pledged to stop buying any new clothes at all for a whole year.

Currently half way through their experiment, the pals – who have set up a website charting their adventures in bargain buying, styleandsubstance.org – reckon the decision has not only been good for their wallets but their wardrobes too. It started as an ethical decision actually," explains council worker Rose, 32.

"We both love shopping and fashion but were concerned about how cheaply the clothes were being made and how much of what we bought was going to landfill.

"So we set ourselves this absolute ‘buy nothing new’ rule for a year – aiming to show that with charity shopping, clothes swapping, customising and DIY you can be stylish and fashionable without stepping foot in a high street shop.

"We thought it was going to be really hard. Instead we started shopping in charity shops and customising clothes. And it’s been amazing – we’ve found some fantastic clothes and saved hundreds of pounds at the same time. For instance, I found five fantastic dresses for just £50 while Lisa has managed to make some gorgeous clothes for herself."

The key, Rose reckons, is to see the new trend for all things thrifty as a way to have fun with fashion. Just follow our five frugal resolutions for 2009 and you will save the pennies, without scrimping on style.

CHECK OUT CHARITY SHOPS

The first step towards becoming a real frugal fashionista – take a browse around your local charity shop. In the absence of high street stores, this will be your one-stop-shop to a new wardrobe.

"If you’re not sure about it, take a look through magazines first and do your research," recommends Rose. "Work out what looks are in fashion and go in the shops with some specific things in mind."

Trend tip: This spring is set to be all about the 80s, so get scouring those charity shops for leather bomber jackets, jumpsuits, flirty cocktail dresses and anything in gold lame.

SET UP A SWAP SHOP

You can’t get more thrifty than this – free clothes! Following in the footsteps of TV show Twiggy’s Frock Exchange, why not set up your own clothes swap shop?

Just invite your friends, ask them each to bring three things they would normally throw away, and get swapping.

"We tried this for the first time this year and it’s amazing how well it works," says Rose. "It’s amazing what you can do with clothes other people don’t want, it just takes some imagination.

"I came away with a couple of dresses, some tops and a bag."

Trend tip: There’s a summer of love vibe to this season’s folky trend so keep an eye out for any of last year’s hippy Boho cast-offs that people might be getting rid of.

IT’S A STITCH UP

Once you’ve found your second-hand treasures, it’s time to try out customising, to bring a whole new lease of life to old clothes.

You can pick up basic sewing machines for well under £100 from Argos – or track down vintage Victorian machines from car boot sales.

"Lisa can make a whole new outfit for herself in an evening – and I, after starting as a complete beginner, have even made a few things," says Rose.

Trend tip: Vintage 40s and 30s knits are all the rage this spring. So add a few delicate buttons or a corsage to your cardie and you’ve got a fresh new, retro, look.

WARDROBE MAKEOVER

How long is it since you gave your wardrobe a really good tidy?

Simply by spring cleaning your hangers and drawers you can uncover all manner of old favourites that have been forgotten about.

Even things that are just a few years old could be back in fashion, and you don’t have to spend a single penny.

Trend tip: Nautical navy and safari khaki are both back this summer, so dig out those pieces from 2007 and 2008 and give them a dust down.

MAKE DO AND MEND

Gone are the days of throwaway fashion – it’s time to embrace those old fashion principles of make do and mend. So think twice before chucking out those battered old boots or frayed frock. A few new touches and it could look like a fab new outfit.

"I’ve got one old coat I’m turning into a military number just by changing the buttons and adding some trimmings," says Rose. "You tend to forget how nice some of the clothes you’ve bought really are."

Trend tip: Believe it or not, battered old stonewashed jeans are set to make a style comeback this year. So dig out those old frayed denims.