FASHION FAST: 03 October 2012

Now that my fashion-buying fast is over, I'm hoping I've accomplished that European knack of owning less and looking better.

American fashion designer Michael Kors says: ''Seventy percent of the clothes you own should be meat and potatoes, 30% should be icing and fluff - that's colour, pattern, shine, accessories. Too many women get the proportions the other way round - then can't figure out why they can't get dressed."

That said, one of the best looks over the last few seasons is the embellished pants or skirt teamed with a simple T-shirt. The other way around works too. A beaded or printed top with a simple skirt or pants is perfect. All together? Well, for the odd statement here and there it works - but, as the recent pyjama trend taught us, the head-to-toe, matchy-matchy outfit should be confined to the bedroom where it belongs. Giving up shopping for six months helped me avoid this year's fashion faux pas.

It has taught me other important things too. It's put me back in touch with what's actually in my cupboards and I've rediscovered items I'd forgotten . Giving up buying more has made me more creative with the things I already have.

It's also made me aware of what I like and what suits me. Admiring a look on someone else doesn't mean you have to go out and mirror it immediately. In fact, you definitely shouldn't. Shopping, I find, is often triggered by emotional vulnerability or boredom. But, retail therapy and quick shopping fixes are even more expensive and guilt-inducing than a good shrink.

Like chocolate, shopping is a craving. If you have the patience to withstand the urge, it passes. Walking out of the shop without a packet was a good first step for me. It's made me realise that half the stuff I thought I couldn't live without, I've never thought about again - giving me more time to think about all that needless spending and all that wasted time.

I'm not knocking looking good and buying the odd wonderful item - we have some of the best designers in the world here. I've been so inspired by our local fashion designers that I've even started making my own clothes. Well, sort of. I love that dressing up is a way to express my individuality, but giving up shopping, for a while at least, has, conversely, made me realise who I am and what really makes me happy.

Hmmm, is that news of a sale that just popped up in my inbox?