5 Easy Pieces : Creating a Wardrobe With a Little Money and Lots of Imagination

The art of dressing well is a matter of personal style and knowing which shapes, colors and fabrics are “new” each season. Being fashionable on a budget, however, is not easy, especially considering today’s high prices. But it is possible.

This spring, for instance, start with a softly structured jacket in a pale neutral. The jacket--long and with rounded shoulders--is the season’s pivotal piece. A feminine blouse, silky pants, a versatile skirt and a wear-with-anything T-shirt complete the core of a new wardrobe. These five pieces, which total about $300, are all that’s needed to produce an impressive array of outfits for day, play and evening.

Here are nine looks mixed and matched with some well-chosen accessories.

Model: Caroline Hepburn/ Prima; hair: Katharina Ehrhardt/ Celestine-Cloutier; makeup: Marine Guillemot / Zenobia; styling: Jill Sokolec/ Celestine-Cloutier