Recession or not, a girl needs decent clothes. What are the must haves this season every woman should own?

There are the very trendy clothes that may no longer be relevant next year. With the economy as it is, you might want to give those a pass.

Treat your wardrobe as an investment. What are the gorgeous pieces that can take you from this season through many Springs and Summers to come?

Dynasty style shoulder pads may be back but rather than buy one of the current heavily padded jackets or tops that would probably be out of fashion this year. If you must have that look, go dig up some old clothes that do have huge shoulder pads. Unpick them and remove them from these clothes and sew them into your existing jackets to get that look. Then when the fad is over, remove the shoulder pads.

Here’s what you should get instead.

1. Mini Dress
One hot trend that will never truly die out is the mini dress. You see that at every collection this year. Dresses are either minis that end mid thigh, or long gowns for the evening. A mini dress need not be slutty. Don’t bare cleavage and plenty of leg at the same time. Flaunt one, cover the other. This season, arms, legs and shoulders are the erogenous zones. What’s hot? Toga dresses that show off one shoulder, halter dresses and bustier tops that show off both shoulders or the asymmetrical dress. You know the new look where the dress has one long sleeve but the neckline slants down beneath the other arm to bare the other shoulder. These are the mini dresses to get this season, which you can still wear for many summers to come.

2. White Dress.
This is a summer staple. White looks great in the hot sun. A white dress makes a woman stand out beautifully, when surrounded by green grass and flowers in the park or the sand and sea at the beach. This season offers a myriad of white dresses, from mini dresses to long gowns. From girlish cotton dresses to the sexy mini dresses, to silky, floaty dresses that make you look ethereal. Pick one that suits your personality.

3. Strappy Shoes
High heel shoes make an amazing difference to the way a woman looks. This season strappy heels abound. Those with straps that wrap around the ankle are absolutely gorgeous. If heels aren’t for you, there are flats with straps that wrap around your ankle too. Consider getting those if you don’t want a Prada fall.

4. Silk Pants
Looks like the pajama pants trend isn’t going to die out. Silky pants are here to stay. Get yourself a pair of silk pants. These should drape your legs. Pick them in a neutral shade. Preferably in a color that matches a silk jacket so that you can wear them to work as well as for play. Silk pants in neutrals like gray, black, nude or white, this season’s colors, go with everything and you can wear them year after year.

5. Halters
Halter tops and halter dresses are the big thing this season. These are seen everywhere. The halter could be with cut in shoulders, fully covered behind, with a bare back or cross straps behind. Either way, show off your arms and shoulders this season by wearing halters. (Get them toned if you must but flaunt them once you can). There are so many gorgeous halters this season so stock up on them because these are timeless.