Wardrobing: I’m already itching to spend on a summer wardrobe

Q Christmas is over and the sales are almost over. I really want to get started buying clothes for spring and summer now, but there’s nothing summery in the shops and the weather is still far too cold. I’ve got the itch and I need to scratch it. How do I update my wardrobe without wearing July clothes in January?

Sarah, Cork city

A I think the problem here isn’t a deficit of clothing but of common sense. From your query, it seems that you need to spend purely for the sake of spending, and that is just unhealthy. While the common image of a fashion journalist is a whip-thin capitalist who will enable you to make foolish purchases willy-nilly, this devil’s advocacy can only go so far. This soulless shill says that you should put down the credit card.

The spring-summer collections will be dropping in the shops piecemeal for the rest of the month, so I advise you to wait. Bake a ham, make a pot, solve Hilbert’s 16th problem; whatever floats your boat. Just take a bit of a breather. February will come soon enough.

The items you buy don't have to be seasonal either. Necklaces won't keep you warm or cool, but they will make you sparkle all year round. Merle O'Grady knows the score.

Somewhere, a Burberry executive has a little voodoo doll that looks just like you, and is prodding it in the heart with a miniature debit card. High-end designers are well-attuned to the lure of the early season drop. Many designers have their new season wares for sale already. At the cheaper end, Topshop's ditsy daisy-print dress has spring all over it. Email your wardrobe woes to wardrobing@irishtimes.com

Shirt, €595 from netaporter.com. Merle O'Grady collar, €90. Topshop dress, €72