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Sarah models a co-me sequined dress and M.M. Coutoure jacket from MYSI Majority on Johnson Street.

It feels hypocritical to write about fashion at a time when I can barely do up half my pairs of pants.
The shortbread, turkey sandwiches, Carolans in coffee, rum in eggnog and finally even the stale Christmas cake took their toll.

But the impact is deeper than sartorial misery. My annual purchase of too-small designer jeans at Boxing Day sales and then the gruelling run-gasp-walk on New Year’s Day did not kick butt this year.

The routine of associating Jan. 1 with another chance to diet, work out or acquire some far-fetched talent like playing the cello or learning Arabic has gone stale. This is a funk.

Maybe it’s turning 30 and the fact that, despite my greatest efforts, I’ve matured beyond the satisfaction of enviable party tricks and slipping into high school jeans.

This year my resolution is to make my life, and self, more attractive from the inside out.

I’ll start by looking back, which is in fact what the whole ritual is about. The tradition of New Year’s resolutions dates back to the mythical Roman god Janus, a two-faced deity with the ability to look back and forward in time.

We will remember the past year for one of the biggest economic crises in modern history. People lost their jobs, homes and savings. Whether we have personally been affected or not, it is a good reminder that finances are volatile. Out of caution and respect for those struggling, I’m spending less frivolously this year—buying local and tackling the student-loan debt instead.

There are ways to stay stylish without being a shopaholic. In 2008, the Oxford dictionary shortlisted the word “frugalista,” interchangeable with “recessionista,” describing fashion-savvy women who save by swapping, thrifting and bargain-hunting.

This weekend I’ll attend a clothing swap with old friends. The key to hosting a great swap is to invite a diverse group of stylistas and several who wear your size. Donate the leftovers to a women’s shelter or charity thrift store.

Some of my best finds have come from scouring neighbourhood thrift-stores on a regular basis. The most recent treasure is a pair of vintage white thigh-high cowboy boots from St. Vincent de Paul’s on Yates Street for five bucks.

Forget crazy diets and cleanses. This year begins with a vow to take advantage of the incredible selection of organic and locally grown foods on the Island. Eating local is healthier for our bodies, the environment and our local economy as well.

There are options that cater to multi-tasking young professionals. No time for grocery shopping? Order a box of seasonal organic produce from spud.ca, delivered to your door. Lunch-on-the-fly habit? Bliss on Pandora Avenue has a fabulous selection of hearty, healthy salads and meal-size smoothies. Chocolate addict? Organic Fair in Cobble Hill makes the best essential-oil infused chocolate around (available at the Market on Yates and at http://www.organicfair.com).

There is still that issue of getting in shape. Alice Bracegirdle’s Bellyfit program has got me pumped.

“The class gives a sense of female power,” Bracegirdle, 35, told me about the one-hour, women-only workout that combines belly-dancing, bangra, Bollywood, African dance, yoga and pilates—sometimes with live music. “It has good cardio, stretching and a real element of fun movement.”

Bracegirdle conceived Bellyfit at a personal low. She was a single mother on welfare in Perth, Ont., struggling with depression.

“I had this revelation that I needed to exercise. But regular fitness regimes seemed boxy ... I’d tried belly-dancing and loved it, so I combined the two,” she said.

Bracegirdle moved back to her hometown, Victoria, and started teaching. Now Bellyfit has become a Canada-wide franchise offered in 20 cities. Bracegirdle will teach Tuesdays and Thursdays at the YMCA in downtown Victoria. For more information, visit: http://www.bellyfit.ca
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