This time of year, it's hard to resist the siren song of the mall. The combination of off-season clothes in your closet and shiny new pieces in all the stores is enough to make a girl bust out her credit card and start shopping. But this year, think about how you can use what you have before you grab up a bunch of new things.

Here are five simple ways to make what you have work for you.

You have: A great cardigan.

Wear it with: A belt. Choose a belt that works for your figure; if you're curvy, a wide belt will play up a small waist, while a skinny belt is great for short-waisted girls. Play with various ways to style your cardi -- button it just under the belt, for example, leaving the top and bottom buttons open. Or if your cardi is too boxy, wrap it across your midsection and hold it in place with the belt. Or take a tip from Michelle Obama and leave the cardi open under the belt.

You have: A basic white shirt.

Wear it with: A short-sleeved dress. Layer your summery dresses over your white shirt for a look that is crisp and chic -- and appropriate for fall. A short-sleeved dress is a nice twist on the sheath dress, and avoids that jumper look you can get when you layer a sheath over a blouse.

You have: Peep-toe pumps.

Wear them with: Tights. Yes, really! Pair your peep toes with some funky tights -- patterns are an easy upgrade, but color is fun, too. You can also match your tights to your skirt for a longer leg line, or to your shoes if you're wearing a skirt with pattern.

You have: A dressy jacket.

Wear it with: Your jeans. By "dressy jacket" I mean anything that you consider too nice to wear every day -- a suit jacket, maybe, or a velvet jacket. It's that jacket that you're saving for some event or occasion. How about treating Tuesday like an occasion? Or thinking of that one day when the kids are all at school as an event? Bust out the jacket; layer it over a basic tee and your fav jeans for a hip, cool look.

You have: Boots.

Wear them with: Everything! Substitute your boots for your flats or pumps for a look that's current and cool. Add some great tights and you're all set.

What's in your closet? And how are you reworking it for fall?

In other fall fashion news:

Closet Therapy asks, "Is this ruffle too much?"

Frugal Fashionista shows you how to get Sienna Miller's casual chic look -- for less.

And Mrs. Obama shops her closet, resurrecting a Thakoon dress she wore during last year's Democratic National Convention for an appearance on Jay Leno. Way to go, Mrs. O.

Susan Wagner writes about pragmatic fashion at The Working Closet and chic suburban living at Friday Playdate.