NOTICE
Recessionista: Trends on a budget
Get thrifty to stay fashion-forward in a down economy
By Nina Libby
nlibby@kansan.com
Buying a designer handbag for $325 doesn't seem sensible when you're racking up student loans and struggling to make rent. With the economy in the gutter, fashionistas have been forced to reform their ways, because spending a fortune on clothes is out, and discount is in. Make way for the recessionistas—the new name for style mavens on a budget.
Mary Hall, marketing manager at I.B.M. in Redondo Beach, Calif., noticed the term in Us Weekly magazine. The article in Us was a list of clothes under $70 for the recessionista. But Hall thought the clothes in the article scored low on the classiness scale, so she created her own "Fall Bailout Package" on her blog, therecessionista.blogspot.com. The site features Hall's picks for low-budget spenders looking for a professional look.
"I thought the Vera Wang collection at Kohl's was a better choice for a recessionista who wants to be taken seriously," Hall says. "I wanted to share my ideas with other people looking for the same look."
"I look at high-fashion magazines for ideas and then shop at cheap stores that sell similar styles for less," Ziskind says.
The key to shopping at a thrift store is having an idea about what you want before you go, and the recessionista has a knack for
Alex Ziskind, Chicago senior, found her Michael Kors down jacket for $66 at TJ Maxx, 3106 Iowa St.
For college students looking for cheap but chic clothing, Hall suggests Target's GO collection for dresses, TJ Maxx for cheap designer duds and H&M for classic pieces with great designs.
Chiles says he started shopping at thrift shops because he collects obscure T-shirts that couldn't be found in mainstream department stores.
Many recessionistas trade their unwanted clothes for store credit or cash at places like Wild Man Vintage, 939 Massachusetts St. Owner Phil Chiles says he looks for clothing that is well made and timeless when buying vintage goods.
Photo illustration by Allison Richardson
- Swap clothes. Trading clothes with your parents, siblings and friends is a great way to score new stuff and get rid of what you no longer want at no extra charge.
- Get thrifty. Some really cool stuff can be found at flea markets, garage sales, on Craigslist, eBay and Freecley, with prices so low it's almost stealing.
Michaela Bowman, Duluth, Minn., senior, compares similar clothing items she bought from Banana Republic and Wal-Mart. The entire outfit Bowman is wearing, including her shoes, came from her mother's closet, proving you don't need to spend a dime to achieve a classic and trendy look.
- Skip the latte. Make coffee at home instead of running to a coffee shop for an overpriced latte.
Michaela Bowman, Duluth, Minn., senior; says she makes a list of things she wants
sifting through all the junk to eventually find a fashion gem.
before she goes into a thrift store.
"Therift store shopping does take a lot of patience," Bowman says. "If you go in knowing what you want, you can focus and find some really quality things."
Bowman also trades clothing with her mother to save money. She says it's a cheaper alternative to buying vintage clothes while still pulling off the vintage look.
Another thrift store for recessionistas to peruse is Arizona Trading Co., 734
Massachusetts St. which buys and sells a variety of vintage apparel.
When Tim Flattery, Onanga junior, needed a shirt for his 21st birthday, he went to Arizona Trading Co. to look for an inexpensive T-shirt to match his big purchase: a pair of Levi's from Urban Outfitters.
"I wanted to find a great shirt to balance out the expensive jeans, but I was running low on money." Flatterty says. "I stopped by ATC and found a T-shirt with a V-neck in my
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November 20,2008