The Recession Fashionista (Part 1 of 2)
SHEI introduces Part One of blogger Jennifer Cassel’s two part series, “The Recession Fashionista.” The feature discusses the recession’s impact on the fashion industry. Part One, below, highlights the effects felt by college students. Part Two debuts Friday.
The ”recession fashionista” – No, this is not another term to describe some crazy avant-garde runway where the models look similar to homeless bums, but instead what fashion-minded and practical girls are becoming.
A time where eating out becomes a luxury, college students are finding new ways to brighten up their closets on a very tight budget.
Turning to fashion blogs such as Streethearts and Satorialist, John Kim, sophomore Communications major at University of California Berkeley, has realized that “more important than buying things out of spontaneity, nowadays, I’ve begun to think about each purchase I make for a long time.”
Popular online destination Gilt Groupe promises high fashion at low prices
In this economy, fashion websites like WhoWhatWear, Shopnastygal, Gilt Groupe, Thelook4less are growing exponentially in popularity. Some of these sites focus on identifying trends on the street, while sites like WWW and thelook4less help make shopping on a budget easier. Specifically, thelook4less identifies a hot ticket item fresh off the runway and then suggests cheaper alternatives. So you can still get the look, but for a fraction of the price.
Gilt.com is another example of how designers are trying to encourage more spending during these tight economic times. Designers give the site select styles at a reduced rate, which Gilt then puts on sale. Everyday, various designers are featured and their items are on sale for a significant discount. For a designer handbag, the price goes from $500 to $200 and which almost instantaneously, sold out. “I realize that I am still spending a lot, but I am getting more clothes at discount or on sales” added Danielle Cuccio, an avid Gilt Groupe shopper.
Students like Sarah Abram, senior at University of Michigan majoring in Political Science and Art History, still relying on her parent’s money, used to be sneaky when shopping. “I used to go on Amazon and in addition to my new school books, I would pick up some new outfits. Then the parents started to catch on that books weren’t THAT expensive.”
Throughout the country, the “extra spending money” has turned into money for food, thereby, hindering a student’s ability to shop. “My parents have lower my allowance per month, so I can’t get away with frivolous shopping for a new Thursday night outfit,” says Rebecca Halev, a senior majoring in Art and Design from the University of Michigan. Vassi Sova, senior at University of Michigan majoring in English, also changed her shopping tactics, “because some trends are cyclical, I’ve been shopping in my mom’s closet a lot. Sometimes it creates tension between my mom and I, but the fights aren’t about how much money I am spending anymore.”
