Recession in fashion - Dress for less

Economize
Dictionary: e·con·o·mize (ĭ-kŏn'ə-mīz')
1.To practice economy, as by avoiding waste or reducing expenditures.
2.To make economical use of something



Right, Webster was a really smart fellow. I am not so sure that he was a fine dresser. Anyhow, one thing is for sure, recession is hitting us on all fields, so is the case with dressing and shopping. Does this mean we should stop spending money on clothes, shoes and make up?



Of course NOT!!! It is very important to continue to stimulate economy by continuous input of fresh cash. In short, by spending, you are actually helping general bad state of the economy.However, the key is, spend less than what you earn. It does sound simple, but it is the hardest thing for people to learn. I am the prime example.



Now, the current state in retail is seemingly very beneficial for the consumer, right? Sales everywhere! This however encourages you to shop for things that are cheap, not those that you necessarily need or are of a good quality. Basically with the economic situation as it is, you simply cannot afford to buy cheap stuff. You are looking for good quality pieces that are timeless and fit your personality.



So we could have seen on Paris, New York and Milan Fashion Weeks for Fall 2009. your timeless dark and light grays, blacks, browns, beiges all were spiced up with zippers, shoulder pads, big chunky statement industrial jewelry , tie high boots, lather pants, sequins, men shoes, interesting head pieces etc. Designers could not afford to make cheap and weak collections.



Cost saving was definitely noticeable, but not in a bad way. In contrary, many designers showed their strength by going back to their roots and covering basics.

Gareth Pugh did a video fashion show which showed fashion pieces and fabrics in a whole new dimension.
Botega Veneta did many feminine value added pieces: white coats, great detailing, low back dresses.
Marni focused on investment pieces as well, he did great fur coats and peacoats, short skirts, huge chunky jewelry and line chain necklaces.
Angelo Missioni had a vision of ice princess who wore layered cardigans, light and delicate lace pieces in pale pink and baby blue armored with huge chunky knits.

My favorites were:
Zac Posen - Zac's story happened in Paris in 1920's Patty Smith era, he did gorgeous silk dresses and suites in pale pink and gold. His message to women was to create their goddess existence.
Ana Sui did not disappoint, her collection was of course colorful, hippy, feminine and gothic-cool, she used feathers and designed some great head pieces.
I loved Alex Wang's rock and roll minimalistic look. Alex did leather pants and tailored jackets, great texture and finishing in black and white, beading with bras-nickel metals, beautiful purple dresses and great sequin hoods and hats.
I also loved Oscar de la Renta's gowns, smokey eyes, duchess hair puffs kind of look and wool-fur combinations in red, orange, blue and purple.
Donna Karan created gorgeous gowns and skirts by cutting and draping, these easy and flexible pieces came in purple, red, burgundy and blue.

Of the chart were my top favorites "beyond fashion" designers:

Galliano for Dior - with Ukrainian virgin bride muse who wore coin necklaces, gray, silver green and red pieces - see-through silk pants and wide and long sleeve dresses with gorgeous beading.
Ana McGibons made a great collection for Chloe, great capes, rolled up pants, black velvet overalls, military colors, tall shorts, oversized coats and a special beige sleeveless dress with high neck.
McQueen did a very strong collection - colorful tights, long skirts and coats, great hats, all in red, white and black, very fetish, fierce and gothic.
While Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel did super cool retro hats, deep V front tops in black, white, jade green and pale pink, body suites, high neck and half sleeve.

In conclusion, try to pull the inspiration out of next seasons designer pieces, pay attention to details and invest in timeless pieces which are always in style.
Luckily, many spring items are still in, like harem pants which just got sequin detailing for fall, chunky jewelry and zippers are back, red lips and high tie boots are still in-style from last fall. Please note that shoulder pads are optional trend worth of passing.

Let the recession inspire you to recreate, reuse, shop for vintage pieces, go through your grandma's closet or simply organize a little yard sale or trade among your girlfriends with stuff you grew out of or were given and it doesn’t fit your personality.
If you are a designer wearing girl, you can now get the designer jewelry for less: Erickson Beamon did jewelry collection for Target, in Croatia Leonarda Boban did a cute jewelry collection for Kozmo drug stores, so there is something there for every budget.

Get inspired!

xoxo