Recessionista

Recessionista, according to WordSpy.com, is a person who dresses stylishly on a tight budget. In an economy that continues to plummet, I guess we must cut out certain things. But does it really have to be the dream of my Louis Vuitton? Maybe I can start making lunch and bringing it to work. Or maybe I don't need to buy as much makeup as I do. But shoes and bags and my stylish clothes? I think that's a terrible idea.

I guess I've always been somewhat of a recessionista, even though they claim this is a new term. They just highlighted this very mentality this weekend in the Times' A Label For a Pleather Economy. The very title of the article makes me cringe because of its use of the word "pleather". Now, I understand needing to downsize and cut out excessive purchases, but there's no need to go crazy here.

The thing is, I've always been a bargain hunter - on the prowl for a good deal and a stylish outfit. I rarely pay full price for anything in my wardrobe just on principle. I mean, it's going to go on sale somewhere, right? We need to be smart about this. Plus with the right accessories you can make almost anything look great!

Don't get me wrong - I'm not afraid to walk into H&M or Forever21, but I don't do it that often. It's not because I'm a snob or because I'm a label whore. Sometimes, I find Forever21 to be quite overwhelming. I'd really just rather pay for the quality of something, rather than having my lovely new shirt fall apart right after I wash it once. Or that time I bought a pair of cute flip flops in H&M and had to walk around the streets of Madrid with a shoe that talked to me.

But I don't like to go overboard in my spending at all. I like to think about my purchases carefully, rather than impulse buy (although that can be lots of fun too!). I'm sorry, but I really don't think that spending thousands of dollars is necessary ala Sarah Palin. Plain and simple. It can be done for less - you just need the time to find what you're looking for. But I guess if you've got the resources, why not? Ha.

Recessionista: an interesting term. Anything with -ista or chic is usually the norm in fashion. I like to think of myself as a fashionista. Maybe I'm not. But I will continue to search for the things I like at a price that a writer can afford.