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.

Dawson's Love Commits Crime Against Fashion

I miss the days of Joey Potter. That's when I loved her the most. Then one day, that celeb from the posters she once hung in her room declared his love for her on a couch in Chi-town. Since then, we've seen Katie Holmes as a step mom and soccer spectator, with her daughter Suri, in a semi-decent movie with Diane Keaton and Queen Latifah, and with purple alien hands no doubt due to her husband's, I mean her, obsession with Scientology.

And now? She's rehearsing for her Broadway show and wearing unflattering pants. I can't help but think of how boyish she looks. And not to say there's anything wrong with being a tomboy at all, but I am not liking this new look. Who said pegged jeans were a trend? Apparently People.com thinks so, but I respectfully disagree.

The trend seems very 80s, and baggy jeans just don't look very flattering. Katie Holmes is such a skinny gal, but she looks wide and unattractive in those jeans. They are wrinkled and she looks disheveled - not stylish. I mean, good for her for wearing something to be bold. I try to make decisions like that all the time, but I think of it more like, "Can I really pull off this trend?" The pegged jeans may be a trend (I've seen pictures of Rachel Bilson in them too), but I hope this will not catch on. I have seen many in opposition to it and I hope it stays that way!

I guess there's really only one question left: What do you think Jen Lindley would have to say about this?

Photo: WENN

Think Plink

Alright, I may have a Facebook and a MySpace, but I’m certainly not as obsessed as I used to be. I signed up for Facebook way back in freshman year (eek!). At that time only students of certain colleges could join and you could see anyone's profile on the whole site. So it's funny to think of Facebook as the crazy giant it is today. And when did all these applications come up?

Think Plink is the latest fashion application. Not only can you tag yourselves in photos for the entire world (or just your friends and networks) to see, but you can also tag your clothing. What? I think that's kind of weird and pretentious because you're more apt to "tag" your Juicy sweats over the knockoffs you scored in Target. And if you tag something in Think Plink as being from a certain store, then other similar stores will start to send you information and advertisements. I get enough sale and new merchandise emails as it is. Why would I want another five million? Plus who has the time to sit there and not only tag their friends, but also tag their clothing items?

Apparently this is supposed to help people recreate a look they've seen on someone else. What ever happened to being original and creating your own style? And if someone wants to know where I got my shoes so badly, they can talk to me - ya know, like the olden days of communication.

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