Tag Archives: economy

I’ve Lost My Passion For Shopping

Leonora EpsteinNovember 8, 2009 //

I don’t know what’s happened to me. I used to love shopping. Next to having sex, drinking, and eating great food with friends, shopping used to rank pretty high on my list of activities that make me happy.

And no, I was never one of those girls who “bought to fill the void” or anything like that. As a fashion lover, the biggest draw of hitting the boutiques was a satisfaction of being able to change my style with something simple. I never dumped huge amounts of money on clothes, but I definitely had patterns. Maybe one nice designer purchase every three to four months; one to three smaller things per month like tops, accessories, and sometimes shoes from places like Urban or Forever 21. I rarely bought out of necessity.

Now that’s not the case … Keep reading »

Does Shopping Make You Feel Guilty?

Leonora EpsteinOctober 26, 2009 //

The retail industry is getting pretty desperate these days—how many more special events and functions will we see that scream “Oooo! Please, please come shop in our store!” According to the Wall Street Journal, the latest tactic in trying to woo the recessionary customer is to assuage shoppers’ guilt.

In some cases, this goes straight to the point instead of tip-toeing around the you shouldn’t be spending atmosphere. Take, perhaps, the best example out there, Gilt Groupe, a sample sale website (and admitted Frisky obsession) whose name is a play on the word “guilt.” The site’s co-founder, Alexis Maybank, explains that now retailers like her are placing emphasis on battling this new culture of consumer guilt: “It used to be about keeping up with the Joneses, and now it’s about outsaving the Joneses … We need to encourage people to get excited about fashion.” Gilt’s short-timed sales have set off a wave of similar online initiatives, which rev up shoppers and distract them from negative feelings.

Keep reading »

Does The Fashion Industry Need Government Aid To Survive?

Leonora EpsteinOctober 20, 2009 //

The fashion industry has been hard hit by the recession, and it looks like it may take some strategic political partnerships to find the path of recovery. After the collaborative efforts of Fashion’s Night Out, New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg is helping to launch another initiative to help stimulate the fashion economy. This time, it’s a designer contest which will begin next month, reports the Post: “The mayor will stage a competition to pick 12 up-and-coming designers for a new city-sponsored fashion ‘incubator’ facility. The project is aimed at helping New York attract young talent by providing cheap design space.” [NY Post]

Keep reading »

Do You Feel Like A Ditz Because You Love Fashion?

Leonora EpsteinOctober 15, 2009 //

“Fashion trends speak volumes about the human condition and wordlessly point us towards the zeitgeist,” writes South Africa Times columnist Jacquie Myburgh. Huh? They do?

Ms. Myburgh, like many a fashion journalist, didn’t originally seek a career in the style world, acknowledging the frivolous-sounding nature of such work. She explains: “Telling your parents you want to go into fashion is right down there with acting and air hostessing on their list of favorites.” But, over the years, she’s come to understand its importance in society, when, especially in an economic downturn, our instincts are to shun conspicuous spending and get back to less “superficial” activities.

However, maybe we should start taking the fashion industry more seriously. Keep reading »

Bride Barters Her Way To Her Dream Wedding

Catherine StrawnOctober 14, 2009 //

Kerry Coryell wanted a nice wedding, but she and fiancé Kurt VanDerLinde couldn’t afford the costly photographer, limo, DJ, and all the other expenses that are part of a fancy ceremony and reception. But it was her dream! So, Coryell put an ad on Craigslist offering to barter for goods and services she couldn’t afford. Since she had done this before (instead of paying money for $8,000 worth of dental work), she figured it was worth a try. Here’s an excerpt from her ad:

“I am not at all superficial and my clothes usually come from garage sales. I never ask for anything for myself … but this day … just this one day, I want it to be mine, without limits, without settling. I hope you can help me.”

Keep reading »

Neiman Marcus Scales Down Fantasy Gift Catalogue, Leaves You Hobos With Private Plane

Leonora EpsteinOctober 7, 2009 //

Luxury department store Neiman Marcus is really feeling the economic downturn. So much so that they’ve totally scaled back their annual “fantasy gift” catalogue to exclude seven- and eight-figure products. In the past, reports the Wall Street Journal, offerings included $10 million Zeppelins and an even more expensive submarine. This year, the recession has forced us to deal with the marked-down leftovers—an $8,500 preserved African Flower Beetle (ewwww); some six-figure, special-edition Jaguar (yawn); and a “literary experience” with an acclaimed author (bo-ring). And to think that in past years they offered trips to outer space! What are we going to get Granny for Christmas now? Keep reading »

How Unemployment Can Improve Your Style

Leonora EpsteinOctober 2, 2009 //

There’s no doubt about it. Getting laid off sucks. What happens next is the stereotypical lifestyle of depression, daytime television and sweatpants. This may be fine for a week or two, but after a while you will start to go crazy and feel disgusting.

We would never say, “Hey! Awesome! You lost your job!” Though, we do believe you can get something out of this time of unemployment for yourself. And if you look on the bright side, believe it or not, you might find yourself looking a whole lot hotter. After the jump, check out our suggestions. Keep reading »

Women: The Best Stimulus Package

Daniela GuernicaJuly 14, 2009 //

If you want a job done right, hire more women. According to data from Ernst & Young, Goldman Sachs, Columbia University, and Pepperdine University, having more women in senior management positions means higher profits for a company. So could turning up the estrogen level in big corporations be a lasting fix to the financial crisis that does not involve another bailout? That’s what Katty Kay and Claire Shipman, authors of Womenomics, argued in yesterday’s Washington Post. They say that this latest data makes sense—after all, women are generally better at working with others, not to mention that we make more cautious decisions and think in the long-term, while guys are often about high-risk competition. Could the financial melt down of this year be the death of macho on Wall Street? [Washington Post] Keep reading »

If Teens Can’t Afford Marc Jacobs’ New Pop-y “Budget-Friendly” Line, Will We Buy It Instead?

Leonora EpsteinJuly 8, 2009 //

Teen Vogue got the scoop on the latest from Marc Jacobs: Everybody’s favorite desginer is launching a moderately priced bridge collection in August called “Don’t Miss The Marc.” The small line includes some solid pieces like pleated denim skirts, three-button blazers, and some loud (but ’80s-trendy) t-shirts. The rest of the goods look to be targeting a younger audience via wacky leggings and cartoon-y tees. It would seem that Marc is heading in that direction, by giving a teen publication the first look, and pricing everything under $200. Yet, is the low(er) price point enough to capture a younger audience? Keep reading »

Good News For Students

Daniela GuernicaJune 24, 2009 //

Millions of college students cringe at the word “FAFSA”—-fun to say, not so fun to fill out. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid helps a large number of students pay for college…after they’ve spent hours answering questions, nagging their parents for tax info, and enduring an experience close to torture. But it looks like the financial aid future is getting a lot brighter. Starting today, the U.S. Department of Education debuts a new, less aggravating, shorter FAFSA. Keep reading »

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