Recessionistas

Thank you, Susie Bubble. All curled up with a pile of post-Christmas carbs, I was preparing for the New Year by reflecting on the lessons of the last 365 days. Indeed, 2008 was epic in terms of unexpected weirdness. But while there was a steady stream of catchphrases to describe the year in global politics and finance, one that summed up the state of international fashion and lifestyle seemed to have been missing. In the rush of strange and somewhat unrelated emotions, I wandered around Style Bubble — the blog of London-based fashion insider Susanna Lau, a.k.a. Susie Bubble — and stumbled upon a totally fitting neologism: recessionista.

A sort of humorous addition to the ‘08 lexicon, “recessionista” captures the de riguer belt-tightening that seems to be the fashion world’s new black. From the Sunday Times to the Huffington Post, an assortment of publications has flogged the recently-minted word and legitimized its existence. What’s helping to harden things into doctrine, however, is the clutch of blogs dedicated to finding style in these challenging times. Boasting an economical brand of chic, these recessionista diaries — just go ahead and Google them — prove that the days of heady, no-holds-barred consumerism, while not completely gone, are certainly on hold. For now, thrift is the new normal.

Global Reality Check

Even Karl Lagerfeld is cutting back, too. In an interview with Germany’s Zeit Magazin, the 70-year-old design legend claims that he has now adopted a more “spartan lifestyle.” Having moved into a little house in the heart of Paris, Kaiser Karl has done some housekeeping by limiting his staff to one maid, one cook, and one driver. When the crisis is over, he continues, Europe and the United States will make up the Old World while India, China and the Gulf countries will be poised to form the new order of power shoppers.

Call it a global reality check, but surely there’s a silver lining behind the Dior gray clouds. As Sarah Lyall of the New York Times wrote: “But there is a parallel thought in the air: perhaps the downturn, however painful, will lead to a return to the values of the past. Perhaps the last 15 years or so will be considered a sort of madness, an anomaly, a strange dream.”

Fashionably Frugal

True enough, tradition seems to be the battle cry of the fashionably frugal. As men’s wear moves towards a new formality, Prince Charles has emerged as the accidental poster boy for the austere mood the world is now in.

“If ever there was a time to return to solid, formal institutions it is now, and this goes for clothes as well as corporations. How else to explain the rising sartorial influence of the British royal family?” wrote Charlie Porter in the Financial Times. “No one would have predicted it, but almost 60 years after his birth, Prince Charles is in the style vanguard.”

Notice the current trend for tuxes and three-piece suits. Who would’ve thought that bowties and vests would turn into cool party gear? Or that dressier footwear — loafers, brogues, and boots — would actually provide a welcome break from the crazy-colored sneakers that dominated the now-over nu-rave era? The tailored dress sense of the British royals represents timeless elegance and it is this stability that people crave during moments of uncertainty. Of course, that also includes matters of personal style.

Return To Refinement

Taking this return to refinement a bit further, Monocle magazine came out with a provenance portfolio that heralded the “Made In Where It Should Be Made Inc.” revival.

“Companies have rushed to take advantage of cheap manufacturing costs in developing countries such as China. But now production is coming home again,” they state. As their case studies show in the October issue, “production is done best when it is in the hands of the experts.”

Clearly a sea change is at hand. A likely by-product of these non-gold-rush days are pickier clients — people who know that it’s wise to skip disposable trends and steer clear of looks that aren’t everlasting. See, if your purchasing power boils down to just one extravagant buy, you have to make sure your investment is versatile and will last more than one season. More than ever, quality — where a garment is made and by whom —is something everyone should pay attention to and something to bear in mind as we head into 2009.