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Story by
TeenAngster
Published on October 31, 2008 in Spotlight |
Photo by |
Times are tough these days. The recession is approaching full swing, and those of us that enjoy looking fashionable are left to look at the moths drifting out of our pocketbooks while contemplating the implications of each potential purchase. There's a name for us fashion lovers in a pinch: the recessionista.
When the money's short, but you still gotta look fly, look no further than Etsy for all the on-trend items you'll need to put your look together. Below you'll see a selection of this season's top trends, all at great values. Where else could you find a custom piece of clothing or a one-of-a-kind accessory at such an affordable price?! Leave the boutiques behind, ladies! Get creative with your fashion!
Seasonal Fashion Gift Guide | Trends | Woodland and Feathers Gift Guide | Fashion Posts from our Blog
| Tags | bargains, budget, deals, economics, economy, fashion, penny pinching, recession, recessionista, shopping, style, tough times, Trends |
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85 comments Login to add your own!
J2Jewelry
Can I just adopt Yokoo? And have all of these items? Just, please?
nat1489
Trends on a budget? I should have been featured! Most of my jewelry is under $20 so you can still look good on the cheap!
mannequinreject
Things close to $100 are way out of our league for people who can only afford to heat one room at a time.
lol
MeghanT
I like those turqoise and mocha stacked rings! That subtle hint of blue is divine.
mksupplies
Ohhh I love that ginormous belt by desirapesta! The world would look so much prettier if everyone was covered in oversized bows.
SpaGoddess
tylr
iris77
jodieflowers
NicoAndMooMoo
CrankHeartPony
yeah....thats definitley out of my budget range. Cool stuff no doubt, just too pricey for me.
lifeincircuit
If you can afford to blow almost $100 on a single item, you were never broke enough to not be able to look good to begin with...lol
GemmaBeads
superfay
kicia
really pretty items, but still a bit expensive. they are hand-made though, so i can understand why.
MysticLily
SamyStClair
These certainly don't fit into my budget. I dig that This Grey Makes Your Day dress though.
chakrapennywhistle
Me too! Love that title.... recessionista!
My Grandmother and I are severely close and she is always talking about the short cuts that she had to make for fashion while in hard times.
I automatically thought about women drawing lines up their legs during (I think) WWII when nylon was unavailable.
undertheroot
lovin' the selections and where's the undies?
heehee..
recessionista and workin' it!
xo
jennifer
LaveMeSoapCo
I agree. My budget is waaay lower than these items, although they are nice.
nanouke
J2 Jewelry, LOL. I want to adopt Yokoo too!! Let's share custody :)
VintageEyeFashion
Recessionistas are always welcome at Etsy Vintage Shops.
Vintage is easy on the eye, easy on the environment
and easy on the wallet. Some of us even offer free shipping on selected items!!
DAINTYCROCHETBYALY
haha Yokoo is so cute!!
yeap! looks like recession is in?
and will be around for sometime... hmm
estatesale
I gotta concur on the prices- they are kind of high for a piece on saving money!
EJPcreations
anniepoo
PoPkO
foreverandaday
MariesVintage
Yay vintage! The featured items may be a bit pricey, but there is so much cool and reasonably priced vintage on Etsy!!
JeweledAmbrosia
Yeah, too pricey for my budget, but def less than the overpriced boutiques. All beautiful pieces tough!
follystudio
There are some great finds on Etsy that fit into a tighter budget.How about an article with items $45 or less.$45 is still high for me right now but I'd pay that for good shoes.
krize
branda
jamieribisi
I wish I had a low budget as high as this!
Come on now.
Some of us are really hurting and this is what you suggest?
olivebrown
JenniferBurkin
allisajacobs
Kurdtlhorg
branchhandmade
Valleycreations
The items are ALL beautiful- but I wouldn't any of them budget-friendly.
laslopezlas
meaghannn
what a joke
if anyone's budget can afford these in times of trouble, then they are /not/ in trouble
chakrapennywhistle
I actually think that the pricing is fine.
You must remember that most of these are HANDMADE.
I do agree with follystudio. It would be fun to see a collection at $45 or less. The gift guides are awesome for budget friendly price breakdowns too:) They have an under $20 category that is awesome!
Tina7383
Meghannn
I am with you...I was shocked at the $$$ of the items. That is not to say that I do not value that the item is handmade but that they are not in the pricerange of a pocketbook in a pinch like the article is suggesting they would be or should be if you are stretching your budget.
SelenaEon
I strongly support SLIMMING down the closet. When I want a luxurious item, I go through my closet and choose what to sell in order to afford it :) I choose handmade over mass produced whenever possible and keep it within my budget this way.
but next time etsy, when you say "on a budget", I agree with the others that it should be more of a BUDGET! I didn't find the pricing in this Storque to be different from most articles...
TheKnottyPine
I like the items, but as others said, these are not BUDGET items at all. I would never be able to afford or justify buying any of those items suggested, more so in these money tight times. I love handmade items so very much, but some items are just way too pricey, and these are examples of some. There needs to be a showcase of cool items under $15.00, and there are sooooo many here on Etsy! That's a price range you can call a bargain! ;)
xiney
TeenAngster
Hi there - thanks for your thoughts! As per the article above: The words "budget" and "value" are subjective to each individual's wallet. In general, handmade items have "value" - i.e. they are lasting, quality items that are at prices that seem fair for their worth. The items above are not "cheap" by any means - if you want cheap, you go to Wal-Mart. However, compared to a boutique or high end designer store, these finds are positively affordable. It's all a question of your own particular taste and situation.
Alison
BluCille
PurlMinx
I agree with the majority of comments above. These are beautiful items, but not items for a "recessionista" (which is a fabulous term!) who would try to probably find the high-end style with inexpensive items while not jeopardizing quality. I don't think anyone is looking for cheap . . . but when you're offering barettes for close to $35 . . . that seems like designer boutique prices. I'm not saying that these items are not worth those prices . . . It just doesn't seem to fit the whole "recession" concept, though.
Beautiful work, though. And the coined term is wonderful too.
PurlMinx
Oops- I'm sorry- I meant a headband- not barettes- for close to $35.
But truly beautiful work. And quite eclectic. :)
uncharted
sleepingcatbeads
I must agree with most of the above posters. While the featured items are indeed beautiful, they are not what I would consider "budget" items at all. And I kind of resent the implication that inexpensive = cheap = walmart, considering the average price of the things selling on etsy is like $15, right?
Many of us sellers have nice things in our shop in the $20 range that most definitely have value and are NOT walmart.
meaghannn
i have always wanted things in my closet to be of quality, to have a story and handmade definately gives me that, and i will sometimes pay more to get that, but when we are talking about a "recession" or a budget, im not above getting a headband at walmart
estatesale
If the items are out of your price range, I think the best way to use this article is to search for similar items on etsy that are lower in price. A couple quick searches resulted in finding big scarves, vintage leather jackets, hood-scarves and feather fascinators that are all nice and similar to these but have lower price tags.
interrobang
So.. okay. These are budget items because... they're the cheapest thing your favourite sellers make?
estatesale, I get what you're saying, but shouldn't TeenAngster have been the one to do that search?
jamiewayne
love absolutely every one of these items
hate that i have not a cent in my pocket to buy any of them
i would say im definitely a recessionista, to the extreme, in thee sense that
i couldnt even afford a fiteen dollar top
sigh :(
drycleanonly85
Future challenge: fashion under $30. My budget would allow for MAYBE 2 of these items.
larimeloom
I LOOOOOVE the white gown a the tpo of this post! reminds me of plastic wrap, the material!!
thanks for the feature here teenangster!
thepairabirds
I'm glad you're focusing on higher priced items because not all buyers have the same small budget as the rest of us. However, maybe focus on Classic styles. People are more willing to spend more money on an item they know will not go out of style. Classic = Good investment
crochetgal
I love these pics TeenAngster! Congratulations. These pieces all reflect the quality that I've come to expect on Etsy.. and these are so reasonably priced for handmade items. I would much prefer to have a few very good quality pieces in my wardrobe that will withstand the test of time than many pieces that need to be replaced every year or so.
A great selection!
marajane01
While they are of great quality and very pretty items, I agree: NOT for someone on a budget! Maybe they're in the price range of the oh-so-poor lady I read about whose husband lost his Wall Street job (they went from $250k to $125k a year...how terrible)! I don't think I could even afford to buy one of these items.
Not all of us live in Brooklyn, Etsy!
fernfiddlehead
I started a forum thread a while back about this. Didn't get nearly as many comments
JoyandWhimsy
I could use a cowl like that one at top b/c it became so cold this past week on the Northeast Atlantic Coast but today, Sat, it's beatiful and warm again.
sophiecls
The items are beautiful and well worth the price, but most are still out of my budget. I agree with thepairabirds. I'd be more likely to spend more on a style that I can wear through many seasons, whereas trendy items will remain a very small portion of my clothing expenses.
Hyena
By the way, you cannot wait from a clothing designer making everything by him/herself to offer garments under 30$. I am not sure there is "handmade clothing" on a budget. This is kind of a contradicion in the terms. Or you choose quality and you spend the money to get it and reduce on your purchases. Or you buy more items of a lesser quality.
Also I would like to point out that not all handmade garments are of the same quality, disregarding of any matter of taste.
friskyspinster
Vintage fashion can be mixed and matched, creating your own personal style with interesting combinations of pieces. As a general rule, I love to mix a very strong masculine element with a very feminine element. Visit friskyspinter and see what I mean.... (I just opened, so more items will be appearing all the time--check back often!)
unencumbered
The Fan-dango Flickr link is awesome, I was hoping for some history about the dress! Thanks!
stripesandplaid
Man o man, I wish I could buy every single bag pictured above. Sigh.
desirapesta
what did this mean... "Not all of us live in Brooklyn, Etsy!"
us Brooklyners are way poor, man!
SelenaEon
Hyena, I sell handmade clothing...gently used...closet fills up and I need to pass on...Over the last 15 years I've made more than I can possibly wear.. so the price range IS sometimes under $30 and they are well made! custom made clothing items, I absolutely agree, are likely not found under $30 for good reason.
redpajamas
reuprefashion
OccasionallyBrill
I take issue with the statement that if I want cheap I should head to Wal-Mart. I don't believe the word cheap is the right term when it was used by other commentors. We don't want cheap, we were expecting inexpensive. I also don't shop at Wal-Mart. I shop here at Etsy.
The article itself stood on its merits of being super-trendy at non-boutique prices. The jab of "cheap" simply wasn't necessary.
DistressingDelilah
Oh my...you can be frugal yet fashionable..yes, in todays age. It just takes a little looking and imagination.
ashleyeaston
Mmmm...autumn and recession never looked so good. Clever angle!
TheRetroMetro
Yes, it does depend on one's personal "pocketbook" however, lets look at this from a comparative POV. These items are great if you can afford them, yes. Compared to boutiques, these can be amazingly affordable. Add time & effort to make it work properly on people, especially if it's specifically for someone's body (Haute Couture, NOT juicy couture, which is NOT haute couture) and the cost will rise. I do notice that people do offer this as an inclusive service for the most part on clothing and certain accessories.
If I see something I like I can copy it... and take shortcuts... for a fraction of the cost. My customers deserve my best work, so no shortcuts...Not all folks subscribe to this...so it's really no guarantee that it's better.
(As far as the term "budget" goes, perhaps it would be best to include a "budgets under... *place amount here*" context. It seems to have really struck a nerve in many here. I'd be lying if I said it didn't strike a chord with me, but it's important for me to remember the context of the article and each person's personal POV. According to my mother, if I don't remember this, I am still not to big to put over her lap...or even pick out my own switch!)
I, too, prefer the term "inexpensive". Walmart is "cheap" because they get things in bulk. It does NOT necessarily mean that these items are going to fall apart after the first wash. There's nothing to be ashamed of because one shops there. I do. Buyer beware, yes... but do your product research (at Wally World, at etsy & at the boutiques) and you really can't go wrong.
JensJewellery
Boy I think I am in trouble then... I think that they are reasonably priced.. Yes probably not for the title of the article though.. But still they are lovely. If everyone is looking for items under $15.00 then I do think that I will be in serious trouble with more sales. However, in saying that I have had 2 this week from Etsy and another 3 custom orders for PMC outside of Etsy this week. So maybe it's just what customers are after.
Jenni - Australia
alienfreaksd
Those items are nice but I couldn't currently afford to pay 91 dollars for a purse.
lsad
yosemitevintage
I take pride in offering quality vintage clothing & accessories for low prices. Any comments on my shop prices would be appreciated. Thanks.
starletvintage
I love the bags and turquoise bangles!!! Handmade and vintage are the only way to go if you want quality AND affordability!! Most vintage prices are HALF or one THIRD at least of what you would pay for a comparable item NEW..and pretty much every time, you're getting something of amazing quality... made at a time when clothing was an investment. There's way too much disposable junk out there, cheapo clothing included, never mind the ethics involved in producing it ! So YAY VINTAGE, YAY HANDMADE!...Do yourself and the planet a Favor! I'd appreciate any comments on my new shop re prices, anything else. jo
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Great items.
Amazing Bargains!