How to dress up a recession

YOU HAVE been invited to a festive party, do you:

(A) Declare you must have something new and hit the shops determined to flex your credit card to the max;

(B) Want a new dress, but decide to save up first by cutting back this month;

(C) Resist the urge to splurge and instead resurrect a little black dress from your wardrobe?

Retailers hope most of us would pick the first answer; they want to see us carrying on our love affair with fashion in the economic downturn. But surveys suggest women are already tightening the pursestrings, giving rise to a new type of female shopper: the recessionista.

Like her more expensively clad sister, the fashionista, she follows the latest trends, wants to look good, but doesn’t wish to spend a fortune.

That is not to say she will head to Primark for a pair of patent heels. She believes less is more. She would rather fork out on a timeless item that will last for several seasons, rather than a statement piece with a short ‘on-trend’ shelf life.

A survey by market research company Mintel found a growing demand among women for quality clothing and a move away from the instant fix of fast fashion.

Researchers say we should expect to see women buying less but trading up to higher quality brands.

Women, says Mintel, are also looking for more classic items, with one third surveyed saying they wished shops stocked more timeless styles. Such a conclusion was backed by a recent survey by Grazia magazine, which found almost a third of women were choosing to buy classic clothes such as little black dresses and knee-high boots rather than statement garments lasting one season.

It also discovered that paying by credit card was falling out of favour with two out of three female shoppers, with many women preferring to pay cash.

Almost half said they would still spend the same amount on clothes, but would cut back their spending in other areas such as socialising, drinking or food.

So how will such changes affect the high street?

Retailers have been showing off their collections for next year to journalists already. At a preview day this week run by the Arcadia group (which owns Topshop, Miss Selfridge, Evans, Dorothy Perkins, Wallis and Burton), Philip Green, its larger-than-life boss, was bullishly buoyant about the coming months.

He told The Press: “Fashion is fashion, people will still buy. I am not going to talk the business down. But let’s just say I am aware.”

At M&S, suffering a sales drop of 5.7 per cent, its chief executive, Stuart Rose, says customers will be more selective about what they buy. That comment was confirmed by the Grazia survey, which suggested women were becoming more consumer savvy: shopping around and comparing prices before parting with their cash.

The rise of the recessionista won’t see the end of fast fashion – sales at Primark were up four per cent on last year – but women will be taking more care about what they buy and where they buy it from.

York style expert Jacey Lamerton understands the recessionista only too well. Jacey is a canny shopper and calls herself a ‘frugalista’. She has just opened a dress agency, Get Your Frocks Off (above the Dannie Lea hair salon in Micklegate), selling designer and high-end high street second-hand clothes.

She said: “I think attitudes are changing. I’m certainly getting that message from people coming into my shop. My customers would rather buy something nearly new than get something really cheap that might have been made in a sweatshop in India or China.

“There’s something distasteful about fast fashion in this climate: I’ll just get it anyway and chuck it out if I don’t want it. With the economy and the environment issues, that just doesn’t seem right.”

Anne McCrickard set up her York boutique, One, on Peter Lane (just off Market Street) with the aim of selling ethically produced fashions.

Anne admits it is a difficult time for traders, but says that for consumers, investing in quality items is a good bet in the recession.

“We have some fabulous woollens that will last a lifetime,” she said.

High street giants H&M are already reaping benefits of the credit crunch consumer. On Thursday, it unveiled its latest collection – a collaboration with top design label Comme de Garcons.

Customers at its 12 key stores queued for hours for some genuine designer bargains: a polka dot T-shirt for £14.99, a lined wool tail-coat for £59.99 and a pair of jodhpur-style trousers with ankle fastenings for £34.99. The range practically sold out over night.

Which isn’t surprising really.

On-trend looks that don’t break the bank – what more could a recessionista wish for?

Recessionista style tips

* Whether you are feeling minted or skinted, some must-have looks for autumn are perfect for all price points.

* Whatever your budget, pick styles and items that have longevity. Consider classic items such as a trench coat, or a shorter peacoat jacket.

* Buy the best fabrics you can afford, look for silk and cashmere, both readily available on the high street.

* If you want to splash out for the festive season, the little black dress is ever littler this year – with one shoulder or sleeve. But do your homework first: some fabulous one-shoulder dresses are very affordable.

* Or if you really do want to be canny, think about updating your wardrobe with accessories. A new bag or a pair of shoes can make last year’s party dress look anew. Go for patent – but pick a colour to make your outfit look bang up to date.