It’s STILL too early to be typing especially on a Nokia phone with crumbs stuck in between the keys. But seeing as I was chortling out loud on the tube so much so that the bloke next to me with a green bowler hat, half a can of Guinness and a questionable smell was looking at like I’m the crazy, it’s definitely worth typing out on this cramped bit of apparatus.
Another train to the coast, another issue of Teen Vogue that only really takes up a 50th of the journey time. It’s all about recessionistas in the August issue and here are some choice ways of saving money…
“I recently got into what I call ‘basement shopping.’ I went downstairs and discovered a box of my mom’s old Chanel headbands.” says a gal named Beau Ossorio…
“I just dug out my Marc by Marc Jacobs stuff from from eigth grade!” says another gal named Larkin Bailey.
Conclusion… Get yourself a firstname that is a prime contender for another skinny jeans and messy hair ‘indie’ band name and you too can have the luck of happing onto some curdling Chanel and moulding Marc Jacobs.
Teen Vogue…god bless thee…god bless thee for warming the scant and sub-zero cockles in my limp and tepid heart…
How unashamedly middle-class. Maybe some day Teen Voguettes will recognise their privilege.
/Male-Mode.com
I read that. Unfortunately, I have neither a basement nor a mother who purchased Chanel. Or even the excuse of a cool, indie name. Alas, even the Marc by Marc Jacobs stuff I buried recently in my backyard to make a designer tree has been damaged by rain.
Not one of my best ideas, I admit.
FANTASTIC!
ha ha I read something similar over the summer, sure that was Vogue recommending you dont need to buy a new Chanel jacket this season simply have your mums one altered into a cropped style!! Sure my mum would love that idea!!! I will have to see if I kept it, had me rolling around on the floor it was so ridiculous!
http://fashionpearlsofwisdom.blogspot.com/
haha, Larkin Bailey’s quote was the best.
Yeah, my basement is just HEAVING with Channel cast-offs. In fact I’m altering mummy’s old jacket right this minute… OH COME ON!
Susie, I love it when you’re snarky- you should do it more often!
ahem. if I ever have a daughter I’ve always planned to call her Beau.. *runs away and hides*
She sure won’t find any Chanel in my ‘basement’ though, possibly some broken Christmas decorations..
ACK. I feel conventional fash mag rage coming on…..
Ergh, this almost makes me feel as sick as watching The Hills. Teen Vogue, you need to get real!
vogue and teen vogue have been doing a good job of making me laugh. There idea of a budget is spending 200 dollars on a dress as opposed to 500+.
Heh heh, I totally love that you pointed out those quotes. I read that article, and when I got to “I just dug out my Marc Jacobs stuff from eighth grade!” I nearly rolled off the sofa. I also think it’s funny how the article decided to have that one token girl from New Jersey who actually has a part-time job and shops Urban Outfitters’ sales rack. At least they seem to be making an effort to get their head out of the Manhattan private school racket.
That’s so ridiculously funny. I hate all this recessionista/ cheap finds media. I’m reading the best book called ‘CHEAP’ about our collective obsession with the cheapest find. In a recession, if people want to save money, they should pay more for things they know they’re going to wear, even if that means paying the dreaded retail price. I hate slogging through my closet of impulse buys from bargain bins. Then again, it’s about the hunt, right?
You know what real recessionistas do Teen Vogue?
They’re scrimping their change so hard that they don’t even buy YOUR MAGAZINE, the physical being of your publication itself!
I’ve officially delegated Teen Vogue a magazine stand browsing when I’m loitering at Barnes. Good luck with the recession Teen Vogue!
I’m frankly baffled by Larkin’s quote. Are these actual teens, or made up by the same scriptwriters and producers who give us Gossip Girls, NYC Prep, The Hills, et cetera?
/old, cranky person
Dear god. These people just make me want to vomit. And bless them, they actually seem to think they’re being really helpful as if these are such good ideas that everyone can do!
hahaha susie
this is the kind of shit i think about all the time when reading this magazine… i still read it of course, i mean, the editorials are so great!
Without sounding too geeky…probably too late but I’ll keep going…I have a weird love for this kind of inane article…they’re nearly always “How To’s”…and you always have to question the sanity of whoever wrote them (or was quoted in them)…but, at the same time, it’s almost impossible to look away from them…they’re the literary equivalent of a car crash…
i like your blog very much
Lol, how amusing! I have no basement but I’m pretty sure no fermenting recession busters are to be found my my storeroom/garage. I did however successfully find a vintage Oroton bag at the markets that smells like old lady and I have an uncommon first name. Do I qualify?
That is adorable. Just adorable!
And really, though, it *is* a good habit to pick up, even if you’re rich. Maybe these kids won’t be the ones topping themselves in thirty years time when the next recession hits and it’s them in the big business, peers all wondering what the hell to do now they can’t spend like throwing confetti.
Rich girls need to learn too, you know? No matter how preciously clueless it makes them seem to the rest of us!
A couple of months ago one of Vogue’s top recession tips was to get a fringe cut in your hair in order to cut down on the frequency you would need Botox! What parallel universe are these people in?
My top tip is to stop buying those crappy magazines.
I’m pretty sure there’s no hidden Chanel or Marc in our basement….:P
I can’t afford to do what these girls do in a reccession, even if thungs were better. But I did love the Emma Watson editorial.
Oh my lord! I can’t believe they print this stuff!
Psh, I’ve been doing that for years, finding old carpenter jeans and college t-shirts. Thanks Daddy!
The Emma Watson Editorial WAS good, but you make a brilliant point, Susie. This stuff is garbage! Although, I do find a lot of fun things in my attic that I can certainly refurbish I’m sure that I’m included in the 95% + population that didn’t buy Marc Jacobs when they were 13/14 years old.
Can’t help but wonder if I AM in the category of the contender with a first name that qualifies for an Indie band, though 😉
Brilliant post girl. xox
These girls do not live in the real world, looking in my loft is not an alternative to shopping. There are probably a load of baby clothes up there. They would have been far better talking about outlet sites, clothes swapping and thrift stores.
Hahaahhahahahahahahahahhahaahahhahahahahahahahahhahahahahahhahahahahahaha
I think people in the UK are much more likely to go to Primark or the supermarkets for clothes. Or charity shops..
I guess that’s not the sort of people who read Teen Vogue!
I wouldn’t be surprised if Urban Outfitters gives these girls there own line with such fashion genius.
Yes, my house is just a lair of unwanted designer castoffs from the other members of my family… yeah, I wish! Considering they’re not in my possession already, they definitely won’t be in my basement!
Eeek, holy sh!t. I remember being 15 and reading that magazine and OGLING at some of the girls they showcased. One girl I recall had like 200 pairs of London sole flats.
WOWWW. I’m guessing that wasn’t purchased with babysitting money.
I do wonder if they are being serious when I read that stuff… But I loved the editorial with the baggy jeans, loafers and ankle socks. So me!
Ummmmm…. my OLD Marc by Marc Jacobs? From 8th GRADE!??
I’m fucking sorry but in 8th fucking grade I was begging my mom to take me to Contempo Casuals (rememer that store Clueless fans?) and Charlotte Russe. Jesus- I still can hardly afford his shit.
Eff you Teen Vogue. Go cry to someone who cares.
Cuz EVERYONE has Marc Jacobs just hanging around from 8th grade… uh huh.
Ha! Seriously. I’m getting really sick of Teen Vogue for pulling that kind of crap. I get the feeling that they don’t understand NORMAL people… :-/
love your blog!!!
How precious…
*riotous laughter ensues*
Are they serious? Like, for real? Really serious? Wow. My grown ass should be so lucky to happen upon MbyMJ from 8th grade. My top shelf brand back then was Nike. LOL.
I’m wish i could find MXMJ from eigth grade. I’m pretty sure everything from eight grade for me cost less than $50. sometimes these articles just kill me.
Don’t need a basement, you only need your mother’s closet. From my mother i got a tartan pencil skirt from Rodier and brown 70s two piece suit by YSL, from my grandpa I got a big Alaska sweater, from my grandmother Bruno Magli classic heels and half a ton of jewelry, and the best bf jeans ever belong to my brother..I think i’ll be raiding my dad’s closet soon!
leveggieburger.blogspot.com
You know what ?
We don’t have Channel or Mom’s Fancy basement, but we have our Favorite blog of Susie !!
Much more Valuable in our Metaphysical Matter !!
Susie, you are Awesome, sending Love from Brooklyn.
Gosh they are sooo last season with those ideas!! I dusted off my Grandmothers old Dior dresses and have hemmed them up into minis!! I wear them with leggings and now they’re so current and I didn’t have to spend a penny! I’m the queen of recession. Or, maybe Princess. Princess Recession. I even stopped tanning and started painting my skin orange to get the same great look.
Yeah, right…..I wonder if there’s anyone at Vogue (Teen or Regular- US, that is) who actually reads the stuff they print, though I kind of hope they don’t have one- I look forward to howlers like these..
Teen Vogue can be good, but also so ridiculously funny, I’m not sure they realise it though.. it’s like the girl they feature in her room sitting on a mountain of Marc Jacobs shoes or something.
It sorts of reminds me of the Vogue UK April’s tips for fabulous frugality tips, like ‘travel light, with Bottega Veneta’ or ‘up the glamous stake at home and wear the boyfriend’s Prada pyjama’.. yes sure, so recessionista!
Liking your critical spirit, Susie 🙂 xx
I don’t have a basement, nor a mum who buys Chanel, nor I own a marc jacobs bag, nor my parents have a disposable income for me to spend. I love clothes, yes, but I have the conscience of not wasting money that isn’t mine
haha! what percent of t.v. readers really have lives like this?
The only one I know of who has the teen vogue life is the http://seaofshoes.com/ girl. Check it out.
recessionista: a term coined and solely used by people who want you to buy their things. or magazines.
Great post. I love these tips.
oh if only i could go down to my basement and find some chanel that if forgot about ha ah xoxoox
seriously, Teen Vogue? You know, some people’s parents don’t buy designer items…some girls can’t even afford Marc by Marc Jacobs (ahem). I’m glad I’ve unsubscribed to that magazine…
haha i read that too and i was like yeah.. let me just go into my basement and rummage around in my mom’s huge nonexistent chanel and prada collection now.. and my moldy balmain, gucci and valentinos from second grade that i happen to have lying around. i’m so recessionista!
Wowzers…. maybe I need to type more earlier in the morning… whilst gouging out sleep and flicking it onto the keyboard…
It’s got to be said, like a few people (Hebden I think…) have said, I do SORT of like reading these car-crash articles…at least they have to be credited with attempting to address the issue and yes, there was the token New Jersey girl thrown in there for good measure… anyway, I love to chuckle so long live these sort of articles…
And yes, Teen Vogue’s editorials still do rule…
hysterical. just the word recessionista is enough to turn my stomach…
Re: Sea of Shoes’s Jane, admitted she does have a lot of amazing shoes but her mum had loads of vintage stuff and was a boutique owner so maybe access is easier for her. And to give her credit, she does shop a lot of vintage/newer labels and sales.
^Re: SoS, I don’t think it’s my place or anyone else’s to be judging what she has and hasnt’ got…. I’ve posted before about judging those that happen to have designers things (myself included…)
That said, I am about a decade older than the aforemntioned in the article and working so it still did make me chortle… I think it was the ‘eighth grade’ that did it….that IS 13-14 yrs old, right? As in, UK equivalent Year 8!!! In year 8, I was wearing Mickey Mouse tracksuit sets and then slowly branching out into vintage and Etam….!
Eek no, that wasn’t what I intended to say at all…it’s daft to go judging people on the basis of a few photographs and info on their blogs. It’s just the generalisation about a ‘teen vogue life’ that I was responding to..
But yeah, 13/14 +mountains of shoes/designer stuff , is ridiculous- at that age, most people haven’t even reached full shoe/body size.
Haha! I actually quite liked this issue. But yes, TV’s idea of a ‘real girl’ is a little skewed…
haha i read the same tips in wide-eyed disbelief! I had just come out of the harry potter film and and in a fan-enduced frenzy picked up teen vogue, esquire and time out purely on their potter cover-star merits.
sadly my mother was more prone to blooming marvelous! leggings and covering jumpers in glitter glue than chanel head bands and I doubt the people in the basement flat downstairs would appreciate me rifling through their drawers.
however, emma watson’s purple lipstick was DIVINE! Ax
I got that magazine the other day and when I read that, I thought the very same thing! I think if your parents are buying Marc Jacobs for you in the 8th grade, your probably pretty safe from the recession.
Dru, I wasn’t meaning you… just that a previous commentor had mentioned her… it’s odd that people can know so much about one’s lifestyle through a blog….! I hadn’t a clue about her mom, etc etc… scary stuff…
I only know about Sea of Shoes mom because she has a blog too, and some article about her had that info…but yeah, it is scary that people get to know that much..
i’m so glad teen vogue didn’t exist when i was a teen…it would have given me one more thing to hate about my peers.
haha, i was laughing hysterically when i saw that teen vogue thing. like anyone has chanel headbands laying around. there was another thing in that same part of the issue where some girl said, “My dad was shocked when I bought the Chanel bag, but I new it would last forever!” everything in teen vogue ranges from a budget of $200-1,000+ dollars.