A New Take on Fashion

To many, being stylish is about spending money. Having the season’s hottest trends is expensive, and looking good means dipping into savings. However, there are many ways to look fashion forward while saving money. Repurposing clothing is the easiest and most fun way to update a wardrobe. Taking a pair of scissors to an old t-shirt brings life in to a drab piece of clothing. Jeans can be customized (and turned into new party pants) by distressing and adding store-bought patches. Two garments can be cut apart and sewn back together to create a mix-print or colour-blocked look, and panels added to the hem of tops create interest and a one of a kind appearance. Thrifting can be tough, but feels like a treasure hunt. Unique vintage pieces feel almost abundant at thrift shops, and the very on-trend “mom jeans” are easy to find. Event and everyday pieces can be purchased at very low prices, which makes shopping feel guilt-free. Another tried and true way to find great clothes is to s...

To the average person, the economy and fashion only seem to be slightly related. However, the state of the economy greatly impacts fashion at various levels. Hemlines are known to rise and fall with the economy. As the state of the economy worsens, trends often become more modest, and the opposite proves true as well. During the 1920s, the economy was booming, and for the first time in American fashion history, women wore clothing that showed off their arms and ankles. The average person was feeling more liberated, and was happy to show some skin. However, during the Great Depression, dresses were once again modest, and appendages were fully covered. Not only do silhouettes change with the economy, clothing materials and quality is altered as well. In the 1930s, as the economy was tanking to its lowest point in history, families were forced to make their own clothes out of flour sacks, and even adding their own prints with whatever materials they could find. Designer clothing was onl...