The Recessionista Project

In this week's Trocadero Tidbits newsletter, we mentioned something that my sister, Lindsey, started: The Recessionista Project. It's a simple concept, really: don't buy new stuff. "New," of course, having a bit of a twist: you can buy, but it has to be from a thrift store or a vintage shop, or generally just not brand new. My sister started the project because she wanted to be thrifty, considering our current economic status, but also because she wanted to shoot a dose of creativity directly into her wardrobe. Our mutual friend Julie, who lives in Las Vegas, joined in the project, and so did I, to a lesser degree. Lindsey regularly posts outfits on her blog, and Julie does, too. Lindsey posted one of my outfits on her blog, and I created a couple more for this Troc Talk post (my outfits here use items from the store along with my vintage finds.) We'll start with some of Lindsey's looks.


Lindsey's sporting some fine vintage blouses in the above two photos. She shopped her own closet for the rest of her outfits, putting new life into a cardigan/jacket and a thin gold vintage belt, as well as her signature skinny jeans.


Here's Julie in two of her Recessionista outfits: on the top, she works with a simple nude slip dress and a Victorian blouse she found at a thrift store, along with shoes that she shopped from her own closet. (And she's standing in front of a fabulous painting by Omaha artist Joey Lynch, I must add.) In the second photo, at a club in Las Vegas, she's wearing a thrifted top and shoes along with a pair of shorts that she swapped from a friend and says that she's been wearing all the time. (Lucky her that it's already warm in Vegas!)

And here's some of my looks. My photography skills aren't quite as advanced. But I'm wearing all items shopped from my own closet and thrifted (as well as my Bettye Muller sandals from Trocadero and my Pade Vavra ring, which has truly become a signature piece for me.) What's fun about this project, I think for all three of us, is that it challenges us to think of what we already have in new ways. I've worn things I've saved for special events on a daily basis (the Dior heels in the second photo are a good example of this.) Its fun to mix things up every once in a while, especially in your own wardrobe.

If you want to be a part of the Recessionista project (and really, who wouldn't?!) check out Lindsey's blog and Julie's blog, and send your outfit photos to them, or to us at shoptrocadero@mac.com. We'd love to share in your creativity.