Weekly Shop Report

We round out 2009 with retail stocks, consumer confidence and online shopping soaring high. Stores across the nation are still slashing prices and luring post-holiday consumers with tantalizing sale options. Department stores like Kohl’s, Wal Mart and Sears fared well during the holiday rush, but wander around inside and you can still feel the uneasy air of desperation that characterized a crazy year in retail.

Sure 2008 was pure panic and 2009 desperation, but the decade wasn’t all bad. Rather than focus on the post-911 economic downtown, CIT worries and yadda yadda yadda, we like to highlight the positives of the past decade…in shopping.

Juicy justified spending hundreds of dollars on velor. Adidas and Puma had a hey day with track suits of their own. We started the decade in hoodies and ended in flannels. That’s right, the rise of the hipster made plaid shirts cool. Then there were those trucker hats and Ashton Kutcher put Ed Hardy on the map. Oh and Uggs ruled! First because SJP wore a red pair on SATC, then because all the celebs loved them. We thought they would die, but they are actually really easy and comfortable. Suburban teens still rock them; but in the big bad city, we only wear them inside.

Online shopping won the prize as the biggest change in retail in the past decade. With the rise of Guilt, Rue La La, Ideeli, we scored designer duds at great prices. Combined with designers for H&M, Target, JC Penny and Kohl’s, the past decade put high fashion at our hot little fingertips. Project Runway, The September Issue and events like Fashion Night Out shined light on an industry formerly considered out of reach to most of America. Fashion rounded out the decade balancing luxury’s desire need to remain exclusive for the upper class with with designers’ desire need to design for a broader audience.

Next year fashion will continue to walk this line, and we’ll bring you the ups, the downs, and the sparkling…in shopping.

Emma Dinzebach

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Posted by Emma Dinzebach at 11:56 AM
bargain news , STYLE/BEAUTY |