yes, america, we’re in a recession and there’s talk of you know what..starts with D and sounds like recession. and nowhere is it more present than in ventura, which is where i found myself this weekend…it’s a lovely sea-side town about an hour north of la on the way to santa barbara.  it’s a hard town to describe..feels like it’s stuck in a time warp a bit, but a mecca for antiques and thrift clothes, which is why i had to check it out.  there’s a main drag along the center of town so you can walk from store to store (i know, what a concept).  and, as i perused the shops, i started noticing the ‘recession’ signs…like recession-proof your home, recession-free prices, recession 50% off….some didn’t even make sense…lol.  but, clearly, the economy is on everyone’s mind.

so i thought i’d do a bit of research on the women of the depression-era to see if there was anything that could translate now.  i think the 1930 sears catalogue says it best: “thrift is the spirit of the day.  reckless spending is a thing of the past”.    interestingly,  women would sew more, mend their clothes and not dispose of them until they were near rags.   also, they would have less clothes…maybe a few nice outfits that they would wear again and again.  it was certainly a stylish time and not one devoid of work, hard labor, child-rearing and all the issues we think are exclusive to our struggle. but, sadly, one can’t imagine doing that now in our culture of overspending and consumption.  i do wonder though…i have so many clothes (and shoes, oh my) in my wardrobe, but on any given day, i don’t look particular well kempt.  i joke around with my coworkers that i often dress a step above pajamas for the 9-5.  perhaps if i had less clothes altogether i would take greater care in what i had and in my day-to-day presentation?  i dunno – it’s a good experiment though.  perhaps i will try!