For now at least, cheap is cool. Frugality is viewed as acceptable, sensible. The assumption is that this “Great Recession,” which has thrown the nation (and our retailers) all for a loop, will have lasting effects. Here’s why it won’t.
In the future, as depicted in the likes of “The Jetsons” and Woody Allen’s “Sleeper,” each person wears one outfit over and over again. Basically, predictors are saying that one day, fashion will be gone, and we’ll all wear uniforms. (Jerry Seinfeld had a joke along these lines, in which he can’t wait for the day when he doesn’t have to waste time figuring out what to wear). Rob Walker’s “Consumed” column, from the Sunday Times magazine, points out that, based on recent experiments in which artists wear the same outfit for months, perhaps a “uniform” future is arriving—and perhaps more importantly, we can all start saving money by buying less clothing.
