Depression Chic?

In a recent (November 11, 2008) BusinessWeek article entitled, "What's Selling? The Great Depression" written by Ellen Gibson, I found myself getting pretty depressed. Why?

Interest in The Great Depression and "Depression Chic" is making a "cultural comeback". Huh? I thought that we were only suffering from a recession? Now, our culture is going to somehow make economic hardship some kind of new trend? Apparently, so.

Ms. Gibson points out that in NYC, young people are throwing "Depression Parties" in which the clothes are vintage and all the rage is dancing to the big hits of the Big Bands and Dust Bowl ballads. Well, at least vintage stores will find themselves profiting from this trend! Are they sipping bootleg liquor? How about "Dust Bowl Martinis" featuring no-name, gut rot, low end vodka and a sprinkling of salt around the rim to look like dust???

Furthermore, she even states that John Patrick, the designer behind Organic by John Patrick, is showing "prairie-style cotton-check and hand-spun floral dresses" in his Spring 20069 collection. I have truly come to enjoy seeing organic elements in fashion, responsible "green" designers and "sustainable style". So, the designer who brings us lovely organic ready-to-wear like this:


Is going to now treat the fashion world to this?


So...we are going from Fashionistas, to Recessionistas, to...(and I get to make this one up, I guess!) "DEPRESSIONISTAS"? I just don't quite grasp this one. I can understand the interest in understanding the ecomomics and politics of that era, after all, this was a pivotal point in U.S. History. And, as the saying goes, "If we don't learn from our history, we're doomed to repeat it". But to somehow find fashionable the hardship, the suffering, and the great losses that many suffered during that era is something that I don't quite get, nor do I want to cater to in some tongue-in-cheek manner.

How about you? Are you a Depressionista?