Save in Style

The Jakarta Post - WEEKENDER   |  Fri, 05/22/2009 3:25 PM  |  Reflection

We’re spoilt rotten in Jakarta. Decadent pastimes like having our heads and shoulders massaged in a cream bath for an hour while getting a pedicure at the same time don’t require breaking the bank. But aspiring celebrity wannabes are always looking to go the next level. Why shop here when I can go on a daytrip shopping spree in Singapore? Or better yet, Hong Kong? Why eat breakfast when I can “do brunch” in Kemang? Why get a plain white T-shirt for the amount its worth when I can pay a hundred times more for that brand-name label?

Well in case you haven’t noticed, that is so five years ago. It’s time to wake up and smell the burning cash. Now more than ever, spending a year’s worth of someone else’s minimum wage on a new handbag is like wearing a fur coat to an animal rights convention. Not cool.

Budding – and budgeting – fashionistas can now claim that their frugal habits are hip to the current economic situation. As a friend of mine reports from her stylish London stomping grounds, frugal is fashionable, economical is in.

“Ever since the term 'credit crunch' was coined, a lot of my friends, even those who aren't in any sort of financial crisis, make a point of only shopping for the low cost bargain stuff and then flaunting it,” she says. “It's cooler to be thrifty because it makes you look like you're aware of what's happening in the world, even when you're not.” And just think, you’re saving money but still supporting the economy at the same time. It’s a win-win situation.”

For those of us who’ve always taken pride in saying that they got their one-of-a-kind party dress from their grandmother’s wardrobe and shoes from Pasar Senen, now is the time to shine. This season, once Bargain Basement Bums have become Credit Crisis Chic, Red-Tag Fanatics are now Recessionistas.

And for those starting to feel the pinch, here are some tips to get savvy and save in style.

• If you haven’t already, ransack your parents’ (and your grandparents’) storage space, there are bound to be some timeless gems in there. They just don’t make things like they used to. And there’s nothing better than free and one-of-a-kind.

• Blazer jackets and oxford shoes are in, so time to dig up your (or your kids’) old school uniforms. With flannel shirts and oversized tees also in fashion, take a look around your dad’s (or husband’s) wardrobe.

• Or you could get way ahead of retroactive fashion fads and start dressing like its 2009. Be a trendsetter.

• Black never goes out of style. Neither does gold. Even better if it’s real gold, because you’re also wearing a good investment.

• Start a handbag rental service like bagborrowsteal.com. You know that between you and your friends you have enough handbags to accessorize Africa.

• Accessories are key to never being caught wearing the same outfit twice. But remember, it’s about quality, not quantity.

• If you are going to wear something often, make it part of your “signature look”. Don’t push it though. Saving on laundry doesn’t count.

• The jewelry en masse that lines the streets in Kuta and Legian may not look as exciting after the hundredth time. But where do you think the rest of the world gets their statement necklaces from?

• Live by the mantra, “if it’s not on sale, it’s not worth it.”

• Swap instead of shop. Have a clothes swap party and invite all your most fashionable friends. The options are endless.

• If you really can’t control the urge to splurge, be smart and become a qualified personal shopper. Get paid to shop instead of going broke.

• Get eco-chic, there’s nothing more sustainable than recycling your own out of control wardrobe. Once you revisit some clothes you haven’t seen in a while, they’ll be as good as new.

• If you were thinking of upgrading to a walk-in-wardrobe, think again. How about converting the guestroom?

• Save cash by ditching those international coffee stores. There’s no trade fairer than buying your java directly. Get hip to black coffee that you have to filter through your teeth. Then get hip to black teeth.

• How about a staycation instead of a vacation? You could watch the Discovery Travel and Living channel instead.

• No need for a Sunday champagne brunch at a 5-star hotel when you can invite your friends over for a BYO potluck.

• Fill up your Perrier bottle from your Aqua dispenser at home. It’s still bottled water.

• So the most luxurious cinema’s outdone itself with beds and blankets. How is that different from watching DVDs in bed?

• Save on fees for your yoga and Pilates classes by taking up the two-in-one version, Yogalates.

• Quit smoking. It’s ugly, unhealthy and a waste of money.

• Next time someone wants to take a picture of you for their society pages or fashion site, at least make them buy you a drink.

• Feeling like you need a makeover? How about a sleepover? You can have friends over and do mud masks, highlights, nail polish, listen to the Grease soundtrack, the works. For guys, how about a combover?

• Low maintenance hairdos are a must. And not the kinds that just look low maintenance after hours of labor and layers of product.

• To avoid steep cover charges at clubs, learn to say with conviction “do you know who I am?” or “I’m with the band” as you glide through.

• Feel like a day at the spa? Go for it! Support your local hairdressers, masseuses, manicurists and makeup artists. And be grateful for where you live and for your fab-u-less lifestyle.

+ Hana Miller

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