Ah, The Fourth of July, the holiday we celebrate with bike parades, cookouts, sparklers and fireworks.

And, for the truly patriotic, the clearance sales!

Traditionally, the July 4th weekend has been the now-or-never time to grab those spring and summer merchandise markdowns, although, with the economy spiraling down as quickly as it has been over the last few weeks, we’re wondering if there are many people left out there who feel that, say,  a bag marked down from $1600 to $900 is really that much of a steal. 

So we have to wonder:  Could consumer confidence fall far enough for the designers and retailers to actually be forced to price handbags based on how much they cost to make?   Are this summer’s markdowns going to be enough for those of us who are suddenly feeling more tightfisted than we have in seasons past?  And how do we make sure that what we do buy will still make sense in the months to come?

While many of the upscale fashion mags and retailers have chosen to ignore the sobering effects of the economic slowdown, you’ve got to love how Vogue tackles it head-on in their slender July issue, with tabloid-y cover blurbs like “Strategies for Shopping the Trends on a Budget”, and “Cost-Effective Beauty and Fitness”.

Sure, Vogue’s idea of “being chic without breaking the bank” is to stock up on “inspired finds under $500 (plus one key investment piece [which typically ranged from $1300-$2300])”, but the general idea is easy enough to scale down to more realistic levels. 

As the editors write in the always-prescient  “Point Of View” page (the one that introduces and summarizes the editorial section of the magazine) this month:  “Wall Street is having a bumpy ride--and that’s no time for short-term investments in giddy wardrobe fripperies, right?"  They also predict a “tidal shift toward minimalism and a more grown-up attitude toward glamour”, which certainly follows historical patterns.  (Not only do hemlines go down in hard times, but colors get darker and more neutral, and silhouettes get more balanced.)

The good news is that, for whatever reason, this spring and summer’s trends (and last fall’s) are all still going strong, and we don’t see much change ahead for the fall. 
If this sampling of editorial shots from the current issue of Harpers Bazaar (top two) and Vogue (bottom two) are any indication,
shorter skirts, chunky shoes, and big handbags aren’t going anywhere,

and neither are ankle boots, clutches,

color-blocking, platform pumps, black tights,

or well-cut shift dresses.


Now we know that, for some of you, it isn’t a real sale unless you can physically paw through the merchandise and elbow your way through the markdown racks.  But we have to say, we’ve become quite fond of  the point-and-click method of bargain hunting, especially for brands we know.    It’s just so much more efficient--not only can you side-by-side compare similar items from different stores, but most sites let you search sale items by size--after all, who wants to even see that fabulous 70% off skirt if it only comes in a 0 or a 12?  (Saks and Shopbop, take note!).  

We also love the new online convergence of the four Gap-owned stores.  Now we can shop Banana Republic, Gap, Old Navy (all having huge clearance sales, btw) and Piperline with one cart and checkout. 

Is this a great country or what?