Is the term ‘recessionista’ really necessary?

March 11, 12:36 PMSF Fashion ExaminerDino-Ray Ramos

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JUST SAY NO to using the word, "recessionista."

Yes, I know that we are in a recession. And yes, every time I turn on the news, a newscaster with heavy eye makeup and an annoyingly eloquent voice starts his/her report with the words, “In these tough economic times…” And yes, I know many of us don’t have the funds to buy those John Varvatos combat boots that we’ve always wanted because we have to save our pennies for a box of mac n’ cheese.

Without a doubt, I am an advocate for saving money and finding good bargains on fashion, but when the term recessionista is thrown around like it’s an actual cool word to use in everyday vernacular, that’s when I start to get irritated.

Who made up this term in the first place? It sounds like a drug you see ads for on television that is endorsed by a celebrity – like Boniva (thank you Sally Field) or Gardasil or Cymbalta or Restais.

I can picture the commercial for Recessionista now. Bea Arthur would be the spokesperson and she’d be in her backyard tending to her flourishing cabbage patch. True to form, she’d be wearing one of those elongated broad-shouldered cardigans in mint green and a pair of Crocs suitable for gardening. She’d say, “Hi, I’m Bea Arthur. You may remember me from shows like Maude and the award-winning television comedy, Golden Girls. I may have gotten tons of money from those shows, but like you, I am suffering from this economic crisis. That’s why I take Recessionista. It’s just one small little pill you have to take every day and that’s it. All your recession worries are gone.”

Then, a voice-over (preferably by Jack Nicholson) would start while we see Bea Arthur in various vignettes: horseback riding, cuddling with her Puggle, canoeing, playing skee ball, eating a cheesecake with her homegirls Betty White and Rue McClanahan. The voice-over would warn us of the side effects: nausea, loose stool, dizzy spells, dry mouth, hot flashes and halitosis.

The commercial would end with Bea Arthur saying, “Now’s a better time than any to take Recessionista. Don’t you want your life back?”

I am fully aware that not all people can afford luxury items during these times of financial woe – hell, I am one of them. But do we HAVE to use the word ‘recessionista’? It just looks ugly. Not only does it sound like a drug, but it sounds like a senorita that’s about to go on recess.

Kathryn Finney from the Budget Fashionista has been doing this for years and she didn’t need a recession to tell people how to be frugal. Better than that, she didn’t coin a term that’s not only annoying, but reminds people that we are in a recession, therefore dissuading them to shop even more.

Before we know it, there are going to be recession-friendly terms for every trade and hobby out there. Exotic dancers will enjoy an “economic strip-pulus package” and hookers will find financial comfort in saving money by becoming a “precessitute.”

Bottom line: if you can’t afford it, don’t by it. If you want a high-end look, then consult the Budget Fashionista – Finney does a great job of telling you how to look good while stay within the boundaries of your bank account. And finally – please stop using the term “recessionista.” It is so unflattering and sounds like vocabulary vomit.