The duds say it all - and it's depressing.
Taking a cue from the grim economy, this fall's fashions at Banana Republic, Gap and H&M are featuring a distinctly Depression-era trend of cloche hats, pencil skirts, conductor caps and baggy, vintage-style dresses.
One of the most popular styles appears to hark back to the impish, newsboy getup of the 1930s: baggy trousers, caps, pinstriped vests, oxford lace-up shoes and utilitarian handbags."
Let's go for Depression-era food, while we're at it, and Depression-era housing, and Depression-era employment. Some Fashion Institute professor says in the story that given the unstable economy we're in, maybe the retro style "has come back as a way to connect with our heritage." How deep. Silly me -- I thought it was just fashion-industry trendsetters trying to make a buck off people even shallower than they are.
