Well, it’s official: we’re hitting hard times. Why the certainty? Lipstick sales are up by a substantial margin. The official name for this is the so-called Lipstick Index, which measures the inverse relationship of lipstick sales to discretionary income. This indicator shows sales of the lip enhancing product up over 40% in the last three months. See the NY Times article for top-selling shades.
So, we get why this effect happens, right? Here’s the theory in a nutshell: the less you have to spend on pricier items, the more you look for cheap thrills and image pick-me-ups, particularly for an immediate enhancement of self-image. In tough times, the tendency to withdraw grows stronger, with a need to call on inner reserves of strength and confidence. Putting on a brave face, if at least a more colorful one, is one way in which the lipstick index increases.
Leonard Lauder (chairman of Estee Lauder) coined this phrase, and it’s accuracy has stayed true: sales boomed in the months following 9/11 and after the Great Depression.
Well, enough with the fun facts. The lipstick index indicates that many women who dug deeply into their wallets for an overly expensive handbag may now want to create shallower holes of debt. However, there is an upside: there are plenty of well-designed bags that will help you look divine on a dime. I’m going to lead with a designer we all know and (at least secretly) love: Tarjay. Okay, okay…Target.
Many fans of Anya Hindmarch know that she has designed a line for Target. My favorite of the ten or so bags I’ve seen is the medium satchel in the look of patent python. It’s roomy, well-structured, and gleams for the holidays; plus, the metal feet give it a nice, finished look. In person, the geometric lines are very appealing for a clean aesthetic. A great opportunity to get a designer bag for $50.00. Note one of her similarly angular bags at the $1000 mark here.
One caveat — the nameplate says Anya Hindmarch for Target. If you don’t think you’re bothered by carrying a label that reads Target and enjoy the irony it brings, then this is the bag for you. Otherwise, try and scratch Target off and get a new nameplate with your engraved initials instead.
And remember, if you do pass on this patent possibility, there’s always lip gloss.
This post is tagged Anya Hindmarch, Divine on a Dime
