Anya Sarre, fashion stylist of "The Insider" (www.theinsider.com) and "Entertainment Tonight" visited The Early Show Saturday Edition on Dec. 27, 2008, answering questions about what's next in fashion for 2009. She had three models wearing looks that we can get for less. 1. ANYA, THE FASHION INDUSTRY HASN'T BEEN IMMUNE TO THE BAD ECONOMY, AND THAT SEEMS TO BE CARRYING OVER TO 2009. Yes, we're seeing a lot of designers cancelling their runway shows. Designers who have consistently been showing at the tents in New York, like Betsey Johnson, Carmen Marc Valvo and Vera Wang have already said they won't be doing runway shows for Fall 2009. That's partly because of the expense, as a runway show can cost anywhere between $100,000 and $750,000 for an 11 minute show. But it's also because the fashion houses have seen layoffs, and the designers just don't think it's appropriate to stage an expensive runway show in this climate. 2. BUT PROBLEMS THEY'VE BEEN HAVING WITH SALES, HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN GOOD FOR THE CONSUMER. That is true. We've seen it over the Holidays, in the form of huge sales. And those bargains will continue well into the new year. Store take deliveries of their Spring clothes and accessories on January 27th, and they're anxious to get their Fall/Winter lines off the racks, so the sales will continue, maybe with even deeper discounts. 3. WILL WE SEE THE DIFFICULT TIMES REFLECTED IN THE LOOKS FOR 2009? Yes, in a couple of different ways. We're going to see a lot of pops of bright color, a lot of florals, but with a lot of grey undertones. It's also a great year for transformation and change, so we'll see hope reflected in the designs. Also, a lot of people feel they are unable to afford the high-end stores this year, so we'll see a lot of them turning to mass retailers. They'll get a sense of what the styles are, then look for lower-priced alternatives. 4. LET'S SEE SOME OF THE STYLES WE'RE LOOKING AT FOR 2009. We have our three "models", Laura, Jamie and Caitlin. Laura is wearing a bright green dress with a grey cardigan, so you see the grey undertones in the sweater. And we've added another pop of color with a bright yellow bag. These candy colors will be very big this year. This whole outfit came from Walmart, and will cost less than $50. The bag is less than $25. 5. AND WHAT ABOUT JAMIE? Jamie's wearing florals, another big trend for 2009. She's got a bright, floral print top with jeans, and, again, we see the pop of color in the bag. You can find this whole outfit at Target and, again, it will cost you less than $50. 6. FINALLY, CAITLIN? Leena is in a floral print dress with a cardigan. Cardigans will again be very big in 2009. You've got the colors of the florals, toned down with the cardigan, and we get another pop of color with the candy-colored bag. This is one of the really hot bags for 2009, the Butler Bag, and here's the secret. The Butler bags retail in shops for more than $200, but the line is sold on QVC for less than half the price, and it's a great bag, because it truly keeps you organized, with sections for everything. 7. AND YOU SAY THE VERY BEST WAY TO SAVE MONEY IN 2009 IS TO SHOP IN YOUR OWN CLOSET.
That's the most important tip. Look to your own closet for the basis of a great, trendy look. With money tight, remember, reuse, recycle, revamp. You might have a great white blouse in your wardrobe. Pair it with jeans, or a great skirt, add the cardigan, and get that bag, or shoes, with that pop of candy color, and you're right in style.