It would be awful for GGP to file for bankruptcy and the thought of suburbia’s malls closing down seems virtually unfathomable but at the same time I can’t say I’m going to shop to save them. The thing is I’m really trying to cut back because as each day goes by I’m realizing the severity of this crisis and truth be told, it’s not something to be taken lightly- things are going to get much worse before they get any better. Our generation and our parents’ generation are currently facing the worst recession since 1929. If that doesn’t strike a chord, I’m not really sure what does.

Love that last line but on a more or less serious note, what will Jersey Girls do if the malls close?? You New Yorkers better get ready for an influx of big hair and ugg boots!!

Great advice. “Go shop” was exactly what Bush told the US to do in the aftermath of September 11. It’s beyond dispute that seven years of people living far beyond one’s means (e.g., subprime and jumbo mortagages) and/or spending recklessly on unnecessary items (e.g., Ugg boots paid for with credit cards) is a healthy part of why our country is now in a deep recession.
Not to mention, “go shop” implies (quite stupidly) that people have money to spend in the first place. You do realize that bloggers like yourself are losing their jobs left and right?
Congratulations, Fashionista. Your thinking is on the level of George freaking Bush.

with everyone scared to spend money then we could be pushed into a depression. yes, if you have disposable income, shop. there are plenty of deals out there right now so take advantage of them. i dont think fashionista was telling people to go put everything on your credit cards and rack up a bunch of bills. i have money, i’m not stopping shopping. sometimes i feel like i’m the only one though.
also, it really pains me just how not smart some of these commenters are. you are seriously linking fashionista with bush guest 6? of course they realize bloggers are losing their jobs, they have been reporting on such events daily. you should search for some type of logic and realism class and take it fast!

I agree with the poster above. If you have extra cash (not credit) there are some great deals to be found. This weekend I went to Banana Republic with my mother and got some great buys. Tanks tops for $4.99, dresses for $30 marked down from $150. The parking lot was full but the stores were empty…I think everyone was at the movies. I felt sad for the store employees as a former retail worker myself.

that’s right. it’s essentially your duty as a US citizen right now to get out there and buy stuff if you have the money. companies need the sales and there are great bargains. support your favorite stores or buy early christmas presents. take some action.

I’m sorry, commenter 3, but I must defend us “Jersey girls”. The “big hair” is the stereotype from the 80′s, not currently. Then again, I live right outside NYC, so maybe it’s different in other parts of the state. But please know that we don’t all have big hair or live in Ugg boots. Again, sorry, I just had to clear my name as a “Jersey girl”!

dude, i said spend the money if you have it. i’m not preaching to go run up your credit cards and take a home equity loan so you can go buy a hermes bag. many people have a spending problem and seriously need to reconsider their lifestyle habits and which things really are valuable.
if you were careful and saved money when everything was booming left and right you can go back in time and purchase things at 5-10 years ago prices.

#8 “also, it really pains me just how not smart some of these commenters are. you are seriously linking fashionista with bush guest 6? of course they realize bloggers are losing their jobs, they have been reporting on such events daily. you should search for some type of logic and realism class and take it fast!”
#6 here. Fine, I’m not smart in your opinion. But I am indeed linking Fashionista’s naive “go shop” message to George W. Bush because HE SAID THE EXACT SAME THING.
Yes, obviously there are economic benefits to consuming, but 1) shopping (at malls, for eff’s sake!) is not a viable long-term solution to our current problems and 2) saying “go shop” assumes that people are able to go shop! (And for those of you with excess disposable income, you’d be wise to start saving more, especially those who say they are still in school — nothing in life is guaranteed.)
Yes, I have seen the Fashionista posts about sites such as CondeNet laying off workers, which is why the naivete above is even more baffling.
And I’m really too tired will take a logic and realism class after spending all day editing finance books.
(pretty sure the name of that course is “logic and REASONING,” btw)

Turn all the malls into luxury housing! I’m sure that will turn around the economy!

this post shows the deep ignorance of fashionista about our economic breakdown. fashion as we know it is dead. retail will die along with many other service industries. disposable income is now being used to cover rising food costs, paying off deep deep debt, and float people through layoffs.
the glory of owning $500 shoes and living in a slumb apartment is no longer as conspicious consumption will be socially reputed. is it any wonder blue-fly now offers discrete packaging?
if the fashion world wants to stay afloat too, it ought to move away from the retail model and mass output. i would love to see fashion houses follow the Patagonia model. Customers can return ALL warn out clothing in-store to be recycled into new clothes.
We will all have to learn to live without and make do. Fashion trends will soon begin to reflect this. If you thought we had seen bottom-up trending…just you wait because we haven’t seen anything yet.
If you work in retail or the fashion industry…you better start reading about what is going on so you’ll be ahead of the game when you have to change careers!

if people stop spending money then there will be NOTHING to save for. people don’t understand, consumer spending makes up around 70% of GDP. now what most of you are calling for is a depression with even larger social implications. retail will not die. it will shift, change, adapt with stronger companies with solid business models surviving. that is what this market is doing, taking out all the trash one by one.
have you checked the commodity prices lately?? agricultural commodities have gone way down along with every other commodity. that means prices of things will go down or have already. have you filled up your car lately? $1.95 in some towns in NJ.
anybody who was paying attention pulled their money from stocks and risky investments a year ago and are now starting to put it back in.
also, not every post is for eveybody. some people are having great years and have plenty of disposable income and therefore should be out spending.

Nice that you deleted my comment. You could have at least left the first two paragraphs (or even just the first!) if you felt the last was rude. Lord, you people are touchy.

hahaha, Guest 26, you are hilarious.
So many of the commenters here are touchy themselves. Take a look around.
The Fashionista people are hardly that.
(ps – everyone makes fun of Jersey, just like everyone thinks the Pacific Northwest is full of Granolas)

29! you’re absolutely right – i totally remember your comment because, even though you were pretty rude at the end, it was a good one. we must have accidentally clicked the box along with the other doubles – sorry!

just remember guest 29, perception is based on the common thought of the masses. with your attitude we go into a hard depression.
the important message fashionista is sending is to not be scared to shop. don’t forget, holiday spending accounts for about 3.5% of total gdp. tis the season.

so you are doing exactly what i and fashionista have been preaching. you have money to spend and you spent it.
i think you have proven your own attitude.

i’m not arguing as to the facts of the mall group’s debt or the probability of bankruptcy, though you should take into account that their occupancy rate is lower due to less merchants by means of less shopping by consumers.
[i also just want to point out how unhelpful it is to think in terms like "the consumer". there are varying degrees of shoppers, and not all consumers are equal in terms of spending power. some consumers cannot shop right now, and shouldn't. some are liquid, and are shopping, and should be shopping. and that's the point.]
the root of your argument isn’t the fact that spending is down because people are losing their jobs/homes/assets (anyone can see that, it’s obvious), but the root of your argument is that the initial statement made in the post, “go shop”, was naive because you’re saying that it’s not a good time to say something like that, even though you admit to shopping because you’re “fortunate” enough yourself. so the problem with your very first accusation, that the end of the post was naive, is this: you assumed that the readers themselves are not smart enough to know that they should shop only if they are as “fortunate” as you, and argued as if they are in fact too stupid to decide it for themselves, making you come off as quite haughty. and nobody likes that.