This is the first post.

Like most people in their mid-twenties who are not living primarily off their parents and/or trust funds while cultivating a coke habit and languishing in private art schools, I am poor. Paycheck-to-paycheck, mountain-of-student-loan-debt, maxed-out-credit-card, moved-to-the-tundra-for-cheaper-rent-poor.


Unfortunately, I also have a thing for fashion.

Recently, I noticed that there is a serious dearth of resources for the financially challenged but fashion-conscious among us. There are a couple decent blogs, but most of them are either blatant Target propaganda, written by self-righteous 20-year-olds (no offense, I used to be one. I just don't care what you have to say), only provide "get the look for cheaper" reproductions of questionably fashionable celebrity outfits, or some combination of the three. And as much as I love fashion blogs and magazines that feature items that cost more than two months' rent, they often just end up making me feel inadequate and defeatist. If I can't have Manolos, I should probably just give up on life wear Kleenex boxes for shoes because I am clearly a bag lady, and obviously not worthy of Fashion Genius.

So, as is typical of my reaction to most things I find distasteful or unfortunate, I thought to myself, "Well, fuck that! I'll make my own motherfucking fashion blog for poor bitches."
And thus, Down and Out In Style is born.

I'm not pretending to be an expert on fashion, but I am kind of an expert on being poor.

I hope you like it!

<3-hallee

P.S. To make this blog a success, I will need your help--your pictures, ideas, opinions, inspirations, tips, etc. Send them my way at hallee.berg@gmail.com, and keep an eye out for requests for specific contributions in future posts.