Just recently, I sulked when a snobby saleswoman snubbed my style as shabby chic.
I’ve decided I could go two ways with that. I could bristle and point to evidence that my sought-after slipcovers are plenty trendy. Or, I could roll with it and play the part I was assigned.
Maybe shabby suits my economic reality, and just maybe there’s a way to be shabby chicly. But how?
Just as I was trying on this new persona in my mind, I got a tweet from one of my sources for what’s hot. At my age and without a young person at home any longer, I need help in boosting my trend awareness. Twitter to the rescue, once again.
Voilà the latest in footwear for the economically aware, environmentally sensitive, deadline-conscious shoe fanatic. Goodbye Vanelli pumps; hello Shipping Package Kicks, new from Civic Duty Shoes.
Why so crinkly, you ask? These babies are made of dependably durable FedEx envelopes, and styled like old-school Chuck Taylors.
If shabby and chic don’t ring your bell, consider this. They’ll get you where you need to be by 10:00 a.m. tomorrow.
Word Nymph 
Now those I would buy. They remind me of the Tyvek wallet I bought my husband for Christmas. Interesting, useful, and environmentally friendly… just about everything I look for in a pair of gym shoes!
If I was the type of person who said LOL, I would.
Aw, what the heck. LOL!
Apparently, some are sensitive about style criticism concerning slip covers. Ahem. I suggest trying the classic clear vinyl cusion covers of the fifties. They never wore out. The origninal fabric stayed beautiful. The dacron slacks of the day may have caused their demise, where you tended to slide to either side. And those short-shorts with Coppertone were a bit sticky.
Now that’s an idea. Very retro-chic. And a great claw deterrent.