Inflation: Is It Really Okay, or Are We Just Wearing Rose-Colored Manolos?

Dust in the Air Darling Dust Everywhere!

So I was listening to NPR the other day (yes even shoe obsessed columnists dabble in public radio) and Austan Goolsbee from the Chicago Fed was talking about inflation. Apparently April's numbers were... well confusing. Like trying to decipher a text from Mr. Big after a few too many Cosmos. He used the phrase 'dust in the air.' Dust? Honey I know dust. It's what accumulates on my shoe collection when I haven't worn a pair in like a week. But this was about *economic* dust. Apparently things are a little unclear. The consumer price index rose by 2.3% which sounds okay but then he mentioned volatile food prices. Food prices like men in their forties are always volatile. One minute they're cheap and cheerful the next they're charging you $28 for avocado toast. Honestly!

Core Inflation: The Little Black Dress of Economics?

Then came the real kicker: 'core' inflation. It excludes food and energy which in my world is like excluding shoes and handbags from my wardrobe. What’s left? Practicality? I think not! Core inflation was 2.8% the same as last month. Which in economic terms I think means... nothing much is changing? It's like wearing the same little black dress to every party. Safe reliable but hardly groundbreaking. Where's the fashion risk the economic oomph the *je ne sais quoi*?

The Tariff Tango: A Dance of Uncertainty

The Fed is holding steady on interest rates playing the waiting game. They want to see how these Trump tariffs will affect everything. Tariffs! It sounds like a particularly nasty strain of flu. And just like a flu it can affect everything from your wallet to your wardrobe. Will my favorite Italian shoes suddenly cost twice as much? The horror! It's like being forced to choose between rent and a new pair of Louboutins. A girl's gotta prioritize right?

Jumping to Conclusions? I Prefer Shopping!

Goolsbee said it's not realistic to expect businesses or central banks to jump to conclusions. Jumping to conclusions is my specialty! Especially when those conclusions involve a sample sale at Manolo Blahnik. But I see his point. Short term variability can be a drag. It’s like planning a romantic getaway and then realizing your date is still hung up on his ex. Major mood killer. I can relate!

Is It Going Okay? Or Are We Just Pretending?

He says the numbers 'at least suggest that it's going okay.' At least suggest? That’s like saying a blind date 'at least suggests' potential romance. It’s not exactly a ringing endorsement is it? I need certainty! I need a guarantee that my Amex bill won't give me a heart attack! But in the meantime what's a girl to do but wait? And maybe buy another pair of shoes just in case the apocalypse arrives. You know for practical reasons.

So What Does It All Mean?

In the end I’m still confused. Are things really “going okay,” or are we all just wearing rose colored Manolos pretending everything’s fabulous while secretly panicking about the state of our finances? Only time will tell darlings. In the meantime I'm off to Bergdorf's. Retail therapy is after all the only therapy that actually works.