This season's "The Real Housewives of Orange County" ready for their poolside bitch fest. Photo courtesy Bravo TV

The "Real" housewives who started it all; those bleach blonde, surgically enhanced alpha moms of Orange County return tonight for their 5th season.

Let the cat fights begin!

Bravo is promising viewers a season full of "drama" and surprise, as Vicki and company welcome a new housewife to the cast of "The Real Housewives of Orange County" and deal with the fallout of the real estate collapse in Southern California.

Since three of the housewives dabble in the luxury home market this can only spell trouble for their walk-in closets.

But Real Housewives on budgets? What's in it for viewers if we can no longer resent their thousand dollar shopping sprees, shiny new luxury cars and Botox happy hours?

In the case of Jeana Keough, the former Playboy centerfold who has been the cast's most empathetic housewife since Season One, the down economy means a "sad goodbye." Bravo has announced she will leave the show early this season to focus on her family and struggling real estate business.

We expect crocodile tears and catty testimonials from cast members at Keough's send-off soirée, however StyleList, on the other hand, will truly miss the only California girl who openly frets about her weight.

As for the rest of the ladies, we are feeling a bit bereft for none of the OC houswives profess the same fashion aspirations as their counterparts in Atlanta, who gave us rival fashion lines (and much to discuss) in their recently completed second season.

Instead, our OC ladies like to throw each other's looks under the wheels of their Mercedes.

In pre-show interviews posted on BravoTV.com they openly speculate on who's had the most plastic surgery (answer: Lynne Curtin) and who is most high maintenance (answer: Tamra Barney or Curtin depending on who's talking and how many apple martinis they've had). Newly single Gretchen Rossi is the only one to claim real breasts.

But enough about botox already -- ladies, we need a fashion fix.

StyleList is hoping at least one OC woman will follow in the footsteps of Atlanta's Sheree Whitfield or Lisa Wu Hartwell who both produced clothing lines last season -- Whitfield even showed her line during New York Fashion week! Not to mention Atlanta's lone "natural" blonde Kim Zolciak's wig line.

Our pick to jump on the OC fashion bandwagon is the buxom Tamra Barney, who favors Bebe tops and recently told site Seen On! she likes to top her Revlon Colorstay with Ambe Aesthetic lipgloss (which she just happens to plan on selling on her own soon-to-be constructed site). And, no surprise, her favorite shade is called, "It Girl."

Lynne Curtin is another prospect, as she already covets another reality star's clothing line -- notice all those Lauren Conrad dresses she wears on the show?

The entrepreneurial Vicky Gulvason, whose insurance business is thriving, certainly has the cash to bankroll a fashion line. She'll spend part of this season shopping for a yacht to cruise around her beloved Lake Havasu, according to the network, which means we'll be seeing more of those wide-brimmed hats she buys from Boston Proper.

But if all else fails, let's hold out hope that the newest housewife, mother of three Alexis Bellino, will create some style drama beyond legs that go on for miles, and her prerequisite plunging necklines.

Bravo has depicted Alexis as a high maintenance addition to the cast, who likes to spend her down time working out and pampering herself. Exactly how that makes her different from any of the other real housewives remains to be seen!

"The Real Housewives of Orange County" premieres tonight at 10 pm ET on Bravo.