The Hemline Index

Have you ever heard of the Hemline Index?

Originally coined by cheeky economist George Taylor, the Hemline Index refers to the (surprisingly proven) phenomenon that hemlines are excellent indicators of the economy's health:  the shorter the hemline, the more booming an economy; the longer the hemline, the worse the economy.

History abounds with examples that seem to suggest that the Hemline Index is a decent indicator.  Flappers had short skirts during the prosperous 1920s, only to be wearing longer draped hems during the Great Depression.  The postwar era saw women being cautiously optimistic, with hemlines hitting the knee or being at shin-length (curiously, this exact length is this year's style).  The happy-go-lucky 1960s hit, with the invention of many a parent's worst nightmare, the miniskirt.  But then the more somber 1970s came along, with a little snafu called Vietnam coupled with unforeseen inflation and a gas crisis.  And what were women wearing during this time?  Prairie chic, boho skirts, of course!  The early 1980s found skirt length creeping upwards, but the end of that infamous decade of fashion saw the return of the sidewalk sweeping skirt.  The 1990s (those were sweet times, weren't they?) brought retro and barely-covering-the-bum skirts back, launching the millennium, which saw skirts hit the knee.

And here we are:  post (hopefully, at least) Great Recession with skirts that are grazing calves.  The Wall Street Journal (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704461304576216632994416632.html)reports today that miniskirts are biting the dust to their shin-length/floor-scraping counterparts, which are seen as the new "it" item to include in your wardrobe this year.  Maxi-dresses aren't going anywhere, ladies. 

 

 

 

Hmmm... The Fashionomist was hoping the economy would be bouncing back, but perhaps the length of this year's skirt indicate otherwise.  No matter the economy, The Fashionomist is sticking to her signature above-the-knee look:  a sign of a perfectly healthy economy...?

*The Fashionomist*