Business

Do Shorter Hemlines Really Imply a Healthy Economy?

Have you ever heard of the “hemline theory”? You know, the one that claims a woman’s hemline is directly correlated to how well the economy is performing?

What, haven’t heard this one before?

Watch CNN attempt to explain the theory:

The “hemline theory,” as Business Insider notes, was apparently introduced in the 1920′s by University of Pennsylvania Wharton School professor George Taylor. He noticed that during good economic times, “many women raised their skirts to show off their silk stockings. When times were bad, women lowered their skirts to hide that they weren’t wearing any,” ABC News reports.

“Like the stock markets, hemlines are going up and down daily and seasonally,” Ken Downing, the head of womenswear at Neiman Marcus, said.

Earlier this month, in an attempt to see if they could predict the future of the U.S. economy based on the hemline idea, writers at Business Insider decided that they would “conduct a full analysis” at New York fashion week by measuring 2,092 images from 25 designers and comparing year-on-year changes in the length of skirts and dresses.

What did they find? They discovered that, overall, hemlines are getting shorter. They were able to draw this conclusion by putting together a “Hemline Index.”

“The BI Hemline Index is calculated by measuring hem length as a percentage of the length from floor to waistline,” BI’s Eric Platt explains. “The shorter the hemline, the higher the index.”

According to his research, the average 2012 hemline registered at 44.38 — 9.34 points higher than the Fall/Winter 2011 collections.

“Complete looks from each designer were measured, however skirts and dresses were the only data points fed into the data set. Measurements were taken from images provided post-show,” Platt writes.

“On first glance, hemlines appeared to fall, with designers like Marc Jacobs showing little skin. However, when deconstructing outfits and measuring the skirts shown over pants, hemlines jumped. At Mr. Jacobs show for instance, the Hemline Index read at 45.6, compared to 41.1 last year,” he adds.

So, BI found that hemlines are getting shorter, which would indicate an improving economy. Of course, this is entirely dependent on whether or not the “hemline theory” is correct. Is it?

Let’s put it this way: if you think the “hemline theory” is total bunko, you’re not alone.

Do Shorter Hemlines Really Imply a Healthy Economy?If receding hemlines signal an improving economy, then what does whatever she’s wearing indicate? Hellooooo, recovery!

“It’s interesting, as a fashion director I no longer believe hemlines are a conversation on trend because it’s so particular to a designer and their point of view,” Downing said. “We are seeing hemlines below the knee, at the knee, and some that are still quite short.”

Amanda Brooks, fashion director at Barney’s, told BI that hemlines had moved both higher and lower on the runway this season.

“I would say in terms of the dress or skirt silhouette, it’s kind of anything goes right now,” Brooks said. “I wouldn‘t say we’re seeing super short, to me what’s looking the most fresh personally is this mid-calf with a big slit up the front or an open vent.”

Writers at Jezebel were less than impressed with the theory:

Business Insider has not proved…that hemlines have any relationship whatsoever with the overall economy.

There are a number of problems with the “hemline index.” From the perspective of fashion, it represents a misunderstanding of the industry on several levels. The first and most obvious problem is that designers simply do not “set” hemlines. The time when American women were simply waiting for Big Fashion to tell them “how high” — if that time ever really existed — has not been a reality for more than a generation. Fashion is not a unified creative force; fashion critics haven’t been dispatched to the shows to find “the” hemline since the early 1970s, and fashion magazine editors do not sit around in their offices conspiring to make the American public Think Pink (or to Think Miniskirts).

Actually, they have a point. The BI report doesn’t really prove or disprove the theory. Furthermore, most designers would say they pay very little attention to the economy and mainly focus on whatever interests them.

“But that is hard to argue,” BI counters, “when designers almost unanimously moved to a black and neutral color palette as Lehman Brothers failed.”

Valerie Steele, acting director and chief curator of The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, would disagree.

“It‘s a kind of functionalist theory of fashion that doesn’t work,” she said.

So, was there anything in the BI report indicating a possible correlation between shorter hemlines and healthy economies?

“The customer is definitely looking for something that will give her fashion credit in her wardrobe. This whole idea of when the economy went upside down that all that she would buy would be basics and there would be the return of the black turtleneck, was not what we saw in the luxury market,” Downing told Business Insider. ”She didn’t stop shopping, she just was not shopping as robust as she was before.”

For our part, we’ll stick to monitoring gun and ammo sales in order to gauge the health of the U.S. economy.

Do Shorter Hemlines Really Imply a Healthy Economy?For instance, we think the amount of ammunition purchased by this individual has single-handedly kept the U.S. out of full-blown recession

Comments (45)

1 2
  • alina.bolero
    Posted on February 24, 2012 at 1:06pm

    No rational guy is going to spend money on periodicals solely for the purpose of seeing scantily clad women in today’s age when he can watch porn, FOR FREE, on the Internet.

    This just shows, yet again, what complete morons the folks at CNN are!

    Gun sales alone are not an indicator of the economy. They are an indicator of the level of fear. That could be fear of crime (possibly as a result of a poor economy), or a fear of the loss of liberties.

    Report Post » alina.bolero  
  • J.C. McGlynn
    Posted on February 24, 2012 at 12:06pm

    The shorter the hemline.
    The more leg is shown.
    The more money a guy will spend to look at them.
    The more money in the system and the better the economy will be.
    Simple economics.

    Report Post » J.C. McGlynn  
  • PATRIOTMAMA
    Posted on February 24, 2012 at 10:56am

    Don’t want to even bother reading this article. “Shorter hemlines mean a better economy?“ OR it could mean that women everywhere are looking for ”alternative” career options cuz they’re out of work!!!

    Report Post »  
  • mjhoman
    Posted on February 24, 2012 at 10:53am

    Their theory is about as good as most scientist on their complete, or not so-complete evolution theory. Shorter hemlines mean that people are trying to get other peoples attention. All styles are made by designers and heavily advertised, as any product, by any business… and they eventually start affecting peoples desisions, or in this case their style. At a time like now, where so many businesses are trying to get buyers attention, also trying to distract everyone from the problems of the day… why not show more leg and get men hornier, while getting womentto spend more? This can lead to all sorts of things to help stimulate the economy. When it comes to looking at a nice pair of legs or an ipad, or television… I’ll take the legs! Other parts are good too.

    Report Post »  
  • C. Schwehr
    Posted on February 24, 2012 at 10:23am

    The story actually is based on the old story that hemlines go up as the economy goes DOWN. The theory behind it was that as the economy worsens, women (who used to make their own clothing at home) would shorten the skirts because the price of fabric went up or the available money for clothing went down. Right now if the story was true, most women should be strutting around in micro-minis this winter and running on the beaches nude this summer! Oh, if it were only true!!!

    Report Post »  
  • lisa2994
    Posted on February 24, 2012 at 9:34am

    Well if that is true then you had better make those dresses to our ankles! HA!

    Report Post » lisa2994  
  • SpankDaMonkey
    Posted on February 24, 2012 at 8:00am

    .
    Do Shorter Hemlines Really Imply a Healthy Economy?

    No!!! It just means some Hoochie is trolling for a man or a wallet……..

    Report Post » SpankDaMonkey  
  • One Man Progressive Wrecking Crew
    Posted on February 24, 2012 at 4:19am

    I know it what it means to me, society‘s getting looser and looser and that’s certainly the case for half the women in the nation.

    You’d be lucky to catch a leftist in any skirt whatsoever….with them it‘s either Hillary Pant Suits or naked on a stripper pole pretending they’re saving for college, when it‘s really a 500 a night crack habit they’re supporting and a boyfriend (or lezzzie lover) that beats the snot out of them nightly and hasn‘t worked since they ’met’ at the Obama Chicago “Anointment Celebration” rally…

    Report Post » One Man Progressive Wrecking Crew  
    • TomFerrari
      Posted on February 24, 2012 at 6:22am

      I’m guessing Becket Adams VOLUNTEERED for THIS story!

      LOL

      Report Post » TomFerrari  
    • old white guy
      Posted on February 24, 2012 at 7:07am

      many years ago the shorter hemline meant that the cost of making the clothing was going up so less material was used. i’m not sure how short skirts relate today. some of you guys and gals must remember hot pants. you can’t get much shorter than that.

      Report Post »  
  • Natures_God
    Posted on February 24, 2012 at 2:48am

    Women dress more provocative more often in a BAD economy to attract a mate/partner that can better support them.
    Women dress more conservative more often in a GOOD economy because the greater need for support is not there.

    Women are more concerned with wealth/means in a mate/partner in a BAD economy.
    Women are more concerned about appearance/better genetics in a mate/partner in a GOOD economy.

    Women have a lesser sex drive in a BAD economy. (the less plentiful things are the less of a desire to reproduce)
    Women have a greater sex drive in a GOOD economy. (the more plentiful things are the more of a desire to reproduce)

    It is all about primal animal instinct and the process of evolution.
    (YES I believe in evolution even though I still believe in intelligent design by a God. We were designed by God to evolve. I just don’t believe in those MAN written books like the Torah, New Testament or Qur’an.)

    Report Post »  
    • One Man Progressive Wrecking Crew
      Posted on February 24, 2012 at 4:25am

      Sadly though, in da hoods this one needs to be tweaked: “Women dress more provocative more often in a BAD economy to attract a mate/partner that can better support them.”

      TO: “Women dress more provacatively more often in a bad economy HOPING to attract a partner who can protect them from the other 12 baby daddies beating down the door each weekend for a quickie and to drop off the empty bottles they‘re mandated to give for child support since 10 of them are on home monitoring and haven’t worked in their adult lives. ;)

      Report Post » One Man Progressive Wrecking Crew  
  • sillyfreshness
    Posted on February 24, 2012 at 1:29am

    So in the 1950s, when the economy was booming, women wore miniskirts?? Here I thought it was just the clothing companies changing up the fashions to keep women buying their products.

    Report Post » sillyfreshness  
  • FierceMomma77
    Posted on February 24, 2012 at 1:13am

    That doesn‘t compute in today’s “Skanky is the new classy” fashion world.

    Report Post » FierceMomma77  
  • Cesium
    Posted on February 24, 2012 at 12:58am

    FPS Russia. “have nice day”

    Report Post »  
  • welovetheUSA
    Posted on February 24, 2012 at 12:47am

    Is this one of those tax payer studies………..liberals are as dumb as a rock…….thank the Lord.

    Report Post » welovetheUSA  
  • lukerw
    Posted on February 24, 2012 at 12:40am

    So… Adam & Eve… lived in the Best Economic Time, ever? BS!

    Report Post » lukerw  
  • MS-GlenNBC
    Posted on February 24, 2012 at 12:19am

    Has Michele Obama taken credit for this yet ?

    although she used a Hoop Hemline to hide the Presidential Booty…

    Report Post » MS-GlenNBC  
    • One Man Progressive Wrecking Crew
      Posted on February 24, 2012 at 4:31am

      Think about how much that double wide presidential booty costs us all in extra jet fuel as she flies around the world on her 16 taxpayer funded vaca’s….. she should have to PAY OUT OF POCKET for everything over 110 lbs. ;)

      Oh I forgot, in Obamaland, everything‘s free if you’re just the right color!! :(

      Report Post » One Man Progressive Wrecking Crew  
  • nancydrew101
    Posted on February 24, 2012 at 12:10am

    Do not get distracted by this article, we have got to keep focused. OBAMA OUT IN 2012!!

    Report Post »  
    • jcizarter
      Posted on February 24, 2012 at 10:09pm

      Check out the hemline of the TOTUS in his Muslim robes, then we can tell.

      Report Post » jcizarter  
  • WeekendAtBernankes
    Posted on February 24, 2012 at 12:04am

    Seems to me the hemlines would get higher as the economy gets worse. Backward bending curve, I guess. Question is, are we above or below hemline equilibrium?

    Report Post » WeekendAtBernankes  
  • TXPilot
    Posted on February 23, 2012 at 11:41pm

    Hmm…interesting theory, but I have a question…..how healthy would the economy have to get, to raise hemlines up to about neck level?…

    Report Post » TXPilot  
  • Joe Schmuck
    Posted on February 23, 2012 at 11:21pm

    My wife’s Grandmother, who is now gone, once said ‘if the skirts get any shorter and the boots any taller, they’re gonna end up ……….

    I’ll let her rest in peace.

    Report Post » Joe Schmuck  
  • proudamerican1990
    Posted on February 23, 2012 at 11:17pm

    absolutely not. In a basic science class, this was the example we used for the “correlation does not imply causation”

    Report Post »  
  • Stoic one
    Posted on February 23, 2012 at 11:15pm

    Yep, beer, guns, & ammo are a much better indicator….

    Report Post » Stoic one  
    • Joe Schmuck
      Posted on February 23, 2012 at 11:23pm

      24 hours in a day, 24 cans in a case …. coincidence?

      Report Post » Joe Schmuck  
    • Joe Schmuck
      Posted on February 23, 2012 at 11:31pm

      When the economy gets real bad I give up drinking. I start guzzling !

      Report Post » Joe Schmuck  
  • johnannegalt
    Posted on February 23, 2012 at 11:09pm

    No, the removal of this Thug in Chief will mean the economy is recovering.. –> http://markamerica.com/2012/02/23/barack-obama-is-not-incompetent/

    Report Post » johnannegalt  
  • dealer@678
    Posted on February 23, 2012 at 11:06pm

    Short hemlines only indicate a healthy woman

    Report Post »  
  • tzion
    Posted on February 23, 2012 at 11:00pm

    Wait, did she actually just say “Don’t let the facts get in the way of a good story”? My face is frozen in a state of utter shock. Hemlines? I seriously feel like strangling something (preferably not living).

    Report Post »  
  • The Jewish Avenger
    Posted on February 23, 2012 at 10:50pm

    So… that means every woman will look Pentecostal this year? Awesome. about time… sick of those ghetto sweats that say “I‘m popular because I have a loser’s designer emblem on my arse.”

    Report Post » The Jewish Avenger  
1 2

Sign In To Post Comments! Sign In

Sign Up For Our Newsletter!

Glenn Beck Radio

Listen to Glenn Beck 24/7 Listen Now
Restoring Love