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Debunking the Hemline Index
The theory from the 1920s says skirt length can be a leading economic indicator, but current fashion trends show much more.
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What do inflation data and microscopic beaded skirts have in common? They both show the economy is heating up.
At least that’s what the Hemline Index would have you believe. The theory was developed in the 1920s and posits that the length of dresses can be an indicator of where the economy is headed, with shorter cuts pointing to good times and longer ones signaling a downturn.