Hemline Indicator
On September 2008 an article in Money Week was ran entitled “Fashion Predicts the Future.” It discussed the correlation between skirt lengths and the state of the economy. The prediction is based off the theory of the hemline indicator; when times are bad skirt lengths fall, when times are good skirt lengths grow higher and higher. Some examples used in the article are the 50’s and early 60’s when skirt lengths were extremely short, then for them to lengthen in the 70’s, and again rise in the 80’s. Confidence is shown when a woman wears a short length skirt and there is a parallel drawn to confidence in the economy. At the other end of the scale a long length skirt indicates a more reserved feel, which would also be felt when facing a poor economic year. So how it is that fashion can predict these trends? It seems that going out into the world and observing people, nature, cities, and everything that has to do with real life gives great insight into the future of fashion and the economy.

In 2002 the economic status of the country was somewhat unstable. There had been a fall in July and September in the stock market caused by the economy still recovering from the September 11th attacks and a burst in the technology bubble. The stock market did make fast recoveries and restrictions being lessened from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac made it easier to get a loan and money was being moved around. This is seen in the hemlines of woman’s skirts in 2002. There is even a slight variation is popular skirt lengths as there was a level of variation in the exact state of the economy. The theory seems to hit the nail right on the head. The skirt lengths all tend to flirt with the knee area, ranging from slightly below to a bit above the knee. This is interesting to me too because when the skirt lengths are bellow the knee they are just barely so but when they are above the knee they are higher then the ones that are bellow. This seems to predict a more confident stable economy in the future which does indeed take place.

To see photos of some of the popular designers hemlines from their 2002 spring lines Click here