Miniskirt influence?

[Laurence Horn]

On Jul 15, 2014, at 3:10 PM, Joel S. Berson wrote:

> At 7/15/2014 10:51 AM, Baker, John wrote:
>> Yes, hemlines get higher (i.e., skirts get shorter) when the economy improves and the stock market goes up, and vice versa.  The effect is particularly easy to observe for the period 1920 - 1970.
> 
> And pleasant to observe broadly.
> 
> JSB

On the other hand, if they rise too high, the garment industry doesn't require as much material, hurting the manufacturing industry, and the clothiers can't charge as much for their dresses and skirts because of the reduced amount of fabric, leading to reduced income and less money in circulation, sending the economy into a tailspin, leading to longer hemlines.  

LH 
> 
>> While it's possible that it's just coincidence, the current theory is that hemlines are affected by the ebullience associated with a strong economy or the low spirits associated with a recession.
>> 
>> 
>> John Baker
>> 
>> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of Joel S. Berson
>> Sent: Tuesday, July 15, 2014 10:36 AM
>> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>> Subject: Re: Miniskirt influence?
>> 
>> At 7/14/2014 11:15 PM, Baker, John wrote:
>> >  Mexico City, a psychiatrist wrote an article of some kind linking
>> > the short skirts to fears of international conflict, and a wire
>> > service reporter in Mexico City then wrote a humorous article based
>> > primarily on the psychiatrist's piece.
>> 
>> Do I not remember miniskirts being correlated positively with
>> economic booms?  Or was it negatively?  (More broadly, it was the
>> raising or lowering of hemlines that was alleged to be associated
>> with economic rises or falls.)
>> 
>> Joel
>> 
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>> 
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> 
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