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Do hemlines control the stock market?

Filed under: Style in the News, Clothing, Dresses

Guided by hemlines?As you may have noticed from our diligent coverage of fall fashion week, come springtime, hemlines will be a little lower -- a reverse from the short-skirt trend we've seen over the past few seasons. As a fashion choice, I think this is a great look -- part of the move away from the brash, in-your-face 80s thing that held on for way too long.

But does it mean bad news for the stock market?

It seems that there's a popular theory amongst financial types that when hemlines drop, so does the Dow Jones Industrial Average. This, say some analysts, has held true this summer, when short skirts were very in, and the Dow hit 14,000 (which is a good thing, apparently).

Now, with stocks crashing due to the high number of foreclosures in recent weeks -- especially in conjunction with the new looks at fashion week -- some are saying this theory has proved itself yet again.

Granted, the theory is often disputed -- including by some who say that it's actually fashion that follows financial trends (and not the other way around), which makes more sense. However, it would be funny if the world were run according to the length women's skirts and dresses.

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