What is the hemline theory and is it real?
Hello everyone! Today we are talking about a very interesting fashion history theory relating to hemlines. First of all, a hemline is the bottom edge of a skirt, dress, coat, etc. The term hemline first started to be used around the 1930s. Ok, now that we have that out of the way, let’s talk about the hemline theory/index.
The hemline theory/index suggests that hemlines get longer during times of economic disparity/insecurity and rise during time of economic prosperity/security. The most common example of this is probably the 1920s and 1930s. In the 1920s, hemlines became shorter than ever before while countries such as America and Canada experienced economic prosperity. Just a decade later though, America experienced the Great Depression and hemlines became much longer. We can see a similar pattern during the 1960s and 1970s, as well. Hemlines got shorter during the 60s (the miniskirt was invented in the 1960s) when many countries were experiencing economic prosperity. Hemlines started to get longer again in the 1970s as the economic situation of countries started to worsen. While looking at these two examples may make you jump to conclusions, I assure you that there is more to the story.
Picture of a 1920s dress (The MET) Picture of a 1930s dress (the MET)
When it comes to fashion there are a lot of factors to consider. It is not enough to just look at economic factors as there are also things like social factors to consider. When we talk about the hemline theory, we need to consider how people reacted to these economic changes because that is what ultimately moves fashion trends. Let’s look back at our example of the 1920s. Yes, while it is true that countries like America were experiencing great economic successes, designers did not look at economic reports and just decide to lower hemlines. This trend came from a variety of different factors. With more money to spend, more women went out to social events such as parties, and dancing became very popular, thus inciting a need for shorter hemlines when it came to evening wear. World War I had also happened, leading to a shift to more practical fashion. It no longer made sense to have floor-length hemlines. These are just a few factors that led to the shorter hemlines of the 1920s. The same can be said for any other decade with a drastic hemline increase or decrease. Economics has a huge impact on fashion, but in order to truly understand the impact, we also have to consider other factors, as well. It is not the economic situation of a country that raises or lowers hemlines, but the fashion industry’s reaction to a country’s economic situation. When people have more money to spend and are in a secure position financially, they are more likely to take risks and be bold, which includes taking risks with fashion such as raising hemlines. When people are financially struggling, they do not want to take risk and instead crave stability, leading to the lowering of hemlines. Of course, there are always exceptions to this kind of “rule.” Sometimes, economics don’t really factor into fashion, like in the 1940s when there were rations on fabric, reducing the lengths of skirts out of necessity.
In conclusion, is the hemline theory true? Yes and no. It is true that economics does factor into fashion, but it is a bit more nuanced than that. It is about how we react to the economic state of a country that can change hemlines. The numbers do not solely drive the rising and falling of hemlines; rather it is a complex web of different factors that the public reacts to that slowly changes fashion.
Until next time, sew a dress, paint a masterpiece!
Sources:
- "Is the Hemline Index Actually Real?" from InStyle
- "The History of Hemlines" from Women's History Network
- "Hemlines" from Encyclopedia.com
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