The Hemline Theory

Liz

Liz is a freelance writer with a day job. She writes about feminism, fashion, her forties and family....

Liz O'Donnell

Wednesday, October, 1, 2008

I just love October baseball, especially when the Red Sox are in the playoffs. Ever since the sixth grade, the post season has been a treat for me. Back then, the only other thing competing for my attention was my math homework.

But this year, I have so many other things to worry about besides how I'll stay awake for a 10 p.m. game. I have work deadlines and writing deadlines. My child has math homework. The White House is up for grabs and Wall Street is in crisis. And while not a worry, I am in the middle of swapping the summer clothes for the fall and winter clothes, and the upstairs is a mess.

The convergence of all of these things got me thinking: hemlines and sports have both been linked to Wall Street by market watchers. Many experts say that as hemlines go and as the Super Bowl goes, so goes the market. But, I want to know, is there a direct correlation between hemlines and sports? Can fashion give us any indication of how the Red Sox might fare this fall?

I did some research and uncovered a pattern. In the early 1900s the Sox were dominant and skirts were grazing the floor. During the short skirt years of the late 20s, mid 60s and all of the 80s, the team’s record was spotty. As the Sox came back strong in 2004, hemlines were creeping down again somewhere around the knee region.

So what does that mean for the 2008 season? Who knows?

Vanessa Friedman, fashion editor of the Financial Times, wrote this in September, "I’ll be brief: the one, overriding, unmistakable trend of New York fashion week was, well, brief. The miniskirt is back…"

But Suzy Menkes, fashion editor of the International Herald Tribune, made this prediction, "Expect a new version of the maxi coat to surface for winter."

Hemlines, like the Dow, the polls and Tim Wakefield's knuckleball, are all over the place. My prediction is the playoffs will be exciting and unpredictable.

Nothing's simple anymore is it? I've been a Red Sox fan, a fashion watcher and a 401K investor long enough to know that. Go Sox!(http://sportsnation.espn.go.com/fans/lodool/blog/posts/49942)