Fall 2012’s Hemlines, by the Numbers
We tend to take these things with a shaker of salt, but you know what they say about hemlines and the economy: when one goes up, the other soon follows. And it may be the Fall 2012 season, but there was a whole lotta leg on show at New York Fashion Week. Let’s see what the number-crunchers make of this!
Business Insider has conducted a thorough analysis of the hemlines at New York Fashion Week, taking over 2,000 images from 25 different designers into consideration.
The designers in question? 3.1 Phillip Lim, Alexander Wang, Bill Blass, Calvin Klein, Carolina Herrera, Christian Siriano, Diane von Furstenberg, Donna Karan Collection, J. Crew, Jason Wu, Jill Stuart, L.A.M.B., Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors, Nanette Lepore, Oscar de la Renta, Prabal Gurung, Proenza Schouler, Ralph Lauren, Rodarte, Thakoon, Theyskens' Theory, Tommy Hilfiger Women's and Vera Wang.
And the results? Overall, hemlines for Fall 2012 rose to 44.38 from 35.04 on the BI Hemline Index, which is measured by calculating the hem length as a percentage of the length from floor to waistline.
It’s good news for those economists, who are now looking forward to a “bullish” economy. The fashion industry, on the other hand, needs some convincing.
"It's interesting, as a fashion director I no longer believe hemlines are a conversation on trend because it's so particular to a designer and their point of view," Neiman Marcus’ Ken Downing told Business Insider. "We are seeing hemlines below the knee, at the knee, and some that are still quite short."
Barneys’ Amanda Brooks seconded the sentiment. “"I would say in terms of the dress or skirt silhouette, it's kind of anything goes right now.”
