The Math of Style

A new study from Northwestern University has mathematically proven the "20-Year Rule" for hemlines.

By analyzing 37,000 images of sewing patterns going back to 1869 and archived in Rhode Island, researchers confirmed the cyclical nature of fashion. (Hat tip to Ann Wasserman for the find!)

Now if they could only verify another idea I've been hearing about forever:
Hemlines go up in boom times (20s and 60s) and down during economic slumps (30s and 70s).

Personally, I tend to think it's a correlation and not a causation because longer hems require more fabric — which would make it more expensive, no?

Three facts you might not have known about hemlines

1. The word "hemline" didn't exist until 1930 when they started to really fluctuate.

2. Hemlines were federally regulated.
The US government mandated the length of dresses, skirts and pants during WWII (along with pleats and ruffles) as part of wartime rationing.

3. They incited violence.
When Dior's postwar "New Look" brought longer skirts back, women in American cities were heckled — and sometimes physically attacked — by members of groups like the "Below the Knee Club." What in France became a symbol of German occupation (shorter hems) was, in America, a statement of resilience, austerity, and even democracy.

Note the huge shift from 60s mini to 80s midi length hemlines!

…various hem lengths from my collection, c. 2013

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Speaking of patterns, I am thrilled to offer a selection of extremely rare, original 1930s sewing patterns — UNCUT — in the shop right now.

For the true vintage geek, these are pure gold.