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• August 21, 2008 2:33 PM
• News

Hemline Economics: Fall Mags Address Recession

By Nicole Schlomann

Though we may not believe that hemlines fall lower as times get harder (have you seen those amazing zip-front dresses in our Fall Checklist?), there's no denying we've got a recession on our hands. So how is the fashion world dealing with an economic climate hostile to frivolous shopping? Slate's report on fashion mags' ad revenues and fall issue contents has us thinking that some editors are living in la-la-land, while others are getting hit hard. Elle, whose ad revenue is up by seven percent, claims that eight percent of women are recession-proof shoppers. Catering to that little niche, their fall issue is chock-full of thousand dollar accessories and jet-setting stories. Coincidence? We think not. On the other hand, W Magazine, whose ad sales are down by a whopping eighteen percent, use a cheeky, defiant tone in their fall issue, featuring "what recession?" platinum skin cream and a jokingly extravagant Tilda Swinton spread. Glamour mag, down ten percent, takes a more sober tone as it hawks $10 body lotion and advises readers how to deal with credit card debt. Whatever magazine gets thrown our way, we're sticking with the Time's Thursday Style's statement: "A mix of high and low, a splurge and a steal, feels right this fall." And as for our ad revenue? We're still trying to get there. (Slate)

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