The Skirt Length Theory

Crashing Down! (and up and down again).
In chapter 4 of The Long (and Short) of It, I write about the Skirt Length Theory, an outdated way to measure the economy based on the length of women's skirts. So I was surprised to see this clip on YouTube from a 2006 video called History's Hidden Engine about that very topic, even though today’s economists and historians pretty much agree that 21st-century styles, which see hemlines at every length, make the Skirt Length Theory entirely obsolete. I haven't seen the whole film, but there's some great footage in this clip: dancing flappers, early catwalks and decades-old fashion shoots.

Here's my take, from Chapter 4 of "The Long (and Short of It): the Madcap History of the Skirt":
Since the Depression and the subsequent finicky nature of hemlines through World War II, the height of hemlines has been used as a barometer to determine the outlook of the stock market. Though market analysts didn't pick up on the connection at the time, the Skirt Length Theory, an indicator of market value and consumer behavior, was born. The thinking behind the theory goes that shorter skirts tend to appear in times when general consumer confidence is high, and when hemlines fall and skirts are worn longer, the overall outlook is gloomy and fearful. (The same goes for lipstick sales, according to Leonard Lauder, the chairman of Estée Lauder.) In 1971, hot pants were the rage, and the advice at the Dow Jones was, "Don't sell until you see the heights of their thighs!" Now, in the 21st century, with hemlines all over the place, the Skirt Length Theory serves only as a cute colloquialism of the past.

Tune in July 1!

This Sunday July 1 at 9 pm EST (6 pm PST) I'm a featured guest on "Inquiry" on 90.5 WICN, a public radio station in Boston/New England, and you can go to their web site and listen in. (Or tune in, if you're in the area)

From the WICN website:

Inquiry struts down the catwalk this week with two conversations devoted to fashion. First, Ali Basye takes us through the ups, downs, and ever-quirky designs of the skirt; from hobbles to poodles, to the mini, midi, and maxi. Then Cheree Berry uncovers the amusing history of the brassiere with her brand new, you guessed it, pop-up history book. At 9 p.m. Inquiry talks with fashion and travel writer Ali Basye about the ups, the downs and the ever-quirky design of the skirt. From panniers to bustles, from hobbles to poodles, the mini, the midi, the maxi and even the micro-mini, Ali talks about them all in her book "The Long and Short of It: The Madcap History of the Skirt."

The caveat is you need to download Radio 365 to listen but I think it might be a pretty interesting show so it's worth it, right? Seriously, this interview (recorded last month) was one of my better ones, primarily because the host Mark Lynch was really engaged and asked interesting questions. He actually read the book and even better: He liked it! I myself am looking forward to hearing how the segment shaped up--should be a fun one!

February 12 - Health & Beauty Revolution

I just finished a pretty great interview on WS Radio.com on The Health & Beauty Revolution with the host Patty Kovacs. Patty was so gracious and complimentary about my book and said every woman should buy it--wow!

It's interesting now that I've done a few of these shows to hear how badly women want to know WHAT they should wear, as if there is a one-skirt-fits-all out there that will solve their wardrobe dilemmas. I keep saying fashion should be fun, not stressful, but good clothing is clearly challenging and shopping is not fun for a lot of women. Women should strive to find clothes that make them feel confident and comfortable, and sometimes that means getting rid of all your ill-fitting clothes (donate them to Goodwill; don't throw them out!) and taking the time to shop at different stores until you find the right clothes for your body and personality. Of course A-line skirts look good on everyone and make calves look slimmer. So you can always get a bunch of those. The Gap or Banana always has that style in stock.

I updated my web site this weekend, adding a few magazine clips to the Clips page and will keep adding more as I get savvier on the computer. Tonight I pre-record a show for "Making Waves," a magazine-style show on WJFF Radio Catskill that will run next Monday. Be sure to tune in to KOPB-FM this Thursday at 1:05 to hear me on Oregon Public Broadcasting. It should be a fun one!

Thursday, February 15, 2007

1:05 PM PST
KOPB-FM (91.5)
Portland, Oregon


Monday, February 19, 2007
5:30 p.m. PST
WJFF Radio Catskill
Making Waves with Sabrina Artel


Tuesday, February 20, 2007

6:30 AM PST
NATIONAL Interivew/giveaway
CABLE RADIO NETWORK
AM Show
Los Angeles


10:00 AM PST
WFPL
Louisville, KY


Wednesday, February 21, 2007

8 a.m. PST
WPR: Wisconsin Public Radio
Kathleen Dunn Show
one hour interview

2:44 PM to 2:56 PM PST
WKCT-AM:
Drive Time with Alan Palmer
Bowling Green, KY

Friday, March 23, 2007
6:40 - 6:55 am PST
WLIU-RADIO
In the Morning
Southampton, NY

Tuesday, April 3, 2007
8 - 8:30 AM PST
WICN-FM
Inquiry
Boston, MA

Welcome, February 10, 2007

Hello everyone and welcome to my blog, where you can find news about my goings-on, as well as updates on my first book, The Long (and Short) of It: The Madcap History of the Skirt. The launch has gotten off to a great start, thanks to my amazing publicist at HarperCollins, Rachel Elinsky. I've done several radio interviews to coincide with fashion week, with even more interviews to come. Check out my radio schedule below and please tune in! Also, if you haven't picked up your copy of The Long (and Short) of It, you can link to Amazon.com through alibasye.com, or contact Harpers to order copies to sell in your shop.

Monday, February 12, 2007

10:45 AM to 11:00 AM PST
NATIONAL Interview
wsRadio.com
Health & Beauty Revolution
San Diego, CA


Thursday, February 15, 2007

1:05 PM PST
KOPB-FM (91.5)
Portland, Oregon


Tuesday, February 20, 2007

6:30 AM PST
NATIONAL Interivew/giveaway
CABLE RADIO NETWORK
AM Show
Los Angeles


10:00 AM PST
WFPL
Louisville, KY


Wednesday, February 21, 2007

2:44 PM to 2:56 PM PST
WKCT-AM:
Drive Time with Alan Palmer
Bowling Green, KY


Thursday, February 22, 2007

8 a.m. PST
WPR: Wisconsin Public Radio
one hour interview