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Business editor says this low-key women's fashion shift is a huge recession warning

The subtle signs are everywhere.

via Canva/Photos

Two women wearing bright colors.

When the economy is about to enter a recession, specific industries get the warning signs first. One of the big ones is advertising. When companies believe that a downturn is on the horizon, ad agencies often feel it first when their clients start pulling back their budgets. Another industry that can foretell a recession is the world of fashion. One of the significant changes the industry sees is when people's fashion sense changes from flamboyant to functional.

Which fashion trends show the U.S. is headed for a recession?

Bryce Gruber, a veteran commerce director for major North American publishers, believes that a recession is coming because of the changes she’s seen in advertising and women’s fashion. She predicts a recession is on the way because women are opting for shorter nails after long, glamorous nails have been all the rage.

@brycegruber

Honestly I’m happy about this one because the price of maintaining long nails has gotten way out of control 💅

"Do you know what's going to be trending by the end of the year? And I know it for a fact because the ad budgets were already spent and I sat in on a meeting about it last week,” Gruber said in a video with over six million views. “So the number one thing that I can see, and let me know if you agree, if you're already seeing it. Short nails. Short nails. Okay. That, like, big coffin, any look that everyone was obsessed with, the, like, long French manicures that were having a moment, like, a few months ago, that stuff is done.”

She added that she learned this from a meeting with a publisher who is “one of the biggest in North America and controls a lot of the information that is distributed to women between 25 and 45," she said. “Every major nail and beauty company, I mean the L'Oréals, the Revlons, all of them, they have already committed massive amounts of ad spend to this sort of short but nicely kept nail trend. You're going to see it everywhere, and honestly, I'm happy about it because it's easier and I can tell you if I can wash my dishes, I can do all the things with reasonable nails."

nails, short nails, pricess nails, woman's fashion, manicureA woman's hand with short nails. via Canva/Photos

The commenters saw the new trend as an indicator of the coming recession. "It’s called 'I can’t afford to get my nails done' trend," one commenter joked. "Aka recession indicator bc people can’t afford to spend $70+ on a full set anymore," another added.

The video is reminiscent of a recent viral hit on TikTok in which two women went to Old Navy and noted that the clothing was a little rugged, to say the least. “We're at Old Navy, and we're pretty sure that they've got some recession predictors out here, so I'm gonna show you what we're talking about,” she said before pointing out that a frock was giving her Hunger Games vibes.

@zoezoezoezand

Old Navy wants us back in the factories y’all #oldnavy #recessioncore #recessionindicator #recession

“I know what you're thinking, those little pants aren't that bad, and they're not. I actually think they're kinda cute,” she said. “But what do they make you think of? Right, a sailor or perhaps Rosie the Riveter. They're trying to get us prepared to get back out to work.”

Is the U.S. headed for a recession in 2025?

It’s unclear whether the U.S. is headed for a recession because so much of it is dependent on how far President Trump goes with his trade war. A month ago, the chances of the U.S. going into recession were "very high," according to Steve Blitz, managing director of global macro strategies and chief U.S. economist at Global Data. Since, tensions have cooled and the U.S. and China have signaled a willingness to negotiate trade terms, which could prevent a high-tariff stalemate from halting economic activity between the two superpowers.

So, in this time of economic uncertainty, it’s probably best to keep those nails short and save the money you would give to your local nail salon. Plus, colorful coffin nails don’t look great when you're wearing an oatmeal-colored Hunger Games frock.

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Culture

Awesome video shows why almost everyone used to wear hats and then suddenly stopped

Everything suddenly changed around 1960.

via Warmbru Curiosity/YouTube

When did everyone stop wearing hats?

If you see old newsreel footage of men in the office or on commuter trains from the advent of the motion picture camera to the early ‘60s, nearly everyone is wearing a hat. Hats were just as common for women in that era. For a woman to go out without a hat in the first half of the 20th century was akin to going out without clothes.

The funny thing is that everyone’s headgear is so similar in the old-timey footage that it makes previous generations look like big-time conformists. Then, in the early ‘60s, everything changed, and men and women started to go out in public with their hair exposed. Why did such a big aspect of fashion seem to change overnight?

Warmbru Curiosity investigated the question recently in a popular YouTube video. Warmbru’s channel is a lighthearted look at some of the more unusual people and events from our history and how they have influenced the world in which we live.

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

Why did people stop wearing hats?

Warmbru says fashion changed dramatically after World War II, when people in developed countries began to care less about expressing their social status. “This was especially true among the younger generation the rise of youth culture in the 1950s and 1960s emphasized rebellion against traditional norms, including formal dress codes,” the YouTuber says.

Mad Men, Don Draper, Jon Hamm, hats, mens fashion, men's hats, 1950sDon Draper from AMC's "Mad Men" Image via "Mad Men" AMC

Another big reason for the change in fashion was technology. Cars became the preferred mode of transportation for many after World War II and indoor environments became more hospitable. “People spent far less time exposed to the elements as people increasingly moved to urban areas and started using cars,” Warmbru says. “The practicality of wearing hats diminishes. Hats can be cumbersome in cars and on public transport, improvements in heating and air conditioning reduce the need for hats to provide warmth.”

Warmbru adds that President John F. Kennedy, elected in 1960, rarely wore a hat and his decision to go bareheaded became associated with modernity. Further, in 1963, the mop-topped Beatles proudly flaunted their hatless heads as they shook them while singing, “Wooooo.” Hat-wearing among women began to decline around the same time as the restrictive and complex headgear clashed with the burgeoning women’s liberation movement.

Kennedy, John F. Kennedy, Jackie Kennedy, hats, men, men's fashion, 1960's, 1950'sJohn F. Kennedy with his family Image via Wikicommons

The decline in hat purchases meant that manufacturers closed and the headgear became harder to come by. This reduced availability further contributed to the decline in hat-wearing. As fewer people wore hats, there became a greater demand for high-quality hair products and services. “Why spend a fortune at the hairdressers or the barbers just to cover the end result with a hat?” Warmbru asks.

Ultimately, there were many reasons why people stopped wearing hats. It appears that it was a combination of technology, influential people such as Kennedy and The Beatles, and the overwhelming mood of change that swept most of the Western world in the 1960s. But if one thing is true about fashion, it goes in cycles. So, it seems that hats may be ready for their big comeback.

This article originally appeared last year.

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Body Image

News anchor has the ultimate response to a man who told her to dress ‘like a normal woman’

"These are my pants. I like them. I bought them."

via KGW-TV / YouTube

NBC correspondent Maggie Vespa

One of the major differences between women and men is that women are often judged based on their looks rather than their character or abilities. "Men as well as women tend to establish the worth of individual women primarily by the way their body looks, research shows. We do not do this when we evaluate men," Naomi Ellemers Ph.D. wrote in Psychology Today.

Dr. Ellers believes that this tendency to judge a woman solely on her looks causes them to be seen as an object rather than a person. "As a result of focusing on their outwardly visible features, we are tempted to overlook their inner states, ignore markers of their intentions, beliefs, and desires, and less likely to empathize with their plight," Ellers continued.

Women in the spotlight are constantly being judged based on their looks rather than their performance in a given field. Serena Williams once won the French Open but all the press was about what she wore on the court.

For example, Hillary Clinton has been constantly being criticized throughout her political life for what she wore or her hair style rather than her accomplishments.

Maggie Vespa, a news anchor at KGW-TV in Portland, was criticized for how she dresses by a male viewer, so she brilliantly took the incident and used it as a way to talk about the double standards women face.

Maggie Vespa, Portland, NBC, Chicago, sexism, twitter, XThe sexist message Maggie Vespa receivedTwitter

"Just wanted to let you know that the clothes you've been wearing, especially those crazy pants that ride half way up your torso, are not cool looking, in any way!," Jeffrey, a male viewer, wrote to Vespa on Facebook. You're way too pretty to look so foolish."

The next day, he sent her another message. "OMG, you really looked uncomfortably tonight. Try dressing like a normal woman. Doesn't KGW pay you enough for a wardrobe makeover?" Jeffrey wrote.

Maggie Vespa, Portland, Chicago, sexism, twitter, XAnother sexist message sent to Maggie VespaTwitter

Vespa posted about the emails on social media and received hundreds of responses, so she carved out a few minutes to discuss the situation on the news.

"Let's just get this out of the way at the top. This is dumb," Vespa responded.

There was no way she was going to start dressing for the male gaze.

"These are my pants. I like them. I bought them."

Maggie went on to show photos of five different pairs of high-waisted pants that she wore in the week following Jeffrey's messages. Maggie's colleagues also got in on it, donning high-waisted pants to show their support.

Maggie Vespa, NBC, Portland, Chicago, Twitter, sexismMaggie Vespa in her previous newsroom via KGW-TV / YouTube

Vespa said the harassment "hit a nerve" with people on social media who used it as an opportunity to discuss "the pressure women obviously face, especially those in the public eye to embody the epitome of physical attractiveness at all times."

"If we don't, it's somehow seen as a sign that we're less credible or less capable and, by and large, guys don't have to deal with this," Vespa continued. " As my awesome male coworkers can and have attested to."

Vespa then brilliantly spun the harassment into an empowering message for women.

"Our goal here is to send a message, to women, to girls, to everyone: Dress how you want, look how you want, and if anybody tries to make you feel less than because of that, that's their problem, not yours," Vespa said.


This article originally appeared six years ago.

maggie vespa
Humor

'Broccoli hair' and 14 of the 'worst millennium fashion trends people can't believe happened

People are passionate about the past 25 years of fashion.

via Canva/Photos, The White House/Wikimedia Commons, and Todd Dwyer/Flickr

Patrick Mahomes and his broccoli cut, a woman with a septum piercing and some hipsters circa 2009.

We are already a quarter of the way through the 21st century, and now that enough time has elapsed, we can look back on some older trends with a twinge of embarrassment. The turn-of-the-century brought low-rise jeans, velour tracks suits — some with cheeky sayings on the butt — and bedazzled everything. There was also the indie sleaze movement, where it seemed like overnight, everyone wore skinny jeans and looked like The Strokes.

Over the past 15 years, athleisure has been at the fashion forefront, along with eco-friendly gear. Sneakers have become status symbols, like in the ‘80s and ‘90s, with Jordans, Yeezys, and limited-run collaborations draining banking accounts. We’ve also seen a reemergence of ‘90s styles amongst teens, with baggy pants and crop tops making a huge comeback.


The past 25 years have also seen the rise of fast fashion, a movement in which trendy, low-cost clothing mimicking big brand names has flooded the market and is thrown out almost as quickly as it is manufactured. This trend has raised many questions about labor exploitation in developing nations, resource depletion, and overconsumption.

That said, many people hope the fashion trends of the past 25 years will remain in the past and that some we see today are over as soon as possible. On the AskReddit subforum, a Redditor asked, "What was the worst fashion trend this century?" We highlighted the top 15 highlights (or, for many, lowlights) of the first quarter century.

1. Fast fashion

"Fast generally doesn't refer to how long it lasts, it refers to how quickly it gets manufactured and sold. It's less about the poor craftsmanship, more about the environmental impacts, the waste, the labor exploitation, and the manipulation of fashion trends."

"I feel like there's two sides of fast fashion where one side is how poorly constructed garments are and using extremely cheap and/or non-durable fiber to make them, and then there's the side where we're pumping out clothes like crazy with the idea that producing enough will ensure something sells enough to make a profit margin."

2. Hyper-bro style

"That weird hyper-bro period of multiple polos with popped collars and an upside down backwards visor."

"My immediate thought was the popped collars. What a horrible period that was."

3. Dropped-crotch jeans

"Those pants that were tight in the legs but also somehow had a sagging butt."


4. Thick false eyelashes

"Oh God, this. I work part-time at a retail, and so many girls have those outrageous false lashes. I genuinely can’t fathom why anyone would get them and how they think it even looks decent."

"Really long fake eyelashes always remind me of Mr. Snuffleupagus. Which I assume is not what they're going for, but..."

5. Lip injections

"A beautiful woman can go from a 10 to wouldn’t date easily with either of these. I really don’t get it."



6. Broccoli hair

"I don't think it's a terrible hairdo in and of itself. And I like to see people embracing their curls. It just gets funny when every member of a generation has the same hairstyle."

"I was surprised so many people had this curly hair, and then I learned that many of these young boys are getting perms for the look."

"It’s a struggle. I have an 11-year-old with naturally curly hair. He gets stopped everywhere and asked if the curls are natural. Kids at school make fun of him by saying he must have a perm. But he loves his curls and doesn’t want to cut them. So he gets the broccoli/alpaca look; and I think he looks adorable."


7. Barrel jeans

"It makes it look like they have bowlegs - a medical condition that should be corrected in toddlers."

"Not a single person asked for barrel jeans."

8. Fake fingernails

"Super long fake fingernails that are bedazzled and sharpened to a pointed end. Way too much time, energy, and money spent on something that is straight up awful and impractical."

"It's like a lifted pickup truck on big rims, absolutely about the aesthetic while rendering it completely useless."

9. Low-rise jeans

"Low-rise jeans. Not because they looked bad, but because they made everyone collectively anxious about sitting down."

"I was a science teacher in a class where students sat on stools. Had to avert my eyes often while helping a student behind someone with these on."


10. Jeans under dresses

"I may have fallen victim to this one lol. I don’t wear dresses much now, but I definitely did the jeans thing a time or two long ago lol."

"Pants under dresses only look cute on girls in Elementary school."

11. Long beards

"And their obsession with running their paws through it all the time. Imagine the smell!"

"Long beards are fine if you take care of it though, which some don't."


12. Bedazzled jeans

"The bedazzled jeans with excessive stitching and adornments. True Religion was one of the more popular brands. The kind of pants you’d wear with an Affliction shirt. Don’t know what they’re called, but I hope they stay gone."

"These have filtered down to rural areas/suburbs of small cities for people who want to think of themselves as cowboys, and it’s super gross."



13. Septum piercings

"It's so ridiculous. I keep picturing a bull in a field."

"I don't mind nose rings or other types of piercings, but that one bugs the sh*t out of me."

14. The Edgar haircut

"The Edgar haircut is the worst one. So many people are going to look back on those pictures in shame 20 years from now."


15. Super small suits

"When I got married I wanted the tight suit with inch-too-short pants: it was 2013, that was the look. Bought a suit from an independent shop, 70 year old owner/tailor refused to alter the suit like that. He said I’d look back at my wedding pics and wish I was wearing something more classic. I took his advice and I’m glad I did."

"While I like the recent James Bond movies, I blame Daniel Craig (or at least the stylist) for the too small suit look. His suits were consistently about two sizes too small in the movies."


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