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Old Navy customers share the not-so-subtle fashion trends that show we're headed for a recession

People are noticing some Hunger Games vibes.

via Jo Zimny Photos/Flickr

An Old Navy Retail store.

Recent shake-ups in U.S. trade policy have caused many to fear that the United States economy may fall into a recession this year after remaining surprisingly resilient after the COVID-19 pandemic. Recently, J.P. Morgan research raised the probability of a global recession to 40%. On March 19, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said the chance of an upcoming recession is rising, but the probability is still not high.

Is the economy headed for a recession?

A recession occurs when the economy slows down for two consecutive quarters. The last time the U.S. economy hit a recession was a brief period from February to April 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Even though the U.S. economy has yet to cross the line into recession, two savvy shoppers at Old Navy believe that the signs are all there when it comes to new clothing on the shelves.

TikToker Zoe (@zoezoezoezand) made her case in a viral video with over 790,000 views. “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

“We're starting fresh with our District 12 frock, it's made out of a nice uh rough material that's what you want, it's a nice oatmeal color just like you want it,” Zoe jokes. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the Hunger Games series of books and films, District 12, located in Appalachia, was the smallest and poorest of the 13 districts.

Zoe added that another vintage-looking pair of pants was a sign that people will have to quit their cushy service jobs and return to working with their hands soon. “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.”

welders, female workers, 1940s, us history, steel, factory workers, alloy steel,A team of welders at the Tubular Alloy Steel Corporation. via M. Marshall/Wikimedia Commons

What is the Hemline Index?

While shopping at your local Old Navy may not give you the best economic indicators, there has been a correlation between women’s attire and the economy in American history. The “Hemline Index,” a theory that suggests hemlines get higher when the economy is good and lower when it turns sour.

InStyle notes that hemlines rose in the 1920s before the stock market crash that helped lead to the Great Depression in 1929. They rose again during the wartime boom of the 1940s and dropped again during the recession of 1949. A slow and steadily growing economy led to the creation of the mini shirt in the late ‘60s, which once again became longer after the 1987 crash.


Hopefully, the U.S. economy doesn’t go into a recession so that Americans and our friends worldwide don’t have to suffer through the belt-tightening that comes from a downturn. But, interestingly, history shows how today’s styles might indicate tomorrow’s economic signals. Because, as Zoe’s video shows, economies aren’t just random numbers on stock tickers and forecasts but actual indicators of how people think, feel, and behave.

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What happens after you lose a child? For this woman, her pain became her purpose.

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Old Navy Cozy Socks

When Athena White lost her only child, the grief nearly consumed her.

The void left after her son’s passing was, at first, one filled with anger. "He was 25," she explains. "My son was my life. I was a lost soul."

Athena might have felt lost, but she also soon found kindness where she least expected it: at work. Her coworkers at Old Navy, recognizing her pain, quickly stepped in to support her.

"They could’ve easily said, 'I’m sorry you’re having a hard time, here’s some flowers,'" she says. Instead of empty condolences, they showed up in a big way. "They said, 'How much time do you need? What can we do?'"

And it wasn’t just the compassion of those around her that made an impact. It was their belief in Athena herself — in particular, their belief that she had a story worth telling.

Athena White in an Old Navy store. All images provided by Gap Inc.

It was that belief that led Athena’s district manager to offer her an opportunity that would change her life.

He saw her not as a lost soul, but as someone with real potential for leadership. That’s when he connected Athena to This Way Ahead, Old Navy's internship program that would allow her to transform her pain into purpose.

"I didn’t know at the time, but it’s definitely turned my life around, being part of [This Way Ahead]."

This Way Ahead is a paid internship program for young adults that offers career and skills training programs by partnering with nonprofits and connecting young adults with mentors like Athena.After 10 weeks, interns walk away with the skills they need to succeed in the workplace and, most importantly, the connection and care to realize their own self-worth.

It’s that connection that Athena says helped her cope with her grief.

"They’re looking for someone to listen to them; they’re looking for direction, someone that’s just there," she explains. "I lost my son, but I gained so many young adults in my life ... it makes me feel whole. It fills a void."

It’s a tradition of giving back, Athena says, that began with her mother and her son. "My mom was the biggest cheerleader I ever had," she says. And her son, too, had the biggest heart of anyone she knew.

"It’s grown into something bigger than myself," she explains. Mentoring youth helps her carry on the loving legacy left behind by her mother and son and, in turn, allows every youth she inspires to go on and make an impact too.

Athena White with former This Way Ahead intern, and now Old Navy Associate, Yazmeen Owens.

"My mission, in turn, is how do I pay it forward? How do I give back?"

For Athena, giving back isn’t just about giving these youth an internship. It’s about creating a connection that allows them to thrive.

"We’ve all made mistakes," she shares. She sees her role as one where she not only offers skills in the workplace, but gives the genuine support and care that many of the youth lack.

"Sometimes, these young kids, they don’t have the support. [They need] to know that there’s somebody that truly cares."

One intern that Athena remembers started out in the program as shy and withdrawn. At first, Athena wondered if she even wanted to be there.

"She wasn’t open to trusting," Athena explains. "I kept insisting, in my mind, there was something more to this young lady. My mission was to open her eyes and open her heart."

And with time, the two formed a special bond.

"She just started to warm up," Athena recalls. "Every time she’d see me, her eyes would just light up." And not only did she complete the program — she now works with Athena at Old Navy and is returning to school. "She’s a whole different person now," Athena raves.

And stories like hers aren’t uncommon — 74% of graduates from the This Way Ahead program receive job offers upon completion, with a retention rate twice that of their peers.

Yazmeen Owens and Athena White.

For youth in the program, particularly those from disadvantaged communities, This Way Ahead offers one opportunity that can transform the rest of their lives.

It’s an opportunity that Athena is honored to be a part of. "They were [all] seeking something more than a job," she explains.

For some, what they seek is real support and connection. For others, like one memorable alumni from Oakland, they’re looking for a shot at a brighter, better future.

"He had never been outside of Oakland," Athena shares. "Now he’s in college in Indiana. Whatever it takes, he’s going to be a doctor. He [just needed] to get out of the neighborhood."

And that's why, Athena says, programming like this needs direct support. "We have to keep the program alive," she explains.

And with the right support, not only will the program survive — it can thrive. Old Navy is in the process of expanding the program through a donation campaign on Black Friday 2017; for every $1 cozy sock purchased, Old Navy will match it with a donation to Boys & Girls Clubs, up to $1 million. These donations will expand their offerings to create more career opportunities for youth.

For a customer, it might seem like a small gesture. But it adds up. And for Athena and the youth she mentors, those small gestures mean a continued impact well into the future.

Thanks to the support she received in her darkest hour, Athena is now an unstoppable force for good in the lives of countless youth.

"Every year, I want more kids," she laughs.

When asked what she’s learned from her experiences as a mentor, she recalls the impact that one person can have on others. "Take a moment, give somebody your time, listen to somebody," she shares.

"You never know what you’re offering; you never know what someone is going to take from that conversation. Be mindful that people are listening, they are watching. You can change somebody’s life."

And for the kids mentored by Athena, with futures now brimming with possibility, there’s no greater lesson than that.

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His mom took care of him when he was a sick child. Now he's paying her back big time.

'I’m going after everything I can, the most I can.'

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Old Navy Cozy Socks

Dashawn Hightower was only 3 years old when doctors discovered he had a tumor wrapped around his kidney.

He went through two years of intensive treatments that included having a needle stuck under his chest to make sure his kidney was still working.

Eventually, he made it out the other side cancer free but sans one kidney.

"Every day, I just think I’m lucky to be here," Dashawn says.

Dashawn Hightower. All photos via Dashawn Hightower, used with permission.

However, the experience wasn't only hard on him — his mother and two younger sisters were seriously affected as well.

Dashawn's mother became extremely overprotective of him, even after he was declared healthy again.

"She didn’t want me to do anything," Dashawn recalls. "No sports. No after school activities."

His mother raised him and his sisters on her own, and it was always difficult to make ends meet. So when Dashawn got into his teens, he decided to find a way to lift some of the burden off of her, even if it meant worrying her a little bit in the beginning.

It began with him attending a 6 a.m. meeting at his school about a student-focused career-building program.

When he reached high school, he joined This Way Ahead — an internship program designed to help teens get a leg up on their future.

An intern working at Old Navy.

The internship program is one of the efforts under Old Navy's cause platform ONward!. The brand is actually expanding the program through a trigger donation this Black Friday. You can buy their cozy socks for $1, and each purchase will result in a $1 donation to Boys & Girls Clubs, up to $1 million. The money will go to creating an employment program for Boys & Girls Club youth, offering them career coaching and a first job at Old Navy stores.  

It's all about giving kids the skills they need to succeed in the workplace.

Every day, the program focused on a different job-based subject — what questions to ask at an interview, how to write a great resume, customer conflicts, etc. Slowly but surely, Dashawn felt his confidence building. He knew he could be a great business leader.

"It taught me responsibility," Dashawn says. "I own all my actions."

As a result, Dashawn started taking care of his sisters more. He'd help them with their homework and get ready for school. And soon, he landed his first job.

Dashawn with his mom at his Old Navy job.

"[The program] helped me to have the upper hand when I interviewed for a position at Old Navy," Dashawn recalls.

Not surprisingly, he aced the interview and was brought onboard as a paid intern in 2014. Last year in November, he was hired as a full-time staff employee, and today, he's a business and training operations specialist at Old Navy's Herald Square location in New York City.

He's finally getting to lift some of the financial strain off his mom, and she could not be happier with how far he's come.

She even remembers the first time he bought her a pair of shoes. She had the receipt framed.

Today, Dashawn takes every opportunity that comes his way to make life better because he knows he might not have had a life at all.

Dashawn with interns in the TWA program.

"I could’ve died when I was 3," Dashawn says. "So I’m going after everything I can, the most I can. I’m hungry."

He tries to instill the same go-getter attitude in his associates and the interns he now manages. Many of them come directly from Old Navy's first jobs program, so they're already at the top of their game. But they still come to him sometimes with questions or concerns about their next steps. Since he's been in their shoes, he shares the same advice he's given himself in the past.

"No matter what you do, you always show your best," he says. "And every time you complete a certain chapter, it’s just a chapter. You have the whole book to complete. You have the whole journey to look forward to."

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This pro choreographer is most proud of his work with one surprisingly amateur crew.

Dance provides an outlet that can help kids cope with emotional, social, and behavioral problems.

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Old Navy Back to School

Cedric Gardner has been on TV, in movies, and on stage with some of the most famous names in music.

But that’s not what he’s most proud of.

Nor is it the 33-year-old dancer's stint on "So You Think You Can Dance," his tour with Miranda Cosgrove, or his choreographed commercial that aired during the Super Bowl that he feels most excited about.

His crowning achievement is a music video he created with his students about how music has the power to lift us up and take us to places that once felt impossible.

All images via Old Navy.

In Milwaukee, Gardner uses his artistic talent to help at-risk kids learn to connect with and express their emotions in a productive and empowering way.

Through dance, they communicate a powerful message about learning and leadership.

Gardner joins other educators from across the country who partnered with Old Navy's cause platform ONward!to create an album of songs that encourage kids to let their unique selves shine through.

Gardner and his students had the opportunity to make a music video about the power that education holds to help young people advance in life, knock down obstacles, and change the status quo by being a leader who changes the world. Watch:

He's empowering students through music and dance with his new song #ONward. It's hard to stop watching this one!

Posted by Upworthy on Monday, July 31, 2017

Since Gardner began mentoring kids in dance in 2013, colleagues have noticed that his students have better focus, more self-control, and increased self-confidence .

These are attributes that empower them to engage with the educational opportunities that they need in order to succeed as adults.

Gardner's students are all part of Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee, where Gardner is just one of many mentors who provide positive role models and productive activities for kids in order to help them thrive.

Research shows that dance can actually be a form of therapy, one that has a deeply profound impact on a child's developing mind.

For Gardner's students, dance provides an outlet for self-expression and improves self-image, which helps them better prepare to cope with emotional, social, and behavioral problems.

Even for kids with relatively unproblematic backgrounds, the art of movement set to music can be a useful tool to build skills like discipline, healthy self-expression, and confidence.

Gardner's work is a great reminder of how important the arts are in helping kids achieve academic success.

Teachers who are also mentors help give kids a better shot at a better life.

Learners, like Gardner says, become leaders — and leaders change the world.

Corrections 8/11/2017: Gardner toured with Miranda Cosgrove, not Avril Lavigne. His age has also been corrected.

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