AliEnvy
Refugee
On the Heels of a Recession
For the slideshow:
On the Heels of a Recession - Slide Show - NYTimes.com
Worse-than-expected data on jobs, the housing market and retail sales have economists worried that we may be facing this recession's second dip. One other, more tangible, sign provides still more cause for concern. To read it, look down.
Elizabeth Semmelhack, the senior curator at the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto, has observed that during times of financial pressure high fashion brings out the most gravity-defying shoes.
Why? Perhaps economic distress causes distinctions between male and female dress to widen among the fashion-conscious. Or maybe heels grow higher during a bad economy for a simpler reason: As Ms. Semmelhack says, "These little trifles can elevate one's mood."
For the slideshow:
On the Heels of a Recession - Slide Show - NYTimes.com