What do you know about this subject?

Have you heard this economic theory before?

In 2001, Leonard Lauder, the former CEO of Estée Lauder, proclaimed that when the economy is bad the sales of lipstick increases. This has been called the Lipstick Index. The thinking is that women will not buy higher ticket items like expensive shoes. But they will want to indulge themselves. So they will turn their attention to other "feel-good" purchases such as lipsticks. Nearly 80 years ago George Taylor (1926) and Paul Nystrom (1928), and more recently Helmut Gaus (1992) said they saw that dress length fluctuated with how good or bad the economy was. So as the economy got worse, dresses became shorter. And there is some other compelling research.

In 2005, a team of British scientists wrote some research in Human Nature. They researched the sexiness of women's clothing as depicted in the magazine UK Vogue from 1916 to 1999. They found that as the economic conditions got worse, women's fashion styles became more provocative. They said that many women used their physical looks as sexual advertisement in hard economic times.

Try to guess the meaning of the words in bold and match them with their closest meaning from the choices in the right. Some of the answers are very close and have similar meaning. The meaning of these words is how they are used in the reading. Some of these words have different meanings in the dictionary depending on how they are used.

 The answers are below the table.

A=4, B=8, C=3, D=7, E=5, F=1, G=6, H=2

Some example sentences using the new words or phrases from the meaning of how they are used in the reading to help you understand better.

1. I proclaim my love for her by announcing we are getting married next year.

2. Higher ticket items such as Prada bags are sold at this department store.

3. You have studied hard so you should indulge yourself by buying something special.

4. Now that they have won the election they will turn their attention to the economy.

5. Last year oil prices were fluctuating but this year they are staying the same.

6. A compelling reason to learn this is it will be on the test.

7. In the movie he is depicted as a criminal.

8. It was a really good movie. It provoked me to think about the topic more.

    

Some questions using the new words/phrases. Try to use the words/phrases in your answer.

1. How much do you agree with Mr Lauder’s proclamation? What things do people spend money on when the economy is good or bad? What other things do they turn their attention to?

2. Do you agree that when the economy is not good people buy some higher ticket items to feel better? Why or why not?

3. If you don’t have a lot of money then what will you still indulge yourself in?

4. Do you think the dress length of all women fluctuates with the economy? How much do you agree? Do you think women’s fashion also becomes more provocative? In your opinion why would women change their fashion at these times?

5. If you have less money or the economy is not good what do you feel compelled to change?

6. What does a person’s fashion depict about them?