The Journal. Lady Gaga, Low-Rise Jeans, and the Next Recession
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May 23, 2025 
In this engaging discussion, Hannah Erin Lang, a Wall Street Journal reporter who focuses on financial markets, explores Gen Z's unique approach to economic indicators. She delves into how this generation interprets fashion trends, like the return of low-rise jeans and other early 2000s styles, as signs of impending recession. The conversation highlights the contrast between the economic anxieties of Gen Z and older generations, examining how cultural expressions serve as barometers for financial sentiment in today's world.
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Fashion Reflects Economic Sentiment
- Correlation between fashion and economy can reveal public sentiment amid uncertainty.
- Economic feelings may reflect in pop culture elements like fashion and film trends.
Recession Impact Defined
- A recession means prolonged economic shrinkage with rising unemployment.
- It makes life financially harder and causes people to reduce spending overall.
Unusual Economic Indicators
- Economists use unusual indicators like men's underwear sales to supplement data.
- Drop in underwear sales suggests consumers cutting discretionary spending, signaling economic strain.