underwear sales may be an economic bellwether

underwear sales may be an economic bellwether

By Quentin Fottrell

April 18, 2013

Some have looked to the width or color of men’s ties as economic bellwethers. But a better sartorial indicator may be the size of a man’s underwear drawer.

American men’s apparel sales remained relatively flat in 2012, rising just 1% to $57 billion, according to a study by market researcher NPD Group. The exceptions were the two garments some men continue to wear even after they’re falling apart: underwear, up 13%, and socks, up 12%. “Men are updating the basics of their wardrobe,” says Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst at NPD. And that may be a positive sign for consumer spending overall.

One sartorial indicator of the state of the economy may be the size of a man’s underwear drawer. Quentin Fottrell reports on Lunch Break.

“Some men’s underwear may be so worn out that they have no choice but to replace it — or to go commando,” says Vicki Morwitz, a professor of marketing at New York University. “For men who don’t care so much about underwear, during lean times, they probably made do with what they had.” Others agree that old underwear only stretches for so long. “With the economy improving, it must be the right time for men to get rid of all that holey underwear,” says Edgar Dworsky, founder of ConsumerWorld.org.

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