Is Cannes 2025’s New Dress Code Banning Sheer Dresses A Recession Indicator? Find Out
Cannes Film Festival 2025's new dress code could be a sign of recession? Here's what it could mean!
That headline really has you wondering what the Cannes dress code has to do with the economy, hai na? Get ready to be surprised. Just 24 hours before Cannes 2025, the film festival organisers have issued new regulations under which sheer dresses, AKA nude dresses, are banned, along with voluminous dresses, which means gowns with extravagant trains that take up too much space are also banned. The rules also state that any outfit that promotes nudity is prohibited. The organisers have suggested alternative outfits, but what do the new rules have to do with the recession? Well, ever heard of the hemline index? Let us explain.
Is Cannes’ New Dress Code A Recession Indicator? Hemline Index Explained
The Internet has been buzzing about how the new dress code might be a recession indicator, thanks to the hemline index. But why is the dress code a recession indicator? The hemline index is a theory that claims that the length of skirts, aka hemline, rises and drops along with the stock market prices. It is suggested that the length of skirts tends to get shorter when the economy is good, as it was in the 1920s and 1960s. On the other hand, when the skirt lengths increase, it hints at a bad economy, much like the 1929 Wall Street Crash. Having said that, some theorists have claimed that it’s actually the opposite, keeping in mind the situation in the 1950s when hemlines dropped, hinting at prosperity.
The new dress code for Cannes showcases a certain restraint, but that does not necessarily mean that it is a recession indicator for France. The new regulations are hinting at broader cultural shifts towards modesty, which could mean that there is a cultural shift towards modesty and restraint, hinting at economic uncertainty. While this may not be definitive, the argument for the new dress code not being an indicator of recession is much weaker. Historically, shifts in fashion trends from extravagant to practicality and modesty have been correlated to economic drops, but at the same time, these trends can also emerge without economic causes. In this case, it could be due to the prior backlash over nudity and naked dresses. The fact that the organisers have highlighted logistical reasons for the change could also mean that it is not a recession indicator, but the recession risk remains speculative.
Earlier, internet users also highlighted the vanity debuts, and the line-up of the Cannes Film Festival could also mean that a recession is coming. But the presence of luxury brands at the grand event undermines the recession indicator. A recession hint would also be highlighted with reduced sponsorships and attendance, which hasn’t been reported in 2025. The change in the dress code could also be due to the sombre backdrop of the killing of Palestinian photojournalist Fatima Hassouna in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza. The reason is that the journalist is a subject of the documentary film–Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk, which has been selected for the ACID film programme, which will be shown in parallel with Cannes 2025.
Also Read: Korean Stars Kim Go Eun And Han So Hee Gear Up To Attend The Cannes Film Festival 2025. So Exciting!
So is the new dress code of the Cannes Film Festival 2025 a recession indicator? Maybe or maybe not, we just have to wait and find out.
First Published: May 13, 2025 4:03 PM
