Yes, you read correctly. In a recent Washington Post article, Blue Chip, White Cotton; What Men’s Underwear Says about the Economy, one research firm claims it has the ability to forecast the state of the economy based on the sale of men’s underwear. The theory is that men prolong purchasing underwear when the economy is bad- therefore causing a dip in sales (sales of mens underwear are usually stable because it is a needed product). Once you start seeing an increase in sales again, the “Men’s Underwear Index” can be considered a positive economic indicator.

Do you think this is possible? What other sales index could be representative of the overall economy?