According to this CNBC article, there is a men’s “underwear indicator, an old favorite of Alan Greenspan,” in which there must “be a return to 2 to 3 percent annual growth in sales [of men’s underwear] in order to claim a[n economic] recovery.”

This of course makes me curious about women’s underwear. Are you buying less, more, or the same amount these days? Are you more likely to go w/ the basics now, or have you always? Lately I’ve been loving my matching bra and panty sets. They make me want to buy all matching pretty pairs when it’s time to replace what’s in my lingerie drawer, regardless of the economy. I wonder if women’s pretty underwear could be like lipstick–a low cost luxury that women buy through all economic cycles. Or am I just trying to justify these purchases that I want to make?