Modesty Is In; Luxury, Profit Margins Are Out

We've all heard of the Hemline Index, which asserts that women's skirts become more modest in tough economic times. Well, a parallel in the auto industry claims that notions of good taste force a drop in conspicuous consumerism during rough money days. Case in point: in 2005, the luxury car segment made up 21% of the total auto market, but the figure has now slipped to just 15.6%. That's bad news for automakers, since luxe models earn $10,000+ in profits, as opposed to the couple hundred bucks from more modest $20,000 rides. On the other hand, douchey types who dig diamond pavé key fobs probably won't be deterred by good taste. [BusinessInsider]