NPR.

Hey, Robert. What are you reading there?

Oh, I'm looking for some new clothes. I want to improve my fit.

Okay, I think the kids call it a glow-up, but I see it's not a fashion magazine

that you're holding there. It's a very unfashionable beige book. The page book, our favorite

obscure government report, sure, but the idea of the beige book is to report on current

economic conditions. And if you look hard enough, there is indeed a lot of interesting anecdotes in here

about clothing and accessories and the retail business. And you're sure you won't just end up

with more beige khakis and tan shirts? I do work in radio, so probably. It's the Beaysie Awards.

Our eight times a year salute to the art and science of telling stories about the economy,

I'm Robert Smith.

And I'm Adrian Ma.

The devil may wear Prada, but we take our fashion tips from the economists.

And they're seeing some worrying trends in the consumer economy, even in clothing

for the smallest fashionistas among us, babies. Put on that tiny tucks, grab your fanciest rattle,

just don't drool all over the red carpet, please.

It's always good to remind everyone how this award show works. There are 12 regional banks in the

Federal Reserve system. Each one studies their local economy and brings back little stories of what they

see. They publish them in the document known as the beige book, and we give awards to the best

stories. We like to start with the first runner-up, and this one comes from the Richmond Fed.

Quote, retailers gave indication of consumer price sensitivity and lackluster discretionary

spending with a jeweler in Williamsburg, Virginia, noting, if they can save a dollar and get

...