Up, Up, and Away: The Short History of the Miniskirt

UP, UP, AND AWAY THE Short HISTORY OF THE MINISKIRT THE BIRTH OF A WARDROBE LEGEND 1955 Fashion icon Mary Quant is said to have invented the miniskirt. With a keen eye for modern, functional clothes - and a love for showing off legs – Quant began hiking up hemlines at her London store, Bazaar. MARY QUANT It's believed she called the skirt a "mini" not for its size but after her favorite car – the Mini Cooper. 1959 Panti Legs, the first rendition of pantyhose, allow women to ditch uncomfortable garter belts, girdles and thicker dancers' tights to show off some leg. 1964 In his spring collection, French designer Andre Courreges features abbreviated hemlines on youthful, space-age inspired dresses, coats and skirts. Courreges is also credited for creating go-go boots, a favorite of miniskirt-wearing women of the '60s. While Quant was a major player in popularizing the mini, the jury's out on who fabricated it first. VOGUE The miniskirt first makes the glossy pages of Vogue's May issue. 1965 The trend blasts into U.S. fashion markets. THE LEADING LADIES OF THE MINI 1965 English model Jean Shrimpton turns heads in a mini at Derby Day in Australia. 1966 Nancy Sinatra wears one in her video for her iconic song, "These Boots are Made for Walking." 1968 Former First Lady Jackie Kennedy marries Aristotle Onassis in a short, white Valentino dress. 1969 Actress Audrey Hepburn sports a mini wedding dress for her nuptials. Throughout the '60s, supermodel Twiggy rocked the mini. THE MINI REVOLUTION The miniskirt rage wasn't without backlash: The new revealing fashion sparked an international uproar for challenging morals. For instance, in 1969, journalist Betty Work was asked to leave the reporters' section of the Senate floor because she wore a miniskirt. Though hemlines dropped drastically in 1968 with the introduction of the ankle-length maxi, the miniskirt left a lasting impression on women's liberation. To many women, the mini was an expression of feminism and confidence. WHILE THE MINISKIRT STILL HAS ITS CHALLENGERS – SOME COUNTRIES HAVE LEGALLY BANNED WOMEN FROM REVEALING THEIR THIGHS IN PUBLIC – WE HAVE THE LEG-BARING WOMEN OF THE '60S TO THANK FOR LOOSENING THE REINS ON MODESTY. SOURCES http://www.vogue.com • http://www.vogue.co.uk • http://www.vogue.it http://blogs.zappos.com • http://www.vam.ac.uk http://content.time.com - http://www.harpersbazaar.co.uk • http://www.dailylife.com.au • http://www.dailymail.co.uk http://www.randomhistory.com - http://www.dispatch.com • http://www.wish.com.au • http://theminiskirtrevolution.wordpress.com http://www.independent.co.uk • http://www.news.com.au BLUEGALA