A woman modeling a miniskirt

The miniskirt (often hyphenated as mini-skirt) is a skirt with a hemline well above the knees (generally 20 cm—about 8 inches—or more above knee level). A skirt is a tube- or cone-shaped Garment that hangs from the Waist and covers all or part of the Legs In European culture, skirts are usually The mini was the defining fashion symbol of "Swinging London" in the 1960s. Swinging London is a catchall term applied to a variety of dynamic cultural trends in the United Kingdom (centred in London) in the second half of the 1960s The 1960s decade refers to the years from the beginning of 1960 to the end of 1969

A minidress is a dress with a hemline significantly above the knees. A dress (also frock, gown) is a garment consisting of a Skirt with an attached Bodice or with a matching bodice giving the effect of a one-piece

Origin

The earliest known culture to have females wear miniskirts were the Duan Qun Miao, which literally meant "short skirt Miao" in Chinese. The Miao ( Vietnamese: Mèo or H'Mông Thai: แม้ว (Maew or ม้ง (Mong Burmese: mun lu-myo) are a linguistically and culturally This was in reference to the short miniskirts "that barely cover the buttocks" worn by women of the tribe, and which were "probably shocking" to Han Chinese observers in medieval and early modern times. Han Chinese ( are an Ethnic group native to China and by most modern definitions the largest single Ethnic group in the world. The early modern period is a term initially used by historians to refer mainly to the period roughly from 1500 to 1800 in Western Europe ( Early modern Europe) ^[1]

After World War I, hemlines had risen rapidly in the Western world. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All The term Western world, the West or the Occident ( Latin: occidens -sunset -west as distinct from the Orient) can have multiple meanings By the mid-1920s, dresses worn by young "flappers" were often above the knee which was only allowed by the abandonment of the constraining corsetry of Victorian and Edwardian times. The 1920s is sometimes referred to as the " Jazz Age " or the " Roaring Twenties " when speaking about the United States and Canada The term flapper in the 1920s referred to a "new breed" of young Women who wore short skirts bobbed their hair listened to the new Jazz music Corsetry is craft of making Corsets and corset-like garments and accessories most of which incorporate stays. The term " Victorian Fashion " refers to Fashion in Clothing in the Victorian era, or the reign of Queen Victoria (1837&ndash1901 Class and society Socially the Edwardian era was a period during which the British Class system was very rigid The appearance of miniskirts in the West in the 1960s was generally credited to the fashion designer Mary Quant, who was inspired by the Mini automobile, although the French designer André Courrèges is also often cited as a pioneer (the French referred to it as la mini-jupe). The 1960s decade refers to the years from the beginning of 1960 to the end of 1969 Fashion design is the Applied art dedicated to Clothing and lifestyle Accessories created within the cultural and social influences of a specific time Mary Quant OBE FCSD (born 11 February 1934 in Blackheath, London, England) is an English The Mini is a small car that was produced by the British Motor Corporation (BMC and its successors from 1959 until 2000 This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. André Courrèges (born in 1923 in Pau) is a French Fashion designer, known for his ultra-modern designs Some also give credit to Helen Rose, who made some miniskirts for actress Anne Francis in the 1956 science fiction movie, Forbidden Planet. Costume designer Helen Rose ( February 2 1904 - November 9 1985) spent the bulk of her career with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Anne Francis (born September 16 1930 in Ossining New York) is an American Actress, famous for her role in the Science fiction film classic Forbidden Planet is a 1956 Science fiction film directed by Fred M

Recently, Marit Allen, a Vogue "Young Ideas" editor at the time, has stated that "John Bates, in particular, has always been completely unappreciated for his contribution to the innovation and creativity he brought to the London design scene. Vogue is a Fashion and lifestyle Magazine published in eighteen countries by Condé Nast Publications. John Bates was a fashion designer who was part of the Boutique scene that blossomed in London in the 1960s " He bared the midriff, used transparent vinyl and, Marit Allen asserts, was responsible for "the raising of the hemline. It was John Bates, rather than Mary Quant or Courrèges, who was responsible for the miniskirt. " Bates' costumes and accessories for Diana Rigg, as Emma Peel in the ABC-TV series, The Avengers, from 1965–7, helped to define "Mod style". Dame Enid Diana Elizabeth Rigg DBE (born 20 July 1938 is an English actress. Emma Peel was a fictional Television Spy played by Diana Rigg in the British 1960s adventure series The Avengers. The American Broadcasting Company ( ABC) is an American Television network. The Avengers was a British Television series featuring Secret agents in 1960s Britain. Year 1965 ( MCMLXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1965 Gregorian calendar. Year 1967 ( MCMLXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. [1]. As The Avengers' filmed episodes were made several months before screening, Avengers producer Brian Clemens confirmed in interviews that the miniskirt designed by Bates was a "gamble", since they did not know if it would catch on in public or be seen as a fashion failure by the time the episodes aired. However, Emma Peel's fashions were accepted by the public and even spawned a line of replicas of her clothes for public sale. Another more "immediate" proponent of the miniskirt on television was Cathy McGowan, who introduced the weekly British rock music show, Ready Steady Go! (1964-6). Cathy McGowan (born 1943 is a British broadcaster and journalist presenter from 1964-6 of Rediffusion television’s rock music show Ready Steady Go! Rock music is a genre of Popular music often though not necessarily employing Electric guitar, Bass guitar, and Drums. This article referes to the TV show For the song go to READY STEADY GO (Song: Ready Steady Go! or simply RSG! was Year 1964 ( MCMLXIV) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the 1964 Gregorian calendar. Year 1966 ( MCMLXVI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the 1966 Gregorian calendar.

Mary Quant and Jean Shrimpton

Mary Quant ran a popular clothes shop in the Kings Road, Chelsea, London called Bazaar, from which she sold her own designs. The Kings Road is a major well-known street in west London, England. Chelsea is an area of south-west London, England, bounded to the south by the River Thames, where its frontage runs from Chelsea Bridge along In the late 1950s she began experimenting with shorter skirts, which resulted in the miniskirt in 1965—one of the defining fashions of the decade. The 1950s Decade refers to the years of 1950 to 1959 inclusive Fashion refers to styles of dress (but can also include cuisine literature art architecture and general comportment that are popular in a culture at any given time

Owing to Quant's position in the heart of fashionable "Swinging London", the miniskirt was able to spread beyond a simple street fashion into a major international trend. Swinging London is a catchall term applied to a variety of dynamic cultural trends in the United Kingdom (centred in London) in the second half of the 1960s Its acceptance was greatly boosted by Jean Shrimpton's wearing a short white shift dress, made by Colin Rolfe, on 30 October 1965 at Derby Day, first day of the annual Melbourne Cup Carnival in Australia, where it caused a sensation. Jean Shrimpton (born 7 November 1942 in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire) is an English Supermodel and actress The Melbourne Cup is Australia 's major annual Thoroughbred horse race. According to Shrimpton, who claimed that the brevity of the skirt was due mainly to Rolfe's having insufficient material, the ensuing controversy was as much as anything to do with her having dispensed with a hat and gloves, seen as the essential accessories in such conservative society. ^[2]

Development

Red velvet Minidress, c. 1965

Minidresses worn at wedding in South East England, c. 1972

The miniskirt was further popularized by André Courrèges, who developed it separately and incorporated it into his Mod look, for spring/summer 1965. Mod (originally modernist, sometimes capitalised is a Subculture that originated in London in the late 1950s and peaked in the early to mid 1960s His miniskirts were less body-hugging, and worn with the white "Courrèges boots" that became a trademark. Go-Go boots are a low-heeled style of women’s fashion boot worn since the mid-sixties when fashion silhouettes focused on accentuating the leg By introducing the miniskirt into the haute couture of the fashion industry, Courrèges gave it a greater degree of respectability than might otherwise have been expected of a street fashion. Haute couture ( French for "high sewing" or "high dressmaking" oːt kuˈtyʁ refers to the creation of exclusive custom-fitted fashions

The miniskirt was followed up in the late 1960s by the even shorter microskirt, which has been referred to derogatorily as a belt or pelmet. A microskirt is an extremely short Skirt which is longer than a belt but shorter than a Miniskirt, and less than 8 inches (20 cm in length A belt is a flexible band typically made of Leather or heavy Cloth, and worn around the Waist. A pelmet is a framework placed above a window used to conceal curtain fixtures Upper garments, such as rugby shirts, were sometimes adapted as mini-dresses. Tights or panty-hose became highly fashionable, in place of stockings, specifically because the rise in hemlines meant that stocking tops would be visible. A stocking, sometimes referred to as hose is a close-fitting variously elastic garment covering the Foot and lower part of the Leg. A stocking, sometimes referred to as hose is a close-fitting variously elastic garment covering the Foot and lower part of the Leg. Mary Quant cited this development in defence of the miniskirt: "In European countries where they ban mini-skirts in the streets and say they're an invitation to rape, they don't understand about stocking tights underneath". ^[3]

1970s

During the mid-1970s, the fashion industry largely returned to longer skirts such as the midi and the maxi. This article is about the Decade 1970-1979 For the Year 1970 see 1970. Journalist Christopher Booker gave two reasons for this reaction: firstly, that "there was almost nowhere else to go . Christopher John Penrice Booker (born October 7, 1937) is an English Journalist and Author. . . the mini-skirts could go no higher"; and secondly, in his view, "dressed up in mini-skirts and shiny PVC macs, given such impersonal names as 'dolly birds', girls had been transformed into throwaway plastic objects". The Mackintosh or Macintosh (abbreviated as mac or mack) is a form of waterproof Raincoat, first sold in 1824 made out of Rubberized ^[4] Certainly this lengthening of hemlines coincided with the growth of the feminist movement. Feminism is a discourse that involves various movements theories, and Philosophies which are concerned with the issue of Gender difference, advocate However, in the 1960s the mini had been regarded as a symbol of liberation, and it was worn by some, such as Germaine Greer and, in the following decade, Gloria Steinem [2], who became known for their promotion of women's issues. Germaine Greer (born 29 January 1939 is an Australian born Writer, Academic, Journalist and Scholar of early modern English literature Gloria Marie Steinem (born March 25, 1934) is an American feminist icon Journalist and women's rights advocate Greer herself wrote in 1969 that:

The women kept on dancing while their long skirts crept up, and their girdles dissolved, and their nipples burst through like hyacinth tips and their clothes withered away to the mere wisps and ghosts of draperies to adorn and glorify . Year 1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. This article is about the item of clothing In the Scots language, girdle refers to a cooking griddle. . . ^[5].

Indeed, miniskirts never entirely went away and, for example, were often worn by Deborah Harry, of the group Blondie, during the "new wave" of the late 70s. Deborah Ann "Debbie" Harry (born July 1 1945 is an American Singer-songwriter and Actress, most famous for being the lead singer for the Punk Blondie is an American rock band that first gained fame in the late 1970s and has so far sold over 60 million records The song (I Don't Want to Go to) Chelsea (1978) by new wave artist, Elvis Costello, contained the line, "There's no place here for the mini-skirt waddle". Year 1978 ( MCMLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar) Elvis Costello (born Declan Patrick MacManus 25 August 1954 is an English Musician and Singer-songwriter, with Irish ancestry

1980s and 90s

In the 1980s, short skirts began to re-emerge, notably in the form of "rah-rahs", which were modeled on those worn by female cheerleaders at sporting and other events. The 1980s was the decade spanning from January 1 1980 to December 31 1989. The rah-rah (or ra-ra) skirt was a short flounced skirt that became popular in about 1982 and remained fashionable mostly among teenage girls for several years In the mid-80s the "puffball" skirt enjoyed short term popularity, being worn by, among others, the Princess of Wales and singers Pepsi and Shirlie. Pepsi & Shirlie were a British pop duo who released two Albums All Right Now, in 1987 and Changes in 1991 ^[6] Many women began to incorporate the miniskirt into their business attire, a trend which grew during the remainder of the century. Films and television series made in the mid-1990s (Friends, Sex and the City, Ally McBeal, for example) show how ubiquitous the mini had become again. The 1990s collectively refers to the years between and including 1990 and 1999 Friends was an Sex and the City was an American Cable television program The original run of the show was broadcast on HBO from 1998 until 2004 for a Ally McBeal is an American Television series which ran on the FOX network from 1997 to 2002 In the BBC TV series Keeping Up Appearances (1990-5) the snobbish Hyacinth Bucket was frequently outraged by the brevity of her sister Rose's skirts. Keeping Up Appearances is a British sitcom starring Patricia Routledge as eccentric social-climbing snob Hyacinth Bucket. Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar) Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995 Hyacinth Bucket, who insists her last name is pronounced "Bouquet" is the Main character in the BBC sitcom Keeping Up Appearances Rose is a Fictional character in the British sitcom Keeping Up Appearances.

21st century

Around the turn of the 21st century, hipster trousers became highly fashionable for women. The 21st century is the current century of the Christian Era or Common Era in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. Low-rise jeans, worn by both men and women are Jeans intended to sit low on or below the hips. The micro mini has been reworked as an even less substantial beltskirt, which is more an evocation of the idea of a skirt than something that covers anything substantial. A microskirt is an extremely short Skirt which is longer than a belt but shorter than a Miniskirt, and less than 8 inches (20 cm in length It may perhaps also provide rhythm for the hipline. Due to its revealing nature, the beltskirt is rarely worn in public. Miniskirts are also seen worn over trousers or jeans, or with leggings that provide coverage of each leg from above the knee. Jeans are Trousers made from Denim. Mainly designed for work, they became popular among Teenagers starting in the 1950s. Leggings are any of several sorts of fitted Clothing to cover the legs Although "floaty" skirts were most closely associated with the boho look of mid-decade, short skirts also featured in some outfits and in London, for example, minis were more widespread during the hot summer of 2006 than for several years, a trend that continued through the mild autumn and winter and into the following summer. Boho-chic is a style of female Fashion drawing on various bohemian and Hippie influences that at its height in 2004-5 was associated particularly with Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar.

Notes

Further reading

• Quant, Mary (1996). Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar) Year 1980 ( MCMLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar) Oz was first published as a satirical humour magazine between 1963&ndash69 in Sydney, Australia and in its second and more famous incarnation became Mary Quant OBE FCSD (born 11 February 1934 in Blackheath, London, England) is an English Quant by Quant. London: Cassell.  

External links

• 1960s Fashion Feature, including biographies, interviews, clothing and resources. Victoria and Albert Museum. The Victoria and Albert Museum (often abbreviated as the V&A) in London is the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design housing a permanent collection