We lost the fashion designer Mary Quant in the past months, who is mentioned as the creator of the mini skirt in many sources. On this occasion, let’s remember a little about the history of the mini skirt, which has been an important part of women’s clothing and fashion, has taken sides with feminist ideas, and has been subjected to various pressures from time to time in some places.
As the 60s begin, it started after the end of World War II. The crowded babyboomer generation; they were growing rapidly and dreaming of a very free, comfortable world where personal expression was at the forefront, different from that of their parents who had experienced all the pain, famine and horror of war, and they lived accordingly. At the same time, the space races were going on between the USA and Russia, and the strange outfits of spaceships, astronauts and astronomers were a source of great excitement and futuristic inspiration. Gravity environment, spaceship ideas; her body, her ability to move, and her function played a role in overcoming conventional aesthetics.
Nylon entered the textile industry seriously and revolutionary changes emerged with it. Stockings became seamless, pantyhose and the need for garters disappeared, so that more parts of the leg could be shown. was on the shelves.
The first birth control pills were also launched. All these heartbreaking developments and the second wave feminism movement had triggered sexual freedom badly. With these developments, women felt more free, self-confident and comfortable than ever before.
What would happen if a mini skirt was not born in such an environment?
At that time, London was home to many boutiques run by young designers, where free-thinking, free and uniquely dressed young people shop and spend a lot of time. One of them was Mary Quant’s boutique. Here, the mini skirt was born as a child of such an environment, of course, as a daring piece of baby. Some sources also say that while Mary Quant was making great designs in London, Paris was never empty. For example, a very interesting minded fashion designer named Andre Courrage was preparing minimalist, stylish and futuristic collections by combining simple lines, high fabric and sewing quality and superior tailoring, including miniskirts. So the question of who created the mini-skirt may not be that simple, because these exciting developments were affecting and making many people think at the same time, everywhere. Maybe Adre Courrage introduced the miniskirt before Mary Quant. It is clear from the sources that this issue had preoccupied the fashion worlds of London and Paris, but “whose idea is the miniskirt?” The best answer to his question was again from Mary Quant; “The real owner of the mini skirt is the women who wear it.”
Since its debut, the mini skirt has been an encouraging, stimulating, courageous piece for many young girls and women, perhaps a little self-confidence when they wear it, and it is definitely still one of the biggest revolutions in women’s clothing.
