Mini skirt made a real revolution in the world. It has become not just clothing, a wardrobe item, but also a public thing of several generations. Mini skirts did not leave anyone indifferent. Women of all ages must keep themselves in shape, and men simply lose control. What is the history of creating a mini skirt? And what role does she play in modern fashion? What is the secret of such popularity of "a thing that requires no more tissue for sewing than for a handkerchief"?
There are two stories of creating a mini skirt. The first story is more popular, it is called English. According to this version, the creator of the mini-skirt is the Englishwoman Mary Kuant. Tell a story. Mary came one day to visit her friend Linda Quasen. That at the time of the arrival of the milliner was engaged in cleaning the apartment. The sight of a friend struck Mary. After all, she shortened the old skirt to an indecent for those times, so that the skirt did not interfere with cleaning, did not constrain movement. And a week later, Quant was selling new skirts in her Bazaar store. And surprisingly, this bold outfit interested not only teenagers and young girls, but also women of the older generation.
The second version gives primacy in the creation of a mini-skirt to the French fashion designer André Courreges. Back in 1961, his fashion collection was attended by a mini. But the Frenchman was not so smart as the Englishwoman Mary Kuant. He did not think it was necessary to patent his invention. And later on many times he admitted that he regrets about it. After all, all the commercial benefits of his idea was received by an English modistka.
The most interesting thing in this story is that Mary Quant has never recognized herself as the author of a mini-skirt. She said that it was not she who invented the mini, and not even her friend Linda Quaisen. This is the idea of ordinary girls from the street. And with these words it is difficult not to agree. In the early sixties of the last century, the idea of a mini-skirt was practically in the air, it just had to be picked up and put into practice, which Kuant had done with success.
But back to the history of creating a mini-skirt, or rather, to her victorious procession around the world. Conquest began with Great Britain. In 1963 in London, the first full-fledged collection of Mary Kuant was presented. And this collection caused a shock among the townsfolk. Even the English Sunday Times did not miss this event, but went into circulation with a photo of the model in a mini-skirt on the first page. New style of clothing began to be called "Style London". He quickly descended from the fashion stage to the streets of the city. Mini skirt was able to erase the line between high and street fashion. Even ladies from high society did not consider it beneath their dignity to wear this object of "folk", street clothes.
In America, a mini skirt came only two years later. Mary Quant arranged a mini collection in New York. But the show did not end with a demonstration on the podium. Models in podium dresses made a casual walk on Broadway. The story tells that during the street show the movement was paralyzed for many hours. In the evening, all American television channels broadcast this landmark walk. But officially the mini-skirt was recognized a year later. Only after the widow of Kennedy Jacqueline Onassis appeared in public in the mini. Jacqueline was an American style icon of the sixties. Her chiseled figure, slim legs mini skirt suited as anyone.
Fashion for mini-skirts was able to do something unimaginable. To the new trends, even those people who by status should not pay attention to fashion began to look closely. So in 1966 the world was struck, the Queen of Great Britain Elizabeth II began to appear before the public in truncated skirts. The attention of the royal person to the world of fashion was not limited to changing the wardrobe. In the same year, Mary Quant was declared a woman of the year and rewarded with the Order of the British Empire for the development of light industry and increased exports. But there is a more piquant version of receiving awards. Due to the fact that mini-skirts have won such popularity, in England the birth rate has significantly increased.
The history of creating a mini-skirt influenced the ideals of beauty. Now the models were presented with completely different requirements. They had to be very slender, with long, perfectly even legs. The idol of tens of thousands of young girls was the Englishwoman Lassie Horby, known by the nickname Twiggy, which means a branch, a stalk. Her height was 167 cm, she weighed at that 43 kg. The parameters 80-55-80 became classical. Twiggy was named the face of 1966. A model of makeup were huge eyes with false eyelashes, surrounded by dark shadows. A real madness called Twiggy lasted three years. She was the envy of even famous Hollywood actresses.
The peak of mini skirt popularity reached in 1967. It was adopted even by feminists. They claimed that it was the mini capable of freeing women from prejudice, liberating them. And the designers even more shortened the already short skirt, turning it into ultramini.
In one row, along with the invention of a bikini, women's pants, kapron pantyhose and jeans, you can put the story of making a mini-skirt. But only mini managed to bring to the world so much beauty, becoming the subject of a wardrobe for all women.