Mary Quant and the mini-skirt

Mary Quant studied Illustration at Goldsmith's college before opening a store called Bazaar in 1955, one of the first boutiques in London.  Her boutique quickly became the place to be for the "Chelsea Set", a group of young models, artists and trendsetters who were prominently featured in newspapers and gossip columns.  

Quant rejected the fashion norms, producing up to 28 collections a year instead of seasonally.  She used simple, practical designs which could be mixed and matched to complete the Chelsea look.  

In the late 50's and early 60's London was coming out of post war rationing, meaning people were not used to having lots of clothing.  They now wanted to celebrate their freedom and had began to frivolously purchase, making it the perfect time for designers to make new fashion innovations. 

Designers had more free reign over their creations; Mary Quant took advantage of this by creating clothing specifically for teenagers.  Some of her designs included knee high boots, jumpers, colourful patterned tights and of course the Mini skirt.

Quant created the Mini, (which is named after the car) because she found it to be both liberating and practical, perfect for the teenage youth in the 60's.  It allowed movement and was created so women could run for the bus and enter and exit vehicles.

Reflection:

Mary Quant may have popularized a piece of clothing, but what it represents is much more than just a fashion trend.  The Mini-skirt became a symbol of rebellion for the young against old in the 1960's as well as an image of female revolution.  The young women of Britain rejected the beliefs of their parents and broke free, controlling their own body image.  

In the 1920's the flappers began the feminist movement, and were finally able to vote but women remained restricted and not "allowed" to show certain body parts, such as their arms and legs. 

In the 1960's the Mini freed women, asserting their right to show their bodies and shifting the image of women from wife and mother to a young, free and single girl.  The mini skirt not only liberated women physically but socially, economically and politically becoming a form of social revolution which took Britain and North American by storm.

Sources:


http://www.icons.org.uk/theicons/collection/miniskirt/features/mary-quant-in-progress


http://www.mookychick.co.uk/style/history-of-the-miniskirt.php