The evolution of fashion and especially of women’s clothing, has had a significant boom in recent decades, however, in other times the changes were not so notable, due to the degree of hermeticism and how conservative societies were. However, in the last century, around the 1920s, young women were characterized by being more sexually free than previous generations, which is why they were allowed to go out with their boyfriends without parental accompaniment, even kissing several men before If they married, they could also choose their future husband.
But despite these advances, they continued with the taboo that imposed on them the risk of getting pregnant without having married, which was considered a social failure, for which they were often singled out, and for which they had to fight to change this way of thinking in different cultures, especially in Latin America, which until recently was considered a serious offense that filled the family with shame.
But, beyond these social and cultural customs, in the 1920s the winds of change were already appearing, giving rise to a resemblance to a youth culture that began to express their thoughts and ideas, their tastes and preferences, for example, in the form of dress, and thus the first short skirts appeared, but they had not yet become miniskirts as we normally know them.
These famous miniskirts emerged in the prodigious decade of the 1960s, when in addition to the world famous «Beatles», the arrival of man on the Moon, the miniskirt arrived to stay until today, quickly becoming one of the icons with the greatest global impact of The time.
In this way, the miniskirt represented an extraordinary social phenomenon, causing a great impact through the ways of expression of young people, who began to impose their own lifestyle and of course dressing, they wanted to look free, carefree, happy and fresh, and found in outfits like the miniskirt that opportunity to express themselves, starting the sexual liberation movement, which in turn brought with it the invention of the contraceptive pill.
But, you may wonder who created such a famous garment. Well, the author of this social phenomenon was the British fashion designer Mary Quant, who, according to her own words, was inspired by the 1965 Mini car, first making it be seen as a provocation, to later become a worldwide trend. .
It all started when Mary Quant herself fixed the dresses that her cousins gave her, but when she was about 20 years old she received an inheritance, which allowed her to set up her own boutique, in which she dedicated herself to buying various fabrics, designing and sewing her clothes. , having a resounding success with their increasingly shorter models, which inspired many girls of the time.
This first boutique, which Mary Quant called «Bazaar” was located on Kong’s Road in London, and through it he was able to create and market this garment, but also managed to promote an archetype of a young and slim woman, creating designs for patterned tights, elephant-leg pants, colored tights, ribbed and tight sweaters, as well as high boots above the knees, often expressing «A woman is as young as her knee», which she demonstrated with the creation of this garment that cannot be missing in the closet of any modern woman, since it is a symbol of youth and sensuality.
It should be noted that the miniskirt was originally about 35 centimeters long, being initially a source of controversy and debate, to the point that a group of conservatives wanted to ban it because they considered it provocative and immoral, however, these attempts obviously failed, more could the youthful fervor and desire for freedom of a woman who has fought for her rights over time.
However, it is convenient to mention what Mary Quant expressed about the creation of the miniskirt, since according to her own words «it was the girls in the street who invented the miniskirt». Those girls who were her clients from the London neighborhood «Chelsea», and who little by little were asking her to shorten her clothes even more.
In 1963, while the «Beatles» were launching their second single entitled «Please, Please-Me» on the music market, Vogue Magazine published some of Mary Quant’s short dresses. A short time later, specifically on July 10, 1964, designer Mary Quant launched her spring-summer collection where the main character was that famous garment called «miniskirt», which kept the public expectant and eager to see the runway that would revolutionize the world. of fashion
This is how the miniskirt became present in everyday life, after appearing for the first time on television, in the beautiful body of a British presenter Cathy Mc Gowan, who was a little over 20 years old and hosted a musical program. for teenagers, who captivated them with their miniskirts that quickly began to be imitated by most of the girls of the time.
In this way, the miniskirt came to revolutionize the world of fashion, and went much further, it set the tone for the social changes of the time, because it represented the need for change, provocation, freedom, and the way of women express themselves against the submissive and obedient role that society had assigned them until now.
Mary Quant’s career made her the winner of the fashion award in the United States, Despite the fact that it had strong detractors such as Coco Chanel, who argued that the knees should not be exhibited, but that did not help, a social phenomenon was taking place that crossed borders, and by the mid-sixties, the number of famous women who they wore, which accelerated the rise of miniskirts, which were sold worldwide.
Almost immediately, this small garment began to be seen in the cinema, where for the first time the image of a woman in a miniskirt was shown, in the projection of the “Forbidden Planet” from director Fred M. Wilcox, which became famous thanks to the mini skirt worn by the main actress, who was the first actress to wear this garment on the big screen and therefore was censored in several countries for being considered immoral. In this way, the liberation of women in clothing began, marking an era that changed women forever.
However the boom The trend of the miniskirt quickly spread when supermodel Twiggy, buxom Bridgitte Bardot, and Nancy Sinatra, wife of famous singer Frank Sinatra, joined the miniskirt trend.
Likewise, Jacqueline Kennedy in 1966, being the first lady of the United States at the time, dared to use it in discreet lengths and integrated in the form of dresses and formal suits, which contributed to its beginning to be seen as a beautiful and suitable garment for women. attend certain social events, and diminish the conception that was had at the beginning by the most conservative.
At the present time the mini skirt is, without a doubt, a essential element in the wardrobe for any woman, of any age, longer or shorter, in bright or neutral colors, in leather or cotton, they continue to be an icon of freedom for which many women fought so that we can express ourselves freely today.
According to a recent study carried out by the British department store Debenhams, women like to wear miniskirts up to the age of 40, while in 1980 women stopped wearing them after the age of 33, so it is observed the significant change in the lifestyles of modern women, who even older can look splendid with a miniskirt, also remembering that fashion is a matter of attitude, proof of this is represented by some beautiful and famous women who despite spending The 40-year-olds look wonderful in their sexy outfits that highlight their curves.
For example, we have the Colombian Sofía Vergara, who has one of the best bodies in the world of entertainment and made it clear a couple of days ago, when she published an image on her Instagram account where she appears in a black miniskirt, obtaining more than 200 thousand “Like” by his followers. Also, the singer JEnnifer López, showed off her fabulous body and her beautiful legs wearing a miniskirt, which she posted on Instagram, exceeding 800 thousand «Like».
But, not everything is rosy, and it could be thought that the detractors of the miniskirt disappeared completely, however we can cite several cases of censorship of this famous garment in the current era, which seems to take us to past times. For example, In 2009, a tourism student named Geysi Villa Nova Arruda was expelled from a university in Sao Paulo for wearing very short miniskirts, which according to her detractors were too provocative and inappropriate for attending university.
In 2010, Castellammare di Stabia, Mayor of an Italian seaside resort, ordered the police to fine anyone who wore a «too short» miniskirt, while in February of the same year, more than 200 women protested in the streets of the city. capital of Uganda, against the new anti-pornography legislation, which was titled by the local media as the «Miniskirt Law», which prohibited women from showing their thighs, breasts, buttocks and dressing in an indecent way to provoke sexually, according to the creators of this law.
This is how, between defenders and detractors, the famous miniskirt has already existed for more than 50 years, and although it continues to cause some controversy, it is more present than ever in the lifestyle of modern women, and most of them have at least one of them in his wardrobe.