Mini Skirt Matriarch: Mary Quant

Issue 3

20 Nov

The fashion of the mid-1960s is a time capsule reminiscent of a rising revolution; young people wore progressively more revealing clothing while womenswear became more expressive. How did this change take off? The mini-skirt and, the matriarch herself, Dame Mary Quant.

Amongst a chaotic climate, the miniskirt provoked many thoughts; How would a lady sit down without provoking her male counterparts, and the “biggest [worry] of all…the ogling eye of the male and the disapproving eye of the girls who [didn’t] wear [them]”.

This controversy is enough to suggest the provocative turbulence of raised hemlines.

As a 16-year-old, I was becoming increasingly interested in the women who came before me. I had a yearning to learn more about feminism, and so learned about the impact of the Second Wave Feminists. I chose to complete a historical study on Quant. While not a traditional Second Wave Feminist, her impact seems unavoidable. This led me down a rabbit hole of the MOD style's impact. This was when a 16-year-old me questioned whether, if not for Quant and the progressive youth culture of the 60s, would my choice of fashion as a woman still be heavily restrained?

To understand the impact, we must revisit the post-war era. Both World Wars and their aftermath had an undeniable influence on mainstream fashion. After utility clothing dominated, Christian Dior’s ‘New Look’ became the quintessential style of this era. It incorporated full, pleated skirts; expressive of femininity in a modest, conservative fashion. Some women argued against its blatant femininity, believing it represented a backward evolution for women and a symbolic step back into the household. To put it bluntly: a representation of sexuality.

So, how did Western fashion shift from the ‘New Look’ to something as provocative and controversial as miniskirts in such a short period of time? Well, this was not any era, this was the Swingin’ Sixties. Amidst a climate of Cold War and Sexual Revolution, youth culture had something to say, and so required a uniform representing their beliefs. MOD culture perfectly embodied this; playful and youthful, they often paired colourful tights with Go-go boots, Mary Janes or flats and boxy, square tops. For men, suits were common, reminiscent of eras surpassing their parents. They rocked outfits which resembled school uniforms, further embodying their youthfulness. Nonetheless, they revamped childish attire with bold colours, while adopting fashions from the bygone era and mixing them with individuals’ unique vitality.

This dramatic shift is symbolic of changing mindsets, displaying a discourse of revolution without uttering a single word.

Quant knew the youth wanted a break from history and a distinct life from their conservative parents, for women especially. In 1960, the contraceptive pill was first released. In the United Kingdom it only became available from 1961 for married women, lasting until 1967. Alongside this, Second Wave feminism was spreading. Now, women fought for more than just the right to vote, they provoked discussion about the patriarchy, the nature of gender and the structured family. Whilst discussing the mini-skirt, Second Wave feminism is a distinct element to its foundation, and however you argue, the mini-skirt has deep-rooted connotations of an era which involved insatiable struggle for female liberation.

Quant’s boutique Bazaar pioneered a new flair, one that offered an alternative to the mature styles in production. Her aesthetic was revolutionary, although it did not develop from thin air. Rather, the surrounding youth culture of London in the late 50s and early 60s played a crucial role. From musicians, dancers, Beatniks and of course the rising Modernists, or MODs. They have come to define the mid-60s teenager from England by embodying what much of the youth stood for. Forming a unique identity inherently synonymous with the period: artistic, eccentric, norm-breaking, and rule-bending.

Just like the art movement, Modernism challenged traditional notions of perspective through abstract, geometric representations and depictions. Moreover, it was closely linked to Op art and expressions through optical illusions, after all, a reminder that there’s more than meets the eye. Both movements prompted independence in emotion and intelligence, and acknowledged the ‘New Look’ was unsuitable for the modern woman; how could this restricting style be fitting for a woman at work who moved around freely? As Pete Meaden, publicist and manager for iconic 60s MOD band The Who stated, it perfectly represented the desire for “clean living under difficult circumstances”.

MOD’s artistic attitude and comfortability speaks volumes about the wider culture. The style speaks of a whole generation while exuding notions of the cultural climate. Like an art movement, it was the counterculture, but it stands as one which reflected mainstream ideals and has impacted future generations immensely. MOD was more than a trend, a fad, nor simply a uniform for a movement during a moment in history.

Quant pioneered this fashion alongside others, but most importantly it was the youth culture who accelerated this process. They gave the designer the inspiration, the drive and the groove to flaunt it from Carnaby Street to the rest of the Western World. The history lesson of this article is the same lesson the mini skirt tells. We ought to pay our dues to the women, the MODs, and of course our mini-skirt matriarch. After all, it’s because of them we can rock a mini, and so we shall.

Dame Mary Quant 11 Feb 1930 – 13 April 2023.