Piece On The Mini

The Mini…introduced to us in 1965 by one of the style pioneers of London, Mary Quant represented liberation and practicality.

Named after the Mini, Quant's favourite car, the skirt showcases empowerment, as teenage girls were becoming a part of society and they were representing that they were independent, mature and not scared to make a statement to the political landscape.

With an attempt to cover, yet reveal and to represent playfulness it fast became a dedicated piece to the teenagers wardrobe and all of a sudden a new youth had been born, it was no longer just children and adults, there was now a new market to be aimed at, teenagers. 

Andre Courreges, a French designer, made a minimalistic dress that scandalously fell above the knee in 1964 and therefore the argument that he was the designer of the mini began but after it was settled that Quant designed it for Britain, Courreges designed it for France and in order to make it acceptable to French haute couture he started to design them in a way that steered away from the teenage style of short and fitted to a more mature and sophisticated mini that seemed a suitable way to introduce the very shocked French fashionistas. 

However, the skirt also represented vulnerability as later into the 90's they were associated with prostitutes who had a desire to please through exploitation of their bodies but it wasn't long before they hit the fashion scene again.

Through from 1990 to 2012 the mini has been seen as a staple wardrobe piece for the summer, whether it was being shown on the catwalk or not.

Going through the stages of the mini, they have been made in silk, chiffon, wool, denim, leather, suede, cotton and perspex and it is seen that this is the reason for the mini to have had such an extensive success rate.

Now, in 2013, it has been seen that Balenciaga's catwalks for their Spring/Summer '13 collection consisted of ruffled asymmetric skirts, peplum bodices, trouser suits and of course the unmistakable mini, in a flirty tweed that comes to be known as the 'mini-suit'.

Will this do for class?

Tell me what you think!

Little English