The mini skirt has been part of most women's wardrobes since the 1960's, although the concept began in the 1920's. Flirty, fun, and feminine, this skirt has earned it's way into our closets, both as a fashion statement and a sign of liberation. With it's countless cuts, materials, and colors, you are sure to find the mini skirt that's right for you. However, because of this fashion diversity, it's hard to tell just by looking which skirt will complement your figure. One skirt you see on a super model in Vogue may look awful on you, while another that looked unappealing might have a special charm to it once you've tried it on yourself. Understanding some of the fashion “do's and don'ts” of mini skirts, you'll be able to create your own flattering signature look.
When you go shopping for a mini skirt, you need to first assess the cut of the skirt. There are very tight ones, made from spandex, that were popular in the 1980s. These are only suitable for those us of gifted with extremely toned and shapely buns and thighs. Another cut is the “A-line” which is a plain-edged, not particularly tight fitting cut that first became popular during the 1960's and 1970's during the so-called “Women's Liberation Movement”. Happily, this style is suitable for most everyone, because the plain lines draw attention away from any leg imperfections.
Some may consider the A-line look too plain, so for this audience there is the ultra feminine silky mini skirt. This skirt has lots of layers of almost transparent silks and raffias, both of which have a pixie fairy-like quality to them. The interesting thing about this style is that it originated in the 1920s, when flapper styles were all the rage. The skirt was not actually above the knee, but was designed in such a way that when the flapper girl walked or danced, her knee and lower thigh were exposed. As you may imagine,the style was very avant garde for those times. Fringes at the hem were often part of this flapper style mini skirt.
These short skirts make excellent companions to shoes, because you can combine them with any heel height. A mini skirt paired with heels always makes your legs look longer, leaner, and more toned. Boots, too, look great with the mini skirt. This look is classic mini skirt, going back to the 1970's, when go-go dancing was popular.
You may think that mini skirts are only suitable for summer. However, this is just not the case. As the weather gets cooler, you may still like one particular skirt that was a summer favorite. Not to worry! Instead of letting it go to waste, why not get a pair of leggings? With leggings, you can wear these skirts at any time of the year. Worn with a long coat, you can be both warm and pretty!
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Mini Dress
In the world of fashion, styles come and go and then come back again. It may take decades, but you'll see them again. In fashion, designers do, after all, want to offer something new each year to tempt their customers to buy this new fashion. As cuts and styles vary from year to year, hemlines tend to stay more stable, remaining de rigeur for a number of years. Hemline trends tend to follow patterns describing what's going on on in the world. This is just what happened with the mini dress and skirt revolution of the early 1960's.
Economies were prospering, we were not yet at war in Vietnam and people were feeling pretty good about life. A young designer named Mary Quant, selling her fashions out of a small shop in the hip Chelsea district of London, put the mini dress and mini skirt on the international fashion map.
It's generally agreed that the mini dress and skirt began with Mary Quant's drawings of the short concept in the late 50's, and were first a fashion must as “street clothes” for the Chelsea hip crowd.
Whether it was an accident or by design, the mini was an instant hit, quickly spreading from London to all over the world.
There are a few other designers, including Andre Courreges, the haute couture French designer, who launched the mini dress and skirt look into the arena of public and international respectability. He associated his white thigh-high “Courreges boot” with his mini dress look thus gaining distinction in his particular take of the Mod statement.
When Diana Riggs showed up in mini dresses on the 1965 hit “The Avengers”, this popularized the mini dress even more, making the Mod fashion style an institution.
Supermodel Jean Shrimpton made headlines when she attended an Australian event wearing a short white mini dress. That and the fact that hat and gloves were not part of her ensemble nearly created a scandal in 1965 Australia.
The rule of thumb defines a mini dress or skirt as one whose hemline is at least seven inches above the knee. This being the case, it was not possible to wear the regular stockings and garters with the mini. Therefore, tights and pantyhose, often in exotic colors, patterns and embellishments became all the rage.
Popularity of the mini didn't start to fade until the mid 1970's, when the mid-calf and maxi lengths came (back) into style.
Now here we are in 2006, and the mini dress is once again being flaunted on the runways as a new hot fashion trend. If you're young and have got the legs for it, these are good looking clothes!
Economies were prospering, we were not yet at war in Vietnam and people were feeling pretty good about life. A young designer named Mary Quant, selling her fashions out of a small shop in the hip Chelsea district of London, put the mini dress and mini skirt on the international fashion map.
It's generally agreed that the mini dress and skirt began with Mary Quant's drawings of the short concept in the late 50's, and were first a fashion must as “street clothes” for the Chelsea hip crowd.
Whether it was an accident or by design, the mini was an instant hit, quickly spreading from London to all over the world.
There are a few other designers, including Andre Courreges, the haute couture French designer, who launched the mini dress and skirt look into the arena of public and international respectability. He associated his white thigh-high “Courreges boot” with his mini dress look thus gaining distinction in his particular take of the Mod statement.
When Diana Riggs showed up in mini dresses on the 1965 hit “The Avengers”, this popularized the mini dress even more, making the Mod fashion style an institution.
Supermodel Jean Shrimpton made headlines when she attended an Australian event wearing a short white mini dress. That and the fact that hat and gloves were not part of her ensemble nearly created a scandal in 1965 Australia.
The rule of thumb defines a mini dress or skirt as one whose hemline is at least seven inches above the knee. This being the case, it was not possible to wear the regular stockings and garters with the mini. Therefore, tights and pantyhose, often in exotic colors, patterns and embellishments became all the rage.
Popularity of the mini didn't start to fade until the mid 1970's, when the mid-calf and maxi lengths came (back) into style.
Now here we are in 2006, and the mini dress is once again being flaunted on the runways as a new hot fashion trend. If you're young and have got the legs for it, these are good looking clothes!
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