The shortest skirt in history, the mini was designed for a new consumer: the teenage girl. Like never before, young people had spare time and money to shop for clothing.
As baby boomers grew into adolescence, a seismic shift dubbed “Youthquake” struck, bringing lifestyles that set teens apart from adults. Short hemlines, bold colors, and fun prints entered teen fashion. Styles like the miniskirt represented youth and independence.
Mother of the Mini
Young women wearing minis like this one shook the status quo brandishing their youth, independence.
Mary Quant popularized the style. At just 21, Quant opened shop, selling fast-changing, street-inspired styles inexpensively to London’s youth in the 1960s. Part of the “British Invasion” that brought us the Beatles, her minis traveled across the Atlantic and into Americans’ closets – and Barbie’s.