Dresses to Impress: the A-Z of fabulous frocks and gorgeous gowns...M is for the mini

Today's post is in honour of  the 'mini' dress. A short skirted dress which burst onto the fashion scene in the 1960s when iconic British fashion designer Mary Quant sold them from her boutique in London's Kings Road.

 Mini dresses were much much shorter than had been available previously and became a defining fashion statement of the 1960s. Designers of the day; Yves St. Laurent, Andre Courreges and Colin Rolfe all created sensations with their mini dress and mini skirt designs of the first half of the decade. Neatly coinciding with the feminist movement of the sixties and the beginnings of women's liberation, the mini skirt was iconic of sexual freedom, choices and equality.

Mini dresses today come in all shapes and sizes ranging from the original 60s shift styles through to hipster 'belt' skirts. Some stores even stock the same fabric in a variety of lengths of skirt so you can choose which is most suited to you!

When worn with tights, leggings or over trousers the mini loses some of its earlier 'shock' value and is now a mainstream fashion item. But in it's day, the mini coincided with the arrival of a new youth culture in Britain where heroes were pop stars, sports and TV stars and a place where what you saw on television was what you wanted to own. It was the era of disposable income and the beginnings of fast fashion in London. Pop Culture was now defined by what you wore no longer what was listened to. A decade of vast shifts in the ethics, morals and understanding of society and a great decade for fashion!

Let's have a look at what vintage 60s mini dress styles Redressing has to offer this month....

Size 12 Vintage 60s style mini dress

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Size 12 Blue sateen leopard print dress 

 

 

Size 12-14 Red Herring Tunic 60s style dress