It was the year 1960 and the world was to experience a lot of changes among them the introduction of the Mini Dress, which was said to be launched at the same time as the birth control pill was introduced. The introduction of the birth control pill is said to have brought on the sexual liberation of women and free love became a reality. Because of the sexual liberation of women and the free love that followed, the mini skirt became popular, not only for young teenage girls, but also for young mothers and even grandmothers who were adventurous enough to wear them.
Mary Quaint who by 1966, was producing short mini dresses and skirts for her boutique bazaar, from an idea she adapted from the 1964 designs of designer “Courreges”, is credited in part for the popularity of the mini dress and skirt, which did not become popular when it was first introduced earlier on. It became popular because it was quite different and was basically designed with young teenage girls in mind, but because of its popularity soon became the height of fashion with old and young alike.
With the shortening of hemlines, emphasis was placed on the legs and stockings became important and soon there were different colors and fashions, like fish net stocking, and so Ernestine Carter declared 1963 the year of the legs. In that same year the British Society for the Preservation of the Mini Skirt was formed, and boasted of some 450 mini skirts enthusiasts, who claimed that their society was for the good of mankind. In 1996 when Christian Dior was about to launch their new fashion of long coats and dresses the society protested, carrying banners that said” Mini Skirts Forever” and “Support the Mini”.
In 1967 the mini robe noire and skirt started turning into a micro mini with hemlines reaching as far as their bottom. These micro dresses and skirts were basically just a strip of material and because it was so short it was necessary to replace the stockings and suspenders that were usually used with the introduction of the pantyhose. Finally the 1960s which is affectionately remembered as the “Swinging Sixties” has brought a lot of changes with regards to the way women were looked upon and has made its mark in history with these changes in women dress hemlines and with the introduction of the birth control pill and the free love spirit that came about due to these changes.