Mini, Midi, and Maxi dresses need to make a comeback

When I was in the 8th grade from 1971-1972 fashion was at its all time best. There were 3 distinct styles that girls could choose from and believe me we did. During those days most young ladies enjoyed dressing up for school and rarely wore pants.We were fashionable whether we wore mini. midi or maxi dresses and skirts or coats and I loved watching each day to see who was wearing what. I believe these 3 fashion trends should make a comeback for women who desire to be bold and feminine without being tied down to one look.

Mini

The mini skirt was a gradual evolution with fashion designers increasing the amount of leg that was shown over a period of time, even so the creation of the miniskirt has been attributed to Mary Quant. The above the knee look became the most era-defining look of the 1960s. It was 1966 when the shorter skirts or micro mini became popular. The trend for rising hemlines was mostly influenced by an emerging street style out of London. The mini represented a shift from cultural norms regarding clothing and was seen by some as a form of rebellion.

Along with shorter dresses and skirts came coats that complemented the mini style. I recall having two mini coats in the 8th grade. One was a green faux fur that came just above my knees. The second was a multicolored rabbit fur coat that my dad sent me fro New York. Should mini skirts return as a fashion statement we simply must have the shorter length coats as well if we truyl desire a retro image.

Midi

My favorite retro style is the midi skirt. It falls just below the knee and its name comes from the fact that it is mid-way between the knee and the ankle. I always believed the midi looks much better with boots than the mini skirt.. The midi style came about in the 1940s, which was a fashion decade known for its grace and elegance. John Burr Fairchild the boss of Women's Wear Daily and the head of Fairchild Publications declared that 1970 would become the year of the midi.

A poll that same year by New York's Daily News reported that 83% of their readers disagreed and indicated they were wearing skirts above the knee in sheer defiance of the midi supposedly being the most fashionable trend. In June of 1970, Bonwit Teller, a high-end department store revealed that 95% of its fall fashion collection would be midi-length. n order to boost sales, the store’s president announced that all salesgirls would be required to wear only midi skirts while they were working. The midi caught on but mini skirts did not go anywhere. In fact, they were given stiff competition by the third fashion trend of the early 1970s the maxi style

Maxi

Maxi skirts were full length right down to the ankle. I recall that a lot of girls wore this style during my 8th grade year. Most maxi designs had a flair and were very much like what you saw in the movie Forrest Gump during Woodstock. The first maxi dress appeared in 1967 on the runways and the style immediately caught on. It was adopted by the mainstream toward the end of the era,(1967, 68, and 69) when psychedelic patterns were trending.

My mother bought me a maxi coat for Christmas in 1975 and it was a stark contrast to the short skirts and dress that I was wearing. I don't believe I owned more than two maxi skirts but the coat really felt good during the cold winter months. The reason I believe that mini, midi, and maxi should return as fashion statements is because of the versatility of owing items in all 3 styles.

I recall school girls wearing mini coats with maxi skirts and visa versa. The midi skirt and coat both really complemented each other. I also believe that younger generations of girls and women of all ages should be able to enjoy these fashions simultaneously as we did in the early 1970s rather than their coming out one at a time years apart.

These 3 styles elicit memories of decades past and the days of flower power, The Brady Bunch, the Partridge Family, peace signs, and Love American Style. Women did not look like cookie cutters because there were so many fashions to choose from and today's females should be able to enjoy the experience. This is why these methods of dress should be reintroduced to the modern world.