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1965's Fashion Creation Is Still A Wardrobe Mainstay

Okay – we as transgendered women are known for our Great Legs! Whether you’re a crossdresser, transsexual or drag queen, you don’t inherently have a cellulite problem that most genetic women have. So whether you go au natural, or slip on a pair of pantyhose, nylons, or tights, our legs can make a Miniskirt shine!

Nowadays the miniskirt can be constructed in a multitude of fabrics and a wide variety of styles. Cotton, Spandex, Leather, Lace, Suede, Vinyl, Latex… you name it! Shimmery soft to rigid in form; from almost knee length to micro in size.

But where, to wear, a miniskirt? I asked TG LIFE’s self proclaimed Fashionista, Vivian Blaine, to add her thoughts on the subject.

“The Miniskirt is truly a fashion staple, but also a possible faux pas for many a TG maiden. Yes, this simple short garment will make your legs look fabulous, but only if you accessorize correctly! No skimpy tube tops to go with it unless you have a washboard stomach! And I mean “Do Your Sit-ups Girls!” Even Britney is having problems with that these days! And carefully observe how you sit (legs crossed, of course) on a chair or stool, let alone departing from an automobile. Lest we mention Britney again! Also dress appropriately for the location, and the situation. Malls… no. Clubs… yes! Formal gatherings… forget it!”

Thanks Vivian, I think we all get the picture now.

So how did miniskirts come about? Way back in the 1960’s (almost when dinosaurs ruled the earth), the modestly short, common fabric dress called the miniskirt was scandalous! It had never been seen before.

Before the British Music invasion of the 1960’s, Mary Quant, ran a popular clothes shop in Kings Road, Chelsea, London, called Bazaar, from which she sold her own designs. In the late 1950s she began experimenting with shorter skirts. As England’s Carnaby Street clothing became all the rage, her designs resulted in the miniskirt in 1965—one of the defining fashions of the decade.

With Mary Quant located in the heart of fashionable "Swinging London", the miniskirt was able to spread beyond a simple street fashion into a major international trend at an incredible speed. It was first sensationalized when model Jean Shrimpton wore a short white shift dress, made by Colin Rolfe, on October 30th, 1965 at Derby Day, the first day of the annual Melbourne Cup Carnival in Australia. Heads turned and cameras focused!

The miniskirt was further popularized by André Courrèges, who developed it separately, incorporating it into his Mod look, for spring/summer 1965. His miniskirts were less body hugging, and worn with white boots that became a trademark. By introducing the miniskirt into the haute couture of the fashion industry, Courrèges gave it a greater degree of respectability.

Tights and pantyhose became highly fashionable, in place of stockings, specifically because the rise in hemlines meant that stocking tops would be visible.

During the mid-1970s, the fashion industry largely returned to longer skirts such as the midi and the maxi, and the miniskirt seemed to almost disappear. According to journalist Christopher Booker, “there was almost nowhere else to go... the miniskirts could go no higher".

Even though miniskirts remained a minimal staple, especially with the New Wave crowd of the 1970’s, they began to re-emerge in the 1980’s. Many women began to incorporate the miniskirt into their business attire, a trend that grew during the remainder of the century. Films and television series made in the mid-1990s (Friends, Sex and the City, Ally McBeal, for example) show how important the mini had become again.

Today, the miniskirt holds a place in many wardrobes – especially for TG’s like us! So if your legs are shapely enough to show off, pull on a miniskirt! Styles and lengths come and go, but the miniskirt will never go out of style!