Mary Quant is dead. In the picture the Guardian used for the article about her death she looks so fucking modern. My Great Aunt Joyce once told me that you buy clothes that last and then accessories that are fashionable but honestly I did not know quite how much truly stylish people do that – or maybe how much my notion of ‘modern’ was born in the sixties? I like the simple joy of what she’s wearing, of what she designed, of how that photo looks as if she could be in any decade from the sixties to today – for today just make that watch a smart watch. Ok, maybe the ring gives it away, but the hair cut, everything else, it could be yesterday.
I only have one dress that I really think fits the idea of mini – by that I mean one that I have to think about what knickers I’m wearing with it. I bought it for a date last year in Swansea. It might have been sold to be a long top but I knew what I was aiming for when I bought it. Mostly I do wear it with shorts underneath it but a few times I’ve gone with just knickers or tights and I do look pretty sixties in it but I feel really risque – in a good way, I love showing off my legs and butt. I especially love showing off my legs since the tattooes.
On some level it kind of amazes me how much I feel like a proper miniskirt is shocking, like I have to think about what knickers to wear with this thing. I find it empowering, not everybody does. But it’s about choice isn’t it, it’s about choice and daring to believe that I get to show off my knickers if I want to. And it’s bright yellow, I love to wear bright colours and that’s absolutely Mary Quant’s preference, bright and lively colours, short skirts ith patterned and colourful tights – I never knew it but when I was working out my personal style as a teenager I was harking back to the sixties albeit via the nineties and realistically speaking Melissa Joan Hart.
I am not a clothes horse, my taste is suspect, but I do love fashion, I do love the artistic self-expression of clothes and I love the fact that this woman, this designer has shaped throughout my entire life my idea of what looks good and what I adore to wear.
Rest in Peace you amazing human with an excellent eye. I love your sense of colour and style. Thankyou for your impact on my life.
