Vintage Fashion - The year of the mini, 1965

Yesterday I watched the rather wonderful "We'll take Manhattan", a 2012 movie which looked at the love affair between 1960s supermodel Jean Shrimpton and photographer David Bailey, played beautifully by Karen Gillan and Aneurin Barnard. Set in 1962, before the Beatles, the fashions were interesting, some fabulous (including a green Mary Quant dress) some horrible, but the movie was fabulous. I watched it with my teenage daughter and we both loved it - here's the trailer. 

1962 was before the mini-skirt took over the world.  By 1968 it was everywhere, and according to this article (3 February 1965, Australian Women's Weekly), it really began in 1964 - just like the Beatles. Mary Quant said she "only put one or two short skirts in my last collection, as I thought knee length just right...what happended? The girls hitched them up?" By 1965 minis were taking off....

Obviously the trend didn't really take hold in Melbourne, or with any one over 30, quite so soon. Later that year Jean Shrimpton caused a stir when she wore a mini to Derby Day, the major horse race before the Melbourne Cup.

Jean Shrimpton, 1965

The mini has been in and out of fashion ever since, and is set to be big again, fifty years after it's big break. Louis Vuitton's Spring/summer collection for 2015 has a 60s retro-futuristic look to it -

Louis Vuitton spring/summer 2015 collection

Mary Quant is turning 81 next week, I wonder what she thinks of this latest collection?

Mary Quant in her lab in Chelsea, London, measuring the length of a mini skirt, 1965

The hat event of the year

The Melbourne Cup was all about hats.
Ok, so it was about horses too, but mainly about hats. And fascinators - those things that do little to keep out the strong Australian sun.

The Winner, Green Moon, source

Tall ones.

Mischa Barton wearing a Philip Treacy Hat 

Sideways ones.

Rebecca Judd

Royal ones.

Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall 

And lots of flowers.

Entrants in the 2012 “Fashion on the Field” competition

Delta Goodrem ain a headpiece by Kerrie Stanley 

Big flowers were very popular.

Ann Kooy, fashion winner at Clifford Park on Cup Day.

And flowers with feathers. I think this one is my favourite.

Nicky Buckley 

Maybe next year I could get something like this large satellite hat by Patrica Keech. 

Patricia Keech via Etsy

It has a bit of a Victorian feel, like this hat worn by Grace la Rue in 1903, and would keep the sun out at least!

 Isn't she stunning?
A Victorian feel too with this hat worn by Margaret Woods  in 1962, winner of the first Melbourne Cup Carnival “Fashions on the Field” competition.

Margaret Wood 1962

In the days when hats were compulsory, along with gloves, stockings, and dresses that reached to the knees.  The days before Jean Shrimpton appeared at Derby Day stocking-less, gloveless and hatless in 1965.

Jean Shrimpton 1965

Jean's outfit scandalised the ultra-conservative Melbourne establishment, for whom the Spring Racing Carnival was the social and fashion event of the year, and she was the target of catcalls from men and jeers from women.  She says in her memoirs:

"The day of the races was a hot one, so I didn't bother to wear any stockings. My legs were still brown from the summer, and as the dress was short it was hardly formal. I had no hat or gloves with me, for the very good reason that I owned neither. I went downstairs cheerfully from my hotel room, all regardless of what was to come."

Jean said in a statement: "I think you should dress to please yourself," but admitting that she had been disciplined by her sponsors dressed more conservatively three days later for the cup, in a three-piece grey suit with an ice-blue straw Breton hat, beige gloves and stockings, and a chocolate-brown handbag. 

Shrimpton at the cup 1965

Like Michael J Fox in Back to the Future she ruefully observed: "I feel Melbourne isn't ready for me yet." 

Did you don a hat for the Cup?

Deb xx