by Shelley Bennett
During the 80s, the mini skirt came back into style and my favorite was made out of hot pink denim. I remember wearing it with a white tank top and leather Keds.
My mom told me that when she was in high school, they would have to kneel on the stairway in the old building to see if their skirts were long enough for the dress code. If the hem touched the stair, they passed. If not, they were sent home.
My mom was also sent home for wearing pants when there was two feet of snow outside, so I breathed a sigh of relief that our rules had been updated.
Apparently, the mini skirt had been the subject of controversy back in the 60s. It started in London with a designer named Mary Quant and them came to the US along with the Beatles, I think.
Like the music, young women embraced the latest fashion trend while their parents were not so keen on it.
The mini skirt symbolized freedom and independence for women fighting for equal rights. It was an effort to break away from the structured and stifling fashions (and gender roles) of the 1950s.
But it was the 80s, so I wore my mini skirt, multi-colored flats, ESPRIT sweatshirt, and blue mascara without a care in the world. The clothing I chose made me feel good about myself. It was a way to express my creativity and shape my identity.
It was not linked to my grades or level of success. It didn’t define my reputation. And I was still held accountable for my actions by my parents.
Clothing choices do not grant others the right to judge, mistreat, or harm the wearer. What someone wears is an expression of their individuality, not an invitation or justification for disrespect or violence.
And making a comment about someone not being held accountable for their actions because of what they wore is about as antiquated as our grandparents’ attitude about the mini skirt.
Remember when news was ‘newsy’? When you read about weddings, family events and engagement announcements in the newspaper? If you have something that might be newsworthy, please submit it to [email protected] and I’ll do my best to include it here in “The Good Stuff.”
