Miniskirts and shorts: a true 70s revolution

The miniskirt owes its creation to British designer Mary Quant, who, around 1965, was inspired by the Mini car and began to offer increasingly shorter dresses and skirts.

However, it was from 1973 onwards that this fashion became more widespread, especially in Europe. Along with the mini, shorts also arrived, often made of denim, like those worn by actress Catherine Bach in the television series The Dukes of Hazzard (1979–1985), which became known as Daisy Duke jeans (named after her character), as well as hot pants (also credited to designer Mary Quant). Both revealed the legs as much as, if not more than, miniskirts, but were more practical as they allowed for greater freedom of movement.

In reality, shorts somewhat eclipsed the miniskirt. At the height of feminist struggles, it began to be criticized as a garment that, while initially appearing as a novelty allowing women to dress as they pleased, was seen as an object capable of reducing women to mere sexual objects.
During this period, with the fading of the miniskirt in the mid-70s, the fashion for shorts (literally “short”) spread. Despite this change in direction, the miniskirt never completely disappeared, neither from everyday life nor from the world of entertainment and fashion.