MINI
Mini is a short length in which a skirt or dress ends noticeably above the knee. The mini skirt became one of the loudest symbols of 20th-century fashion: in the 1960s it was popularised by the British designer Mary Quant, and the short length turned into a sign of the sexual revolution, youth and freedom. Mini reveals and lengthens the legs to the maximum and gives a look daring and energy. Its strength is its youthful, playful character; its challenge is the context of appropriateness and the balance with the top, since the short length always draws attention to the proportions of the legs and the fit.
Compare “Mini” with another term
Meaning, origins and distinction — side by side.
Distinction
Two extremes on the scale of length. The mini falls well above the knee — a daring, youthful silhouette that bares the legs and evokes the 1960s. The maxi reaches the ankle or floor: romantic, covering, ceremonial or bohemian depending on the fabric. The midi sits between them. Length dictates mood: the mini is playful and dynamic, the maxi flowing and ceremonial.
