First introduced to the fashion world in 1965, the miniskirt was part of a widespread wave of sexual openness and personal freedom that was sometimes called the sexual revolution (see entry under 1960s—The Way We Lived in volume 4). The short skirts that exposed four or more inches of a woman's thigh were not only lighthearted but sexy. The skirts also represented a movement away from society's restrictions on women's freedom.

A model wears a wool jacket over a miniskirt at a fashion show in 1966. AP/Wide World Photos. Reproduced by permission.

The first miniskirts to appear on Paris fashion runways were created by French fashion designer André Courrèges (1923–), who was tired of the old-fashioned designs and prim knee-length skirts that dominated the fashion of the early 1960s. Courrèges wanted to introduce a radical new look that would bring youth, freedom, and originality to the world of...