174 Classic & Sports Car September 2019IN THE
SWING OF
THINGS
I
t is a much-quoted statement that
the ’60s didn’t actually start until
The Beatles arrived on the scene. But,
on the evidence of the recent retrospec-
tive at the V&A, Mary Quant was
already in full swing from day one of
the decade, way ahead of the Fab Four.
Quant’s unique and pioneering clothing lines,
with their playful and flirty mix, set the bar for
women’s fashion for the following 10 years and
gave young girls a new and optimistic post-war
mindset. By the time the last motor race at
Goodwood was staged in early July ’66, she had
been awarded an OBE and become a household
name. Only two months earlier in that final year
of racing at the Sussex track, American magazine
Time coined the phrase ‘Swinging London’, with
Quant as their standard-bearer. How many of
the capital’s inhabitants were actually swinging
was never stated, and it wasn’t really until the
following year and the Summer of Love that
things changed for good (or for the worse).
So what was the rest of the nation up to sarto-
rially during Goodwood’s half-dozen years of
the ’60s? Like so much of British culture in the
late ’50s – be it films, music or even car styling
(albeit suitably restrained) – the influence and
aspiration of the USA ran through everything,
not least clothing. The American college-
derived ‘Ivy look’ was huge among the nation’s
20-somethings. For men it was still suits with a
collar and tie, but the cut was that much sharper
and the materials that bit more exotic. Hats were
for boring pipe-smokers like Harold Wilson, not
suave US presidents such as JFK, and hair was
now styled, not simply cut. This fashion, with a
healthy dollop of Italian influence, would morph
into the Modernist movement so loathed by
their sworn enemies in the Rocker fraternity.
For women, Quant and Bazaar (Mary’s Kings
Road and Knightsbridge boutiques) not only
drew London’s fashion-conscious, but also
attracted admirers from all over the British Isles.
She is often credited with creating the miniskirt,
though her output during the early ’60s featured
varying hemlines, not to mention trouser suits.
Trousers or jeans were increasingly embracedby young women, the need to wear frocks being
associated with their mothers’ generation.
Audrey Hepburn made the ‘little black dress’
iconic, but she was more often seen in a pair of
fitted slacks with a crisp white blouse.
These youth fashions reflected a growing
confidence, finally putting an end to the auster-
ity of Britain’s post-war years – a trait personified
by cheap, classless cars such as the Mini.
Even the briefest trawl of Pathé news footage
showing street scenes from the early ’60s will
reward the Mini fan with countless shots of
Issigonis’ masterpiece in all its variants. Quant,
an owner herself, once enthused: “I just loved it.
It was a handbag on wheels. The Mini car went
exactly with the miniskirt. It did everything one
wanted, looked great, it was optimistic, exuber-
ant, young, flirty – it was exactly right.”
Because the Mini was so indiscriminating, it
allows the Revivalist the broadest canvas to fulfil
their fashion fantasies. Kelly Dawson and Scott
Ogden of Brighton-based Dawson Denim
helped judge the Revival’s Best Dressed compe-
tition for many years, so are the perfect people to
ask about suitable attire to wear with the BMC
icon for a day at the races. “With the Mini there
isn’t a right or wrong outfit, except maybe full
Rocker gear,” says Ogden. “For most Mods it
was the logical step up from a scooter. No more
damp Italian threads and far more attractive to a
potential girlfriend. But it really is all-inclusive:
beatniks, Ivy league, bowler-hatted businessmen- none would look out of place behind the wheel
of a Mini. The same goes for women.”
Dawson concurs: “The great thing about ’60s
fashion for women is the small heels on shoes.
The last thing you need during a long day at the
Revival is gravity-defying stilettos.” For those
who don’t want to show their knees, there are
plenty of authentic alternatives to the miniskirt,
too: “Pinafore dresses were huge, as were match-
ing tops and skirts – as in the classic Vogue shot of
Jean Shrimpton on a Mini. Miniskirts are tricky
for obvious reasons, and in the years we judged
very few nailed it. Jeans, ski pants or slacks, worn
with the right blouse or jumper, can look just as
stylish and be a lot more comfortable.”
The Sixties will be Swinging once again
at this year’s Revival; here’s how to fit in
WORDS JULIAN BALME PHOTOGRAPHY WILL WILLIAMS/GETTY IMAGES