Spanish Origin of Miniskirt?

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

Here is a repeat of the section of text that was mangled in transit in
my previous message. The quotation marks in the last note were
unacceptable to the Gods.

There is an earlier AP article in June 1962 about the phenomenon of
young women wearing short skirts in England. The article referred to
the women as "Ya-ya girls"; however, the skirts were not called
"Ya-ya" skirts in the article. The article did not contain the word
"miniskirt" or "mini-skirt", but it included the measurement of eight
inches above the knee which apparently was also used in the later
Montana AP article.

The reporter obtained a reaction quotation from Mary Quant. Hence,
newspapers were linking Quant to the sixties seismic short skirt style
shift in 1962.

On Sun, Jul 13, 2014 at 11:45 PM, ADSGarson O'Toole
<adsgarsonotoole at gmail.com> wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       ADSGarson O'Toole <adsgarsonotoole at GMAIL.COM>
> Subject:      Re: Spanish Origin of Miniskirt?
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> The OED citation is dated August 6, 1962:
>
> [Begin excerpt]
> 1962   Billings (Montana) Gaz. 6 Aug. 6/3   Ladies feel that while the
> mini-skirt may be the least, it is the most.
> [End excerpt]
>
> There is an earlier AP article in June 1962 about the phenomenon of
> young women wearing short skirts in England. The article referred to
> the women as =E2=80=9CYa-ya girls=E2=80=9D; however, the skirts were not ca=
> lled
> =E2=80=9CYa-ya=E2=80=9D skirts. The article did not contain the word =E2=80=
> =9Cminiskirt=E2=80=9D or
> =E2=80=9Cmini-skirt=E2=80=9D, but it included the measurement of eight inch=
> es above
> the knee which apparently was also used in the later Montana AP
> article.
>
> The reporter obtained a reaction quotation from Mary Quant. Hence,
> newspapers were linking Quant to the sixties seismic short skirt style
> shift in 1962.
>
> Date: June 12, 1962
> Newspaper: Ottawa Citizen
> Article: Hemline Hike Hits British
> Source: AP News wire
> Article Location: London
> Quote Page: 32
> http://bit.ly/1q9248T
>
> [Begin excerpts]
> For the last three days, young girls by the hundreds have turned out
> with hemlines two to eight - repeat eight! - inches above their knees.
> You can see them in the parks . . on the streets . . on seaside
> promenades . . on the buses . . on subways . . in restaurants . . at
> parties . .  and even in church.
> . . .
> The Whitsuntide skirts have become so abbreviated that a name has been
> coined for their wearers Ya-ya girls. Etymologists say ya-ya comes
> from yeah-yeah and in its current usage is a double-barreled term of
> approval and appreciation.
> . . .
> "Extreme youth is the fashion ideal today," said Mary Quant who runs a
> fashion house in the Chelsea beatnik belt. "And youth means short,
> short skirts. By 1970, skirts could be halfway between the knees and
> the hips."
> [End excerpts]
>
> Garson
>
> On Sun, Jul 13, 2014 at 3:16 PM, Baker, John <JBAKER at stradley.com> wrote:
>> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------=
> ------
>> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>> Poster:       "Baker, John" <JBAKER at STRADLEY.COM>
>> Subject:      Spanish Origin of Miniskirt?
>> -------------------------------------------------------------------------=
> ------
>>
>> The term "miniskirt" is usually thought to have been invented in London a=
> ro=3D
>> und 1965, possibly by Mary Quant, who had a well-known boutique in Chelse=
> a.=3D
>>   However, the OED has an earlier citation, in 1962, to the Billings (Mon=
> ta=3D
>> na) Gazette.  Billings is not usually considered to be quite so fashion-f=
> or=3D
>> ward. =3D20
>>
>> I took a look at the article.  It's datelined Mexico City and credited to=
>  J=3D
>> ohn Abney, who I understand was a wire service reporter there.  Presumabl=
> y =3D
>> it just happened that the Billings Gazette was the only newspaper that pi=
> ck=3D
>> ed up the article and was included in online databases.  The article desc=
> ri=3D
>> bes the "mini-skirt" or "Ya-Ya" as the latest thing on the production lin=
> e =3D
>> in Mexico City.  It refers repeatedly to some kind of writing by a promin=
> en=3D
>> t psychiatrist, unnamed, who had argued that the miniskirt was a youthful=
>  p=3D
>> rotest of international threats to peace.
>>
>> Mexico City is an unexpected source of "miniskirt," but still quite a bit=
>  m=3D
>> ore plausible than Billings, Montana.  Might "miniskirt" be a calque of s=
> om=3D
>> e Spanish term?  It would be nice if someone who speaks Spanish and has a=
> cc=3D
>> ess to the necessary databases could do a search of Mexico City publicati=
> on=3D
>> s from the period.
>>
>>
>> John Baker
>>
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>
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