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Ensemble (dress, jumper & hat)
  • Ensemble (dress, jumper & hat)
    Quant, Mary, born 1934
  • Enlarge image

Ensemble (dress, jumper & hat)

  • Place of origin:

    London, England (made)

  • Date:

    1965 (designed)
    1973 (made)

  • Artist/Maker:

    Quant, Mary, born 1934 (designer)
    Chelsea Girl (sweater, maker)

  • Materials and Techniques:

    [Mini-dress] Natural hessian trimmed with braid
    [Jumper] Knitted artificial fibres

  • Credit Line:

    Given by Mary Quant

  • Museum number:

    T.110 to B-1976

  • Gallery location:

    In Storage

  • Image in copyright

This outfit, with its belt adapted to become a halter-neck fastening, is a good example of Mary Quant's practical ingenuity and surreal vision. It combines school uniform, beatnik bohemianism and futuristic chic - all elements of Quant's creative repertoire.

It was designed in 1965, the year Mary Quant published her autobiography, Quant by Quant . In this book, Quant recalls how she discovered the skinny rib jumper by trying an eight-year-old boy's sweater for fun, and in six months 'all the birds' were wearing them.

Physical description

Mini-dress with hat and jumper.
[Mini-dress] The dress is of natural hessian trimmed with braid. It is constructed as an A-line mini-skirt with a narrow front yoke grown on. The halter neck resembles a belt and fastens with a buckle at the throat. The dress is to be worn over a black, ribbed, polo-necked jumper, machine knitted from artificial fibres.
[Jumper] Black, ribbed, polo-necked jumper, machine knitted from artificial fibres.
[Hat] The hat, of natural hesian, is of the form of a baseball cap and is decorated at the front with a cloverleaf motif.

Place of Origin

London, England (made)

Date

1965 (designed)
1973 (made)

Artist/maker

Quant, Mary, born 1934 (designer)
Chelsea Girl (sweater, maker)

Materials and Techniques

[Mini-dress] Natural hessian trimmed with braid
[Jumper] Knitted artificial fibres

Descriptive line

Mary Quant hessian dress with matching hat and black polo-necked jumper, London, 1965.

Exhibition History

Sixties Fashion (Victoria and Albert Museum 01/01/2006-31/12/2006)
Mary Quant's London (Museum of London 01/01/1973-31/12/1973)

Production Note

Remade 1973

Categories

Clothing; Fashion; Day wear

Collection code

T&F

Qr_O121963
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