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Dress

1967 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

The fluid cut, pliable jersey fabric and functional front zip of this 'skater' dress suggest the speed and grace of the ice-rink. Mary Quant designed informal, functional clothes for the emancipated woman. She said, 'I want free-flowing, feminine lines that compliment a woman's shape... relaxed clothes, suited to the actions of normal life'.

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read An introduction to 1960s fashion Marked by sweeping social change, the 1960s is a decade that still holds a special significance, seeing traditional hierarchies begin to dissolve and make way for the birth of the modern age.
read Six revolutionary designs by Mary Quant Modern fashion owes a great deal to the trailblazing 1960s designer Mary Quant (1930 – 2023). From skinny-rib sweaters, to coloured tights and 'onesies', here's our round-up of the signature Quant looks which revolutionised the way we dress, proving there was more to Mary than just minisk...

Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Wool jersey
Brief description
Dress of wool jersey, designed by Mary Quant, London, 1967.
Physical description
Dark pink wool jersey 'skater' dress with zip front and pleated skirt.
Dimensions
  • Height: 12.5cm
  • Diameter: 25cm
  • Weight: 0.1kg
Measured for the Medieval and Renaissance Galleries
Style
Gallery label
[Mary Quant exhibition, 2019] JERSEY DRESSES 1967 Quant played with the jersey dress format, designing multiple options: round or high collars, with zips or buttons, pocket logos, different sleeves and skirts, and even hoods. With her brightly- coloured wool berets, matching tights and even shoes, Quant customers could recreate the complete look. Peter Pan collar dress Bonded wool jersey Labelled ‘Mary Quant’ Made in the Mary Quant sample workroom, London (probably) Given by Mary Quant Ltd V&A: T.353-1974(30/03/2020)
Credit line
Given by Mary Quant
Summary
The fluid cut, pliable jersey fabric and functional front zip of this 'skater' dress suggest the speed and grace of the ice-rink. Mary Quant designed informal, functional clothes for the emancipated woman. She said, 'I want free-flowing, feminine lines that compliment a woman's shape... relaxed clothes, suited to the actions of normal life'.
Bibliographic reference
Fashion : An Anthology by Cecil Beaton. London : H.M.S.O., 1971
Collection
Accession number
T.353-1974

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Record createdMarch 15, 2006
Record URL
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