Trolls are bullying me for wearing a miniskirt at 53, but I’m not going to let them win
SIXTIES model Twiggy may be hanging up her miniskirt at the age of 75, but Fabulous Fashion Director Tracey Lea Sayer says she’s not ready to put away her pins just yet. . .
Every Christmas I wonder if this is the year I have to throw away my favorite metallic miniskirt and send it to the charity pile.
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At 53, I know a lot of people who probably think I should – especially stubborn keyboard warriors who aren’t afraid to tell me I’m too old to bend my knees.
Well, tough. I always ignore the negative Nancys who think women of a certain age should quietly go to fashion room 101.
Because honestly: what fun would that be?
M&S has predicted sales of its minis will soar this season.
Made famous in the 1960s by British fashion designer Mary Quant and her poster girl Twiggy, the miniskirt was a big hit among the It fashion crowd.
Singer and actress Jane Birkin, French film icon Brigitte Bardot and feminist writer Germaine Greer were all fans of this cute – but at the time controversial – new design.
And its popularity has rarely waned since.
The post-war 1960s were a time when the boundaries of almost everything were pushed, but especially fashion.
Women who freed their legs and hemlines, among other things, were all the rage.
As the spirit of sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll swept the country, groundbreaking bands and fearless fashion pioneers changed the face of the culture.
And most of them did it with miniskirts on – or with women in miniskirts strutting their stuff next to them.
So who are we to undo all their good work and deny our knees their freedom?
I fell hard for the mini in the nineties.
Fresh-faced and having just graduated from art school, I managed to land a job as Vivienne Westwood’s receptionist.
Young and free
Her designer microminis were already next level, but then Kate Moss made headlines after wearing a tiny, flowy version.
Topless and eating a Magnum ice cream, Kate slinked down the catwalk at Vivienne’s SS94 show in a mini crotch – so named because it barely covered your bottom.
Belly-scraping minis suddenly went mainstream, with everyone from the Spice Girls and Eternal to the ‘cooler’, more rebellious idols from Britpop’s heyday, like Sleeper’s Louise Wener and Kenickie’s Lauren Laverne, rocking very short hemlines.
It didn’t matter if you liked squeaky clean pop or grunge, minis were everywhere.
I was sold – and ordered a Vivienne on the spot. Every time I went clubbing in it I felt like a supermodel.
I still have that miniskirt and even though I can barely fit one thigh in it now, it reminds me of a time when I was young and free and loved the way I looked.
This may all sound like I’m super confident and have always loved my legs.
Actually, the opposite is true: it took me years to embrace my pins.
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I was relentlessly bullied at school for how skinny they were, which made me hate them, hide them in baggy pants and even wear five pairs of leggings at once to make them bigger.
But whether it was the attitude of my mentor, Mrs. Westwood, or the fact that it was such a major trend – or maybe a combination of both – I thought, “Fuck it, I’m going to stick my skinny legs out and I’m embracing them.”
In my thirties, when the kids came along, I ditched my designer minis because I barely had time to look in the mirror for ten years.
It’s amazing what self-awareness later in life, a gym membership and not caring what people think of you can do for your self-esteem
Tracey
I didn’t rediscover how much I love miniskirts until I was in my mid-forties.
Maybe it was menopause, or because I wanted to feel like I wasn’t dead yet.
Or maybe it was the fact that, without realizing it, I had finally learned to love my legs.
And why not? Considering they’ve carried two kids, trekked across the desert in Oman, deadlifted 100 pounds in the gym, and managed about 15,000 steps a day in my busy full-time job, I can say they’re good for me been.
It’s amazing what self-awareness later in life, a gym membership, and not caring what people think of you can do for your self-esteem.
While I love seeing all the young celebrities, influencers and my beautiful 21-year-old daughter rocking the Miu Miu style mini this season, I’m more inspired by the likes of Davina McCall, 57, and Jo Whiley, 59, whose fantastic fashion choices and excellent taste in miniskirts have come with age and experience.
Ultimately, that’s what they feel good about.
Still look great
In September, Twiggy said: “When it comes to fashion, I don’t like all these age labels.”
But she added that her days of wandering around in “mini skirts and hot pants” are over, saying: “The only time I wear shorts is when I’m on vacation – and they’re real shorts, not hot pants.”
I think Twiggy would still look great in a mini, but totally respect that she wants to bow.
Maybe one day I will, but that will be my choice and I’m not ready for it yet!
A touch of self-love and a touch of self-esteem are all you need to wear your miniskirt loud and proud this Christmas – no matter your age.
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