Think of the mini like a nappy -you’re supposed to grow out of it
I wear my leather mini from now until the spring
By TV presenter and writer Aggie MacKenzie i’M 66 and love my dark navy leather mini skirt. i wear it most days from autumn to spring — it’s my go-to cooler-weather staple.
i find it far more comfortable and freeing than anything else in my wardrobe. i never feel quite right in jeans.
i blatantly copied the style from my (much younger) sister-in-law about eight years ago. i thought she looked fabulously cool, sexy and modern in her navy leather mini, opaque tights and ankle boots, so i ordered one online.
i know one of my two grown-up sons would not hesitate to have a word in my ear if it looked inappropriate or ridiculous. i love wearing fishnets in the evening with a knee-length dress or skirt, but i wouldn’t be brave enough to pair them with the leather mini (at least not in public).
i reckon that would definitely prompt a son to roll his eyes and shake his head slowly.
For me, the essential accessories are thickish tights, gorgeous flat shoes or boots and a loose, longish top. Narrow hips help and legs not too skinny nor too chunky.
As a tubby teen in Aviemore, inverness-shire, in the 1960s, i thought if i bought hotpants, i’d magically turn into a member of the legendary Pan’s People dance troupe.
i pressed and pushed myself into that outfit. the hem of the shorts dug into the squishy flesh of my thighs. i was probably the talk of the village. i wore it twice before giving it away. Around the same time, i went to a disco at the local holiday centre. radio Luxembourg DJ Stuart henry was hosting and decided to run a mini skirt competition to see who could get away with the shortest. Can you imagine? that really would cause a fuss nowadays.
My classmate Jean Alexander had the longest legs in school but that didn’t deter me. i hoicked my shirt dress over my chain belt and, guess what, Stuart’s tape measure revealed i’d won by a quarter of an inch! Next morning i saw myself plastered over Page 5 of the Daily record. Someone showed it to my mum and i got hell for behaving like a hussy.
Now i’m in my late 60s and proudly wearing my beloved mini. Yes the lining needs replacing but as long as my pins hold good, i can’t see why it won’t see me through to my 70s and beyond.