The mini-skirt or affectionately known as the “Ya’Ya” is defined as a skirt whose hemline is no more than 4 inches below a woman’s derrière. It is not to be confused with the micro-mini whose hemline is at or just below the crotch level.

The first evidence of the mini-skirt was worn by women within the Chinese tribe, Duan Qun Miao, which means “short skirt Miao”in Chinese.

Throughout the Middle Ages and Medieval Times, Greek, Roman, and Southeast European men of valor wore the “Fustanella” and shorter versions of the skirt during military ceremonies.

The Modern “Mother”of the mini-skirt, Dame Mary Quant of Blackheath, London and the Modern “Father” of the mini-skirt, André Courrèges of Pyrénées-Atlantiques, France revolutionized the mini-skirt in the 1960’s.

Although, the mini-skirt wouldn’t be marketed heavily across the world until 1960, the beloved Josephine Baker a.k.a Freda Josephine McDonald from St. Louis, Missouri, graced us with her version of a banana miniskirt at her Danse sauvage in 1927.

Long Live the Ya-Ya!