The miniskirt caused enough of a stir at the time to be welcomed and deplored in equal measure – in both cases, largely by men. Was it an exciting new enhancement of the youthful female form, or was it an outrageous indication of a further decline in public morals? Wherever you stood, the mini reminded us that the clothes we wear have very often played a role in announcing our social attitudes.

Celebrated in film and song, the miniskirt soon found its way off the catwalks, and the slender figures of models Twiggy and Jean Shrimpton, and on to the streets. Even the Queen caught a little of the mood, sporting a noticeably shorter hemline at the royal garden party one year.

Although the miniskirt might have been heartily welcomed by many male onlookers, it represented an important breakthrough in women's liberation.