ABSTRACT
The swinging London look had its genesis in the opening of Bazaar in 1955, a boutique owned by Mary Quant and her husband, Alexander Plunket Greene. Because Quant disliked the clothing being manufactured at the time, she started designing her own. In 1961, Quant's creations were introduced to Americans through Seventeen's spring fashion issue. American manufacturers tooled up to produce merchandise in the Quant mold in record time. The mod mystique was employed to sell everything from Scotch tape fashion accessories to sanitary napkins. By 1966, with the myth of swinging London at its peak, Quant caught fire once more with the pantsuit concept. Men's fashions were also heavily influenced by the mod revolution. Here, the major force was John Stephen, who opened a shop in 1962 at the age of 24 selling tight, hip-hugging trousers. The site of his outlet Carnaby Street became an international symbol of the movement.
