Flash Gordon S012 - Dale in Her Miniskirt

What was incredibly groundbreaking, and so hard for modern audiences to get their heads around is just how controversial, revolutionary, and ahead of their time were Dale's miniskirts. During the 1930s the only places you spied short skirts were on showgirls like Rockettes, or in professions like cigarette and hatcheck girls, essentially appreciative male audiences. Dale's wearing of miniskirts with no embarrassment or self-consciousness at all as daily casual wear shocked contemporary readers. To modern eyes, Dale's skirts appear modern and typical of women from Manhattan to Shanghai, to Kinshasa and nearly every point in between. Alex Raymond was three decades ahead of real-world fashion and might, in fact, have inspired the look.

When we first met Dale, she was wearing a long, patterned skirt and was dressed quite demurely. Life on Mongo found her in daring fashions and frequent costume changes. During her time on Mongo, she was abducted, (frequently) captured, enslaved, and exploited. Most of those events had a corresponding wardrobe change. From cavewoman furs to elegant gowns, to sleezy harem wear, Dale sported it all and looked smashing in everything. Viva the fashion revolution!