Fashion: Going to Great Lengths

The muu muu has gone mod and turned into a granny. It happened in Los Angeles, and within a month grannies had shown up on Wilshire Boulevard in broad daylight, at the Beatles concert in the Hollywood Bowl, at Disneyland and U.C.L.A.

A granny is not a grandmother but a garment: a dress that covers the wearer from neck to ankle, a kind of nipped-in Mother Hubbard gussied up with Victorian furbelows and bows. Real-life grannies would not be caught dead in one: grannies are only for girls.

It began with a few California surfers who could sew. The girls had imported bright, flowery muu muus from Hawaii to wear after surfing. But muu muus were originally thought up by missionaries to cover up the exposed breasts of the native women. The kids trimmed off the excess material, accentuated the bodice for trim fit, slit the skirt for free movement, and finished it all off with yards of ruffles and flourishes. When enough of the home-grown variety showed up on the street, store buyers decided it was a fad worth cashing in on. Selling at $10 to $15, store-bought grannies have spread to Chicago, Manhattan and Pittsburgh.

In Los Angeles, grannies have become de rigueur for dates and general after-school wear. “They are a good change from Capris and a top for parties,” says 20-year-old Gail Eckles. “They make you feel so dressed up,” added 14-year-old Cathy Milligan, who owns three of them. “It’s a study in contrast,” explained one designer. “The kids go from the wild, wild short dresses to the neat little granny.” Another observer has a better theory: “The kids want it because it is something mother won’t copy.”