The Fashion Of The 70’s – General Trends
The world of fashion evolves each and every day, sometimes in a much
rapid manner than we all anticipate. Even so, there are some clear
differences between certain decades. Because of this, we can always look
back at certain styles and instantly attribute them to a specific time
frame. The fashion of the 70’s is one of the most memorable there is,
with numerous trademarks and styles which many people still love. A
clear evidence of that is the fact that many people still use certain
minor accessories even to this day and that type of clothing seems
attractive even to those were just kids in that era.
Just like any other decade in recent history, the fashion of the 70’s
started as a continuation of the hippie look that evolved in the
previous decade with worn jeans and tie dyed shirts continuing to be the
main trend for the first few years. Hip huggers and especially bell
bottoms were popular all throughout the decade and they were usually
customized and decorated by their wearers. Still popular well within the
decade were the various methods of bleaching and tie dying that were
developed during the 60’s. If the fashion of 70’s clothes was anything
it was not designed to be ignored, whether we’re talking about male
fashion or women’s fashion. During the 70’s, women started asserting
themselves in their taste for fashion in a big way, making their choices
in that time hard to pin down in a narrow category. The same girl who
would wear torn and faded jeans one day might wear a pair of hot pants
and long knee socks the next, and the day after that a floral patterned
old-style dress. The mini skirt, that symbol of women’s fashion in the
60’s continued its life during the 70’s spawning the midi and then maxi
dresses which were used for more formal situations.
 The clothes that
men wore during the 70’s were quite the change from what they wore
during the late 60’s. Even though the hippie look was always a sort of
default look and many people still proudly wore their “uniform” of jeans
and a t-shirt, some gave into the crazy fashion trends of the disco era
and started wearing tight shirts with bright prints and outrageous
patterns on them. Probably the most well known fashion trend was the
“disco costume” popularized by John Travolta in the movie “Saturday
Night Fever”. This basically consisted of a three piece suit made of
synthetic fabrics – polyester was king – which you would pair up with
platform shoes. The influence of the 60’s could still be felt as well
thanks to the very strong ethnic influence that was introduced during
the 60’s and exploded during the 70’s, the brightly colored scarves and
large pieces of jewelry being just a few examples of this influence.
Small jewelry was not the norm and sometimes even conservatively dressed
women wore large pieces of jewelry that sometimes featured some sort of
tribal motif or element. In the end, the 70’s was an outstanding
period for fashion. You don’t have to be a fashion expert to know that
it was a great time for fashion and that a phenomenon like the 70’s
fashion is not something you see everyday. |
