Everything About 70s Fashion
The 70s can be described as one of the most influential periods for modern fashion.
Bell sleeves, flared pants, and floppy hats are some of the important contributions made by the 70s to fashion.
Many of those trends have now earned a classic symbol in today’s fashion.
When you look back at the trends that existed during the 70s, you’ll see that it’s hard to imagine them as vintage.
Let’s now take a look at some of the important fashion statements made during the 70s.
What did people wear during the 70s?
The seventies is usually referred to as the polyester decade, the seventies began with the hippie style, which was emerging during the sixties.
During the seventies, people made an effort to make everything handmade.
The reason why they adopted the handmade method was to reject the mainstream culture.
Patchwork crochet and polyester and all other kinds of embroidery quickly highlighted women's fashion.
Additionally, this was a time when fashion became more accessible to people.
Studies show that American women started to purchase clothes that were meant for different occasions during the seventies.
Custom-made clothing was no longer practical because life is moving fast.
This made women opt for readymade clothes from department stores.
With this increased access to clothes, trends started to come and go very quickly.
Their style reflected the freedom which they had and started to wear clothes that were similar to men.
This was the time when women started to wear pants and suits, and until this time they were usually wearing skirts.
From Farrah Fawcett to Bianca Jagger the 70s had some of the stylish women!
The disco-era which is from the mid to late 70 popularized disco fashion.
The disco fashion was expressive and flashy, it contained shining jewelry, high heels, and very shimmery fabric.
The reason why this was so expressive was to stand out on the disco floor.
The 70s also witnessed the importance of activewear.
Let us now take a look at some of the important fashion trends during the 70s.
The wrap dress
Although the maxi dresses were gaining popularity during the 70s, it was the wrap dress that was the most popular form of clothing chosen by women.
The reason being the freedom and comfort it gave.
One of the most important trends during the 70s was to make women's clothing more comfortable.
Wrap dresses not only offered style but also comfort.
They provided with professional look for office going women.
Additionally, wrap dresses could easily be transitioned from daywear to evening wear.
The was the ideal outfit for a casual walk around the block and also for a glamorous night out.
Today, many variations of the wrap dress are available on the market, you can choose between no sleeve or short and dresses or casual and maxi or mini.
Another reason why the Maxi dress is so popular is that it suits all body types.
Flared jeans
During the late 60s and early 70s jeans were worn by the hippies to show their solidarity with the working class, while the feminist wore to protest gender inequality.
It was during the 70s that jeans were established as women's clothing.
As more and more women were entering the workforce the denim jeans provided a practical and comfortable solution.
Bell-bottoms and Flat jeans available in all shapes and kinds characterized women's fashion during the 70s.
Towards the later stages of the seventies, slim-fitting jeans with traitor silhouettes started to overtake the flare jeans.
Another reason for the popularity of flare jeans was that they looked incredibly flattering for all body types because they accentuated the waste and lengthed and the legs.
Jumpsuits
During the seventies, jumpsuits were a unisexual clothing item.
Jumpsuits served as a substitute for the Maxi dress and were made from brightly colored materials.
Pairing the jumpsuit with platform heels became the signature 70s disco fashion.
Initially, the jumpsuits were designed for women who used to host guests at their houses during the 70s but it became a comfortable and practical option when compared to a dress.
Very soon, it entered the mainstream culture and was worn everywhere, the sleeveless jumpsuit also gained a lot of popularity.
Designers have continued to improve the jumpsuit design.
Today they offer a variety of silhouettes and styles.
For casual occasions, you can choose the relaxed silhouette, and for occasions that require a little bit more dressing up, you can choose the tailored jumpsuit.
These days jumpsuits are preferred over traditional bridal gowns by brides.
Platform shoes
The bigger the better was the motto when it came to shoe trends.
Both men and women preferred the platform-styled shoes.
Some people called platform shoes the official footwear of the decade.
The seventies were ruled by platform boots sandals and heels.
During the beginning of the seventies, blocky and chunky heels were common on platform shoes.
Clogs
The clogs were an important type of footwear that was worn by both men and women, it was originally imported to the United States from Europe and quickly gained popularity.
Wearing Bell bottom jeans and clogs was a common fashion trend, women also wore it with dresses and skirts.
The main reason why it was so popular was its functionality
Hairstyles and makeup
The exaggerated Baby Doll look of the sixties was replaced by a more natural look popularized by the hippie movement.
Many women preferred not to wear makeup.
Famous actresses and athletes inspired the majority of hairstyles during the 70s.
Many young women and teens preferred perfectly long straight hair, to achieve that they went either to the salon or iron their hair at home.
Another popular trend from the 70s was the afro style which was flaunted by many African American women.
The mullet and the shag hairstyles were also popular during the 70s.
Accessories
Many women accessorized their looks with scarfs, belts, handbags, and sunglasses.
Long pearls, tassel necklaces, and colored beads were common forms of jewelry.
They could be seen sporting friendship bands given to each other.
The fashion during the 70s was very wide, expansive and it’s virtually impossible to cover all the trends and fads.
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