1970s Fashion

One of the main reasons I have such a love for vintage, is the my passion for historical fashion and costume. I find history in general so interesting and I love to look back and see how styles and trends changed over the years. 

So I really felt like sitting down, looking back at the 1970s and what an incredible decade it was for fashion and style. (This will focus on women’s fashion throughout the 1970s) 

EARLY 70s 

The early 1970s took a lot of inspiration from the late 1960s and the increasingly popular ‘hippie’ movement. This bought items like the prairie dress to mainstream. There was also a large emphasis on handmade and unique clothing items. Designers started to notice the desire for these ‘hippie’ style pieces and therefore incorporated them into their collections. The rise of patchwork, crochet, and embroidery clearly shows this. Indian and Native American patterns were very popular. This is also a time when sewing patterns were popular and easily obtained from teenage and young adult magazines, so these styles were also easy to replicate at home. As previously mentioned, prairie dresses were a huge hit and were even more popularised by designers and retailers like Gunne Sax and Bill Gibb. These dresses obviously took inspiration from the Victorian era, whilst adding a modern twist with pattern and colours. 

MID 70s 

Into the mid 1970s came more inspiration from the past. The 1930s and 40s to be exact. A-line and pleated dress styles became popular. In terms of evening wear this is when the disco era really came into its own. Women’s dresses took on the glamour of 1920s & 30s, with satin, sequins and velvet ruling the dance floor. 

By 1974 the T-shirt was no longer considered underwear and was then made into more interesting designs with slogans and sports teams. Around this time, generally the hippie style has pretty much disappeared. Active wear become very popular for women during this time and the biggest phenomenon of this trend was the jumpsuit. They were almost always flared in the leg and could range from being sleeveless to having huge bell sleeves. 

Popular shoes of this time included, Mary Janes, knee high boots and platform shoes. This time is probably the most recognisable and stereotypical 70s style. 

LATE 70s

Fashion for women was very poignant throughout the 60s and 70s, as their freedoms started to increase. New styles were created in the late 70s that were heavily influenced by menswear and looser fitting styles. The paint suit had become acceptable for women as they were taking larger roles in business. The suit could be quite loose or more fitting depending on taste and body shape. The late 70s also saw a rise of interest in personal fitness for women, this foreshadowed the 1980s style of athletic wear as casual wear. James Laver writes in Costume and Fashion: A Concise History, “in the late 70s the American designer Norma Kamali was instrumental in bringing sportswear into the fashion arena, introducing sweat-shirting, ra-ra skirts, bandeau tops, jumpsuits, leotards and leggings.” These styles would of course become synonymous with 1980s style but did originate in the late 70s fashion. 

1970s FASHION ICONS 

Farrah Fawcett

Not only was the ‘Farrah Flick’ arguably the most popular and sort after celebrity hairstyle of the decade, her fashion choices of high waisted denim flares and button down shirts influenced a generation. 

Joni Mitchell

Joni epitomised the hippie style of the early 70s without being cliche or just following the crowd. Her distinct style of mixing floaty dresses, tie dye and loose, messy bangs makes her one of my absolute favourite style icons of the 1970s. 

Beverly Johnson 

Beverly’s elegant and simple style quickly made her an icon of the time. After being the first person of colour featured on the front of vogue, she went onto become an actress, entrepreneur and author as well as a model. 

Stevie Nicks

Stevie’s distinct and captivating sense of style mirrored her musical performances. Clothes became almost an extension of herself and it’s so recognisable even today. From the fringed shawls, kimonos, prairie dresses to more glitzy and glamorous looks, she embodied a range of styles throughout the 70s. 

Naomi Sims 

A supermodel of the 1970s, Naomi’s style and looks, especially for Vogue, were very striking and extravagant. This made her really stand out and quickly gave her a very distinct look. After modelling she also started her own business, creating a successful wig collection for black hair. 

Jane Birkin 

Jane became well known for her laid back but glamorous style. She could effortlessly make an impact with just flared jeans, a white tee and her signature basket bag. She also pulled off the bohemian 70s style, with broderie anglaise or crochet blouses & dresses. 

Pam Grier 

Grier brought her confidence and power to her style as well as her acting. She loved amazing jumpsuits, bell bottoms and plunging neckline blouses tied at the waist. She also styled a bold Afro for a lot of the decade.

Cher

Cher’s style was so interesting throughout the 70s because she really gave every trend of the decade a go. She loved a two piece, jumpsuits and went more is more when it came to patterns. At the same time she could so easily pull off a simple T-shirt, flared jeans and hoop earrings.