70s Fashion (part one)

Everyone knows that fashion trends come full circle and some early 70's trends are as big today as they were 30 years ago. Smock tops, long beads, flared jeans, swirly hippy dresses in orange, hot pink and mustard are on the shelves now, though modern fabrics, advances in technology and cut give them a refreshing 21st century fashion edge.

Back in the day, blue denim jeans were the height of fashion worn by everyone young and old. They were always high wasted worn with a hand crafted brown leather belt, and were either very loose fitting about 12" wide all the way down the leg or they were tightly fitted at the top then gradually bellowed out towards the bottom to create the classic "bell bottom" style.

Jeans and trousers would be worn with high platform heeled shoes, sandals with cork wedge heels, or sneakers such as Adidas, or Converse. Loons, wide legged cotton pants were a popular look for men, worn with desert boots, a floaty, embroidered cotton kaftan or smock top with obligatory long hair.

Yes, long hair for men was the in look for the 70's and pop stars, actors, models and footballers all set the fashion trends wearing shoulder length loose long hair, and everyone followed. Ladies also tended to wear their hair fashionably long, loose and casual, though for evenings an intricate updo, with a bun was de rigeur.

Fitted t-shirts in bright primary colours were worn tucked in to jeans and pants and often cotton "Simon" shirts with pointed collars and epaulets were worn for a dressier look. Ladies wore either floor length maxi skirts and cotton tie dye smock tops with angel sleeves or mini skirts and bright thick tights a fashion trend still popular after the 60's.

Dinner parties and social gatherings were an excuse to wear a long, floor length maxi dress and high platform heels. As a young girl if you were invited to a birthday party, you'd be expected to wear your best party dress with a pretty blouse underneath and boys a shirt and tie.

Stripy and patterned polyester knitted tank tops were a wardrobe essential for both men and women. They were worn with a floral blouse underneath for women and a fitted shirt for men with a huge kipper tie, worn with a large knot at the collar. Shirt collars and lapels were always wide, long and very pointed.

Afgan coats were worn by everyone who loved the heavy metal sounds of the Rock n' Roll scene such as Pink Floyd and Rainbow. These fur lined coats were made of suede they smelled awful when they got wet, so were often sprinkled with Patchuli oil to make them smell sweeter, a long strapped waist length fringed, beaded cotton bag was worn to complete the look.

By the mid to late 70's fashion moved away from floaty, hippy, outfits reminiscent of the peace movement of the late 60's, towards an altogether brighter, shinier, sexier, more dazzling Disco inspired look, with fitted jumpsuits, halter neck tops in gold and silver, boob tubes, roller skates, tight leggings, bright and glossy make up and big hair. Movies such as Saturday Night Fever, and sophisticated actors like John Travolta and the fabulous disco music in the charts influenced this shift in fashion's direction.

However, this new trend and disco sound wasn't embraced by everyone. Punk Rock emerged as the "anti-fashion" created by Vivienne Westwood and founder of the Sex Pistols Malcom McLaren.

Young men wore tartan or black leather bondadge trousers held together with huge safety pins, chains and pieces of tartan fabric and women wore ripped and torn fishnet tights, tiny pleated mini skirts made from tartan fabric and heavy Dr Martin boots.

Hair for both sexes was spiked into a Mohican, or shaved on both sides, cropped, cut, spiked and always dyed in bold bright colours such as blue, red or yellow. Ears were pieced all the way around the lobes and often noses too. Make up was smudged bright red lipstick, dark black eyeliner and a white powdered face for both sexes.