Groovy 70s

Hello everyone and welcome back to my blog. I hope you are all doing well and having a great day so far. In todays post I thought I would talk you through another era of fashion. It's all about the crazy 70s disco fashion today and the trends of the era. I hope you all enjoy...

Trousers...

The 1970s saw women wearing trouser suits to work for the first time ever. It was now appropriate for women to wear trousers while working as long as it was a matching suit. As the eras have gone on women have started to wear more of what they want and not what they are perceived to wear. In the 70s there was a high demand for trousers. From bell-bottom denim jeans to suit trousers women wore them all. A popular decorative detail on the jeans were embellishment or patches to make them edgier and groovy.  It was also popular for the trousers to have a dropped waist so that the waistline sat below the hips. Any form of wide leg trouser was worn in the 70s and they seem to have gotten wider and wider as the decade went on. Skinny trousers weren't a thing back in the 80s. Anything smaller than a 32" hem wasn't acceptable in terms of 'fashion'.

Skirts...

Although trousers had become more popular in the 70s, women still wore skirts for many occasions. Women wore pretty much any style skirt from mini to maxi. Mini skirts were most popularly worn to discos and paired with platform shoes, boots or roller skates. Midi skirts were a popular choice for working women and also among students as they were more comfortable to wear. These were popular worn with flats, heels or boots. Maxi skirts weren't as popular as the others but were worn mostly by the Hippie community. These were very flowy, floral and often had frill details which gave them a Victorian feel.

Tops...

There were a lot of different styled tops worn in the 70s. One of the most common styled tops were the button-down shirts and high-neck blouses which were usually worn with trousers or skirts for work. For casual daywear women would often choose a sporty t-shirt or boob tube top. Other top styles (worn more by the Hippies) were lace and ribbon trimmed tops or loose peasant style tops. In the winter women would often go for a high neck or turtle-neck top or knitted patterned jumper. Another popular style of top was the long patterned tunic tops. 

Dresses...

A popular style of dresses in the 70s was the pinafore dress. They often had a fitted bodice and a long fared flowy skirt. A maxi pinafore dress was a popular choice for evening attire. It was dressed up by adding lots of jewellery including long gold chains and pearls. It was also popular to wear a satin polyester blouse underneath the pinafore dresses. Often ones with a bow detail on the neckline. Most of the dresses would either have a floral or abstract pattern. Many others were simple block colours (orange, brown and purples were a popular choice) and some had a light front and back panelling with dark side panels. Many of the dresses had a tie detail on the neckline, ruffles or a contrasting collar. White collars and cuffs were also a popular feature to 70s dresses. Some of the more Hippie dresses would also have a frog fasting to give it an ethnic Boho vibe. Large patch pockets were also seen on a lot of 70s dresses.

Coats and jackets...

The 70s was all about accessorising with the jackets, much more than in other decades. There were also so many different styles that were popular. One of the top ones being the dark blue denim jacket. These would usually have some sort of rips or snags on them to give them a rougher edgier look. It wasn't until later on in the decade that stone-washed denim became a thing. People also made their plain denim jacket more unique and personal by adding patches, studs and even drawing on them to make them stand out. Another popular jacket style in the 70s was the leather jacket. They would usually have a simple shape but some had fur trimming around the collar and cuffs. Similarly, suede jackets came into fashion in the 70s. These were often a very similar shape and style to the leather jackets. However, some has fringing on the chest, back and arms to give them that Boho vibe we see today. Another popular coat style that we also see today was the faux fur jacket. They were usually cropped at the waist with a zip fastening up the front. Winter coats were often midi length and usually made from a leather or suede fabric.

Accessories...

No 70s look would have been complete without the right accessories. It was all about the large hippie accessories in the 70s. Many people sported the large peace sign necklaces to show their respect towards the Vietnam war and to encourage peace in the world. Another popular accessory was the large bangle bracelet. Women would often wear one single large bangle on their wrists to complete their outfit. Many women would have them in lots of different colours to go with many different outfits. Another popular accessory, especially in the winter, was the knitted hat made popular by Ali MacGraw in the movie 'Love Story'. After the movie was brought out women started to knit and crochet their own hats in many different colours. Some also had a large flower on the side to match the one in the movie. Another popular style of hat worn in the 70s was the large floppy hat. They had a large brim and would flop over the front, back and sides of the head instead of sticking out straight.

Of course, one of the most iconic 70s accessories is the Hippie headband. They would often be a made from a thin coloured scarf tied around the head so that it sat on the forehead with the ends handing down the side. Others would be a piece of stretchy material that was easier to get on and off. Other people would even make their own by knotting fabric together and were worn in the same way as the scarfs. Other people preferred to wear thin leather headbands instead.

Sunglasses were another iconic 70s accessory. At the start of the era they were often small and round and were sometimes known as 'granny glasses'. These were made popular by John Lennon who would wear them with his long hair and hippie headband. It was popular for these glasses to have coloured lens such as: dark green, orange, pink, purple and even rainbow lenses. However, by the end of the era the shape of the glasses had changed drastically. People ditched the small round frames for large oversized ones instead. Some would have thick round plastic frames in bold neon colours such as orange, yellow and green. Although the most popular shape were the square glasses. They would have a plastic or wire frame although some had none at all. 

A popular hobby in the 70s was macramé, the art of tying knots into yarn, string and thread. Many women in the 70s used this technique to create their own handmade macramé belts. Some left theirs plain while others added beads and feathers. They were simply tied around the waist (usually on top of dresses) or hung at the hips (usually over jeans) and had fringing hanging at the side. Another popular style of belt worn in the 70s was the chain belt. They were often made from any sort of metal and some had fake gems. They were usually worn with long tunic tops and sat at the hips. 

 Shoes...

There were only really a few different styled shoes that were popular in the 70s. The most iconic of them all being the platform shoes. They were worn by any age and any gender so really were the most popular shoe of the time. They would usually have 1-4" platform under the toe and then a large thick heel at the back. They were worn for pretty much any occasion and came in so many different styles; from sandals with a cork platform to a very jazzy disco shoes. Another popular shoe type, but of a very different style, were the Earth shoes. They would have a thick sole but would be thinner at the heel to make it feel like you were walking on the beach. They usually came in a brown or black leather and had a buckle or lace fastening. Another popular shoe in the 70s was the Dr Scholl wooden sandal. They were very simple shoes but still very popular. They had a wooden sole and were shaped to fit the arch of the foot. They would then have a simple leather strap going over the foot and some would have a buckle detail. They came in many different colours and were worn as everyday shoes. Go Go Boots were also a popular shoe choice, especially to discos. They were made from a shiny vinyl or plastic fabric and were mostly white. However, some neon coloured Go Go Boots were popular as well. They usually has a rounded toe and came to the knee. They started off a simple flat heel but were soon turned into platform shoes.

Handbags...

Handbags were quite simple in the 70s. Working women would often use a simple large leather bag to carry their supplies while casual bags were usually smaller. Simple square satchel bags and handle bags were popular and were usually in earthy tones. Leather bags were the most popular but suede and knitted bags were used as well.

 Disco Look...

The 70s was all about having fun, especially at the disco. You wouldn't see people turning up in jeans or casual wear; it was all about the iconic disco look. The more attention you got with your disco look the better. Women would often wear disco dresses in a shiny sparkly fabric usually in a silver, gold or bronze colour. The most popular fabric used for these dresses was 'lame' as it was shiny but still comfortable and lightweight. As the disco look was all about the bling these dresses were covered in sequins and embellishment. However, some dresses weren't made from 'lame' but were made from a more flowy fabric which made it easier to dance. These dresses came in bright bold patterns usually geometric or floral. They would include colours such as orange, red, yellow and pink.  The shape of the disco dress varied but the length was always mini. Some would have a straight cut whereas others had a flared skirt allowing the dress to flare out when spinning round. The sleeve length of the dresses varied from sleeveless to long sleeve but the most common style was tight fitted until the elbow and then had a large flared bell sleeve. The neckline on these dresses was mostly a large V neck to show off a bit of cleavage and a matching headband was usually worn. 

Although the disco dress was the most popular outfit some women chose to wear a jumpsuit instead. They usually looked best on tall slim women as they elongated the figure. Like the dresses the jumpsuits were often made from a shiny 'lame' fabric. They usually had a halter V neckline and the trousers were tight fitted until the knee and then had a large flared hem. Many women would also wear a belt to clench in the waist.

So that's all I have for you today, I hope you enjoyed this post and got to learn a little bit more about what sort of clothing women worn in the 1970s. If you want to see more posts like this them make sure you check out my previous posts from the 1920-1960s and stay tuned for the 80s, 90s, and 00s soon. You can also head back to my blog every Wednesday for fashion styling posts and Fridays to read about different fashion topics. I hope you all have a wonderful rest of your day and I look forward to seeing you back here again soon...

Emma Victoria