Mary Smith

Fashion trends in the early seventies were heavily influenced by the sixties.  The 60s was full of radical changes, both in culture and fashion. It was all this chaos and change that opened up the doors for increased creativity and exploration in the fashions of the 70s.

On of the main fashion influences of the seventies was Rock and Roll musicians. Instead of following fashion trends, these musicians set them. Seventies clothes therefore will always be remembered as free-spirited, diverse and fun-loving.

The 1970s started off with a continuation of the popular sixties hippie look – tie dyed shirts, bell bottoms and frayed jeans. Seventies clothes consisted of people taking the hippie culture a new and interesting level – instead of buying bell bottoms and tie dyed garments, they would make their own. The flamboyant fashions of rockers like Elton John and David Bowie were also gaining in popularity.

Seventies clothes also saw the rise of ethnic fashions, with garments from the Far East like turbans and kimonos popping up. Also, this was the age of the Afro.

But probably the biggest musical influence on seventies fashion was disco music. But while disco clothing was popular, it was not considered appropriate day wear. Disco clothing was designed for the nightclub setting – therefore ease of movement and comfort was essential. Clothing features stretchy materials such as spandex or Lycra. Also popular was gold hot pants, mini skirts, leopard prints, zipped jumpsuits, sequined tube tops and satin jackets – all designed to be eye-catching. And of course, who can forget those platform shoes?

But by the end of the 70s, disco clothing began to wane in popularity, opening the door to new and emerging fashion trends. Casual pants went high-waisted, with women choosing flared leg denim pants and skirts. However, by the end of the seventies, straight leg jeans were fashionable. Tennis shoes also became standard attire during the end of the seventies thanks to the establishment of Nike.

The Punk look was also a significant part of seventies clothes. This look features the Mohawk (which is once again becoming popular), stud collars, ripped jeans and chains.

Author bio

This article was written by Gray and Osbourn and offers insight into seventies clothes.