Fashion
After the 60s, hippie inspired fashion was all the rage. In the 1970s, bell-bottom jeans, bright colors, and head accessories were extremely popular. The decade was full of famous fashion icons such as Diane Von Furstenberg and Farrah Fawcett. As time progressed, the late 70s also worked disco inspired features into clothes. However, as important designers began paving a new road for the fashion industry, the clothes of the 1970s began to change radically. Gabrielle Bonheur “Coco” Chanel passed away on January 10, 1971 (““Chanel, the Couturier, Dead in Paris”, 2010), but the public let her style live on through unisex clothes. For example, women began wearing pants almost all the time. Turtlenecks, pant suits, and sportswear (including leg warmers and tennis headbands) also grew in popularity. In the early 70s, clothes were very tight-fitting and often made of polyester, but designers began to break the mold by setting loose, easy silhouettes as the trend. Baggy sweaters, smocks, and kimono sleeves became commonplace amongst the average women of America. Furthermore, tall boots were worn by almost every woman in the country. Menswear was inspired by the ideal gentleman, with masculine shapes and interesting, playful colors. Plaids, houndstooth, and khaki were commonly used for suits. The button down shirt also made a comeback, this time with a bigger collar called a butterfly collar. By the end of the 1970s, prior to the Disco Era of the 80s, neutral color schemes of beige, white, and black hit full force. It appeared that the nation had tired of the fun colors of the 70s.
(“1970s Fashion: Styles, Trends, Pictures & History”, n.d.).
(Algoo, 2017)