For my first blog post, I've decided that the best way to begin is by discussing what I believe to be the most fun decade for fashion, the 1970's. I will be discussing everything 70's, from patterned dresses to high collars, and also how big names such as Elton John and David Bowie were changing the fashion game for men at a time where individuality was only beginning to become what it is today!!!
The Beginning of the Decade
To begin with, let's talk about how fashion changed from the 1960's not what it became in the 70's. Fashion at the beginning of the 1970's was fairly similar to that of the end of the decade previous. One word in particular that comes into my mind when thinking about this time period are "groovy. This photo shows exactly what I mean when I say this. As we can see from this image, one of the aspects that I believe stands out the most is the vibrancy! This is exactly what fashion was about, bright and vibrant colours. The colour clashing patterns on dresses, styled with a vibrant coloured pair of tights, and finished with a colourful pair of pumps. This is what it was all about for young women at the beginning of the decade. Another word that comes into mind when thinking about this time period is "hippie", (Reddy, 2019). The image below shows a very good representation of this. We can see that the fashion was similar for both men and women, the most noticeable being that the clothes are very flowy and airy, paired with long necklaces for men and some type of hair accessory for women, most commonly being a headband or bandana.
Decade of Disco
It is very well known that the 1970's was associated with discotheque. Clothing and accessories at this time really reflected on the disco "era" that many people were in, particularly in the United States, (Hargrove, 2024). When I think of male fashion in the disco era, long flared trousers and high necked collars pop straight into mind. One of the most iconic representations of this in film is John Travolta in "Saturday Night Fever". His outfit in the iconic dance scene of the movie perfectly depicts the vibe of the era.
Stars of the 70's
There are certain celebrities who made a big impact in the world of fashion in the 1970's, the most memorable to me being Elton John. He made it clear that he did not care about what people thought of him. One of his most iconic looks from his career during this time was in 1973 when he wore his white suit trimmed with feathers and styled with his infamous rhinestone-framed glasses, (Longo, 2023). Elton John showed everyone that certain clothing items weren't restricted to a certain gender, such as only women being allowed to wear heels. Another big name of the 70s who tore down fashion stereotypes was David Bowie. With his red hair and his iconic zigzag makeup across his eye, his persona "Ziggy Stardust" became a huge topic of conversation how he wasn't afraid to show the world who we truly was through his style, (Longstone, 2023).
References:
Reddy, K. (2019a) 1970-1979, Fashion History Timeline. Available at: https://fashionhistory.fitnyc.edu/1970-1979/ (Accessed: 05 February 2025).
Hargrove, J. (2024) The Disco Era: Fashion in the 1970s, Timeless Fashion Hub. Available at: https://timelessfashionhub.com/modern-fashion/20th-century/the-disco-era-fashion-in-the-1970s/ (Accessed: 05 February 2025).
Longo, A. (2023) Elton John: The Rock Icon’s style evolution through the years, Billboard. Available at: https://www.billboard.com/photos/elton-john-career-photos-style-8031038/1-a-star-from-the-start/ (Accessed: 05 February 2025).
Gladstone, I. (2023) David Bowie: His iconic style through the years: The gentleman’s journal: The latest in style and grooming, food and drink, business, lifestyle, culture, sports, restaurants, nightlife, travel and power., The Gentleman’s Journal | The latest in style and grooming, food and drink, business, lifestyle, culture, sports, restaurants, nightlife, travel and power. | The Gentleman’s Journal. Available at: https://www.thegentlemansjournal.com/article/david-bowie-style-through-the-years/ (Accessed: 05 February 2025).
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