When you think about the fashion women wore in the 70’s and their trends compared to today? The first thing that comes to mind for us is bold prints, bell bottom pants, platform shoes and the hippie look. 1970s had it all and its fashion trends were distinctly outlined by three major characteristics: prints, prints and more prints.
There is a lot to consider besides prints in the 70s. However, you cannot deny that prints formed the basis of fashion trends in 1970s. The decade of 70s has had its fair share of hits and misses, but that goes with fashion for every decade.
We have compiled for you a list of top 10 fashion trends wore by women in the 70’s favorite outfits and styles that were prevalent in the 70s to help you add a vintage touch and retro essence to your wardrobe. We have picked the most chic, sexiest and trendiest styles from the 70s that you will be able to interpret in your own way and add your own ideas to come up with a great look.
1. Maxi Dresses
“Elegance” is what you think of when you set eyes on a maxi dress. Maxi dresses are long flowing with a loose fit and are characterized by floral prints, which look very graceful. The best part about maxi dresses is that they work well for all body types. Maxi dresses make a great fashion statement for summer and spring.
Women in 1970s wore maxi dresses as formal attire. They exhibited versatility with different patterns like long sleeves, short sleeves, sleeveless, halter and noodle straps. Maxi dresses were graced with elbow length gloves, chain string clutches and platform shoes for an overall elegant look and trust us; this look went down really well.
2. Flared Jeans
Denims made their way into the closets of every American post the 50s, before which it was the standard outfit of miners and farmers. We’re sure glad it did, because today it’s impossible to imagine life without a pair of jeans.
Jeans in 1970s were defined by flared bottoms and every girl in America owned at least one pair of these stylishly cut denims. Bell bottoms worked great paired with platforms and boots. Whether you choose to refer to them as flared jeans, wide legged jeans or bell bottoms, these jeans were a hit among the contemporary American women in the mid 70s and it was a favorite among celebrities in those days.
3. Scooter Skirts
Scooter skirts resemble schoolgirl skirts today. Scooter skirts are actually shorts that are well concealed by a perfect set of pleats, to make it appear as a skirt.
Scooter skirts are so called because they allowed women to sit comfortably on a scooter without being conscious about exposing their undergarments. These skirts were the modest version of the mini skirt trend of 1960s and 1980s.
4. Ascot Blouses
An ascot refers to a patterned piece of cloth attached to the neckline of a blouse or dress. Ascots display diversity in their pattern with types such as simple ascot ties, ascot bows, ruffled ascots and crepe ascots.
Ascot blouses were worn by working women in the 70s and were hence nicknamed “secretary or working girl blouses.” They were usually paired with skirts and were a 100% feminine style.
Today these blouses do make a trendier appearance or we simply wear a plain blouse and adorn it with a scarf resembling an ascot, which is much trendier in the present context.
5. Animal Print Fur Coats
Natural fur is now frowned upon and for good reason (we support the cause too). Why pay for fashion at a horrid cost of someone’s life when we have a perfectly stylish artificial fur available to us. The artificial fur industry also took off with this intention and made waves in 1970s with faux fur.
The 70s saw a fad among women with animal print fur coats taking centrestage for the months of winter. Fur provides warmth and style at the same time and leopard, tiger and white tiger prints were quite popular among the fashionistas of the 70s society. Animal print fur coats are hugely popular even today.
6. Prairie Dresses
Prairie Dresses are peasant dresses with a twist. Prairie dresses were defined by a high square neckline and attached to it were ruffles and frills in lace. The sleeves of prairie dresses were puffed and the bottom of the skirt was also lined with frills and lace. Prairie dresses had a high waist line and usually had a belt attached to the waist to give it a very feminine and girly look. The length of these dresses was never defined by a set pattern and you could go in for a long prairie dress, knee length or mini dresses at your discretion.
Prairie dresses were highly conservative dresses with a country style touch to them. The prints of these dresses were floral, polka dotted, plaided, calico or mono colored.
7. Platform Shoes
Heels add grace to a woman’s stride and pride. And women back in the 70s too were aware of this. Platform shoes, which are the most comfortable among heels with bearable heel lengths, were a must-have for every woman in the 70s. Platform shoes gave a good boost to a woman’s height and they were made out of wood back then. Platform shoes with straps and the “sandal” look were quite popular.
8. Head Scarves and Head Bands
Head scarves and head bands served dual purposes; that of protecting the hair from heat and roughness due to wind as well as being a style statement. Colorful scarves and head bands added a feminine grace to a woman’s overall look. It was a very impressive trend in the 70s.
9. Floppy Hats
Floppy, wide brimmed hats were women’s dearest accessory in the 70s. The wide brims of the hat with flowers attached to it gave it a very classy and feminine look. Floppy hats were a must wear accessory in 1970s to serve as a shield from the sun. They were available in pastel and bright shades to go with every possible outfit a woman had.
10. Chevron Stripes
Just like floral prints are a huge trend today, chevron stripes were a huge trend in the 70s. Chevron stripes comprised a mixture of horizontal, vertical and diagonal stripes, which met at the center of the dress or skirt to produce an inverted “V.” Chevron stripes paired with platform heels and a floppy hat completed an elegant look.
You may have often wondered how strangely the human mind works. The fashion trends we were madly in love with a few years ago may seem quite a disaster to us in the present scenario. Shoulder pads would be the best way to explain this phenomenon as they were quite a rage among women in the 70s and 80s. And if we look back today, we can only cringe and wonder what we were thinking.
1970s saw the birth of new fabrics and newer styles. Though some of us may perceive retro trends as outrageous, the 70s gave us quite a few memorable styles that are simply repackaged today like old wine in new bottles.
Fashion Trends of the 70s created waves in fashion that creates ripples even today.
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