1970s in fashion

In 1971 hotpants and bell-bottomed trousers were popular fashion trends
Example of glam rock costume worn by Roy Wood and Wizzard, early 1970s.
A wrap dress Diane von Fürstenberg designed in the 1970s

Fashion in the 1970s was about individuality. In the early 1970s, Vogue proclaimed "There are no rules in the fashion game now"[1] due to overproduction flooding the market with cheap synthetic clothing. Common items included mini skirts, bell-bottoms popularized by hippies, vintage clothing from the 1950s and earlier, and the androgynous glam rock and disco styles that introduced platform shoes, bright colors, glitter, and satin.[2]

New technologies brought advances in production through mass production, higher efficiency, generating higher standards and uniformity. Generally the most famous silhouette of the mid and late 1970s for both genders was that of tight on top and loose on bottom. The 1970s also saw the birth of the indifferent, anti-conformist casual chic approach to fashion, which consisted of sweaters, T-shirts, jeans and sneakers.[3] One notable fashion designer to emerge into the spotlight during this time was Diane von Fürstenberg, who popularized, among other things, the jersey "wrap dress".[4][5] von Fürstenberg's wrap dress design, which was among the most popular fashion styles of the 1970s, would also be credited as a symbol of women's liberation.[6][7] The French designer Yves Saint Laurent[8][9] and the American designer Halston both observed and embraced the changes that were happening in the society, especially the huge growth of women's rights[10] and the youth counterculture. They successfully adapted their design aesthetics to accommodate the changes that the market was aiming for.

Top fashion models in the 1970s were Lauren Hutton, Margaux Hemingway, Beverly Johnson, Gia Carangi, Janice Dickinson, Patti Hansen, Cheryl Tiegs, Jerry Hall, and Iman.

  1. ^ "1970's Revival – Fashion blog". Oxfam GB. Archived from the original on 24 September 2017. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
  2. ^ "Troubled Times: 1961–79". Retrieved 27 July 2014.
  3. ^ Evans, Ell N. (24 August 1975). "The Emperor's Fall Clothes". The New York Times: 213. Retrieved 24 March 2022. [J]eans have invaded ballet, theater and gallery openings with such assertion that everyone else feels overdressed.
  4. ^ Marie Claire (31 December 2014). "Diane von Furstenberg's Style History In Dresses". Marie Claire UK. Retrieved 15 April 2023.
  5. ^ "Vintage Fashion Guild : Label Resource : Von Furstenberg, Diane". vintagefashionguild.org. Retrieved 15 April 2023.
  6. ^ "Wrap superstar: Designer Diane von Fürstenberg tells her story". The Independent on Sunday. London. 27 March 2008. Archived from the original on 7 May 2022. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
  7. ^ Leora Tanenbaum (14 July 2015). "Because of Slut-Shaming, the Wrap Dress Still Matters". Huffington Post. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
  8. ^ Morris, Bernadine (15 August 1976). "Fashion: Paris Report". The New York Times. p. 179. Retrieved 4 April 2022. In the late 1960's, [Saint Laurent] watched the student riots in Paris and came up with the pants suit, which everyone is still wearing.
  9. ^ Morris, Bernadine (16 September 1968). "Saint Laurent Has a New Name for Madison Avenue – Rive Gauche". The New York Times: 54. Retrieved 23 April 2023. During the student upheavals in Paris in May [1968], [Saint Laurent] saw the girls and boys behind the barricades dressed...in pants...'They looked beautiful...,' he said...'Fashion is not only couture....Events are more important.'...[In] his last Paris couture collection, shown in July,...[p]ants outfits overshadowed more conventional attire.
  10. ^ Embree, Alice (2021). "Raising Our Voices: 1973-1979". Voice Lessons. Austin, TX, USA: Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin. p. 174. ISBN 978-0-9997318-6-4. In 1970, the women's movement began to take dress down an increasingly informal path. T-shirts, blue jeans, cutoffs, hiking boots, hair flowing freely...Women disposed of bras and freed their breasts under T-shirts or blue work shirts....Relaxed informality settled into the mainstream. In the '70s, political statements moved from buttons to...T-shirts.