1970's Fashion

Top Left Photograph:

unknown, _Girl in Hallway_, photograph, 1977, Henderson High's Yearbook Collection, Suwanee, Georgia.

 

Top Right Photograph:

Thomas Kenney, _Mother's Prom_, photograph, 1775, Pam Stalvey's Collection, Suwanee, Georgia.

 

Middle Left Photograph:

unknown, _Boy in Desk_, photograph, 1977, Henderson High's Yearbook Collection, Suwanee, Georgia.

 

Middle Photograph:

unknown, _Hand with Mood Rings_, photograph, 1977, Henderson High's Yearbook Collection, Suwanee, Georgia.

 

Right Middle Photograph:

unknown, _Girl in Desk_, photograph, 1977, Henderson High's Yearbook Collection, Suwanee, Georgia.

 

Bottom Left Photograph:

unknown, _Group of People_, photograph, 1977, Henderson High's Yearbook Collection, Suwanee, Georgia.

 

Bottom Right Photograph:

unknown, _Man with Thick Glasses_, Photograph, 1970, Greta Kenney's Collection, Tucker, Georgia.

 

 

The 1970’s were characterized by confrontation within the governments of America and Europe. Such issues as the Vietnam War, Watergate Scandal, Apollo 16 mission, student riots in Paris, the Oz trial in England, and Yippes and Black Panthers created controversy throughout the era. This controversy and presentation of new ideals led to self-expression and experimentation in fashion. Numerous trends occurred such as platform shoes, mood rings, and thick glasses that took the world by storm and then disappeared just as quickly. Females seemed to wear soft romantic clothing or spawned a more masculine appearance as feminism spread throughout the United States. Mini-skirts became slightly longer, and feminism brought back the need to cover-up more skin than was shown in the 60’s. Books such as The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan and The Female Eunuch by Germaine Greer sparked the incentive for females to find their place in the world, as well as fashion. Fashion began to belong more to the individual’s personal style rather than just recreating a “look” in a magazine. Another trend of the 70’s was the “punk” genre. The punk ideal took a stance against conformity and thrived on creativity. Examples of punk clothing were thick black boots, colorful and often spiked hair, chains, leather jackets and pants, or even household items such as the safety pin. Jeans were more popular than ever in the 1970’s. T-shirts became tighter and came in a variety of shapes such as v-neck, capped sleeve, long sleeve, boat neck, etc. A new fad in t-shirt design was to place a message on the t-shirt, which could be a saying, joke, or protest (usually against the Vietnam War). Hair cuts were greatly influenced by movie and TV stars such as Farrah Fawcett and Jane Fonda’s long waves or short bob’s worn by Mia Farrow. Afros were another popular hairstyle. Highlights were first used in the 70’s, but did not look very natural. Due to the bright colors and sounds of the Disco craze, eye make-up was very bright and came in all kinds of colors. Make-up was very wild, and lips were usually painted with lip gloss or bright lipstick. Having tan, sun-kissed skin was greatly desired, which led to make-up companies creating self-tanning lotion. Like the 1960’s being thin was still a necessity in the fashion world. Because of the obsession with keeping weight off, anorexia was first brought into the public spotlight.

 

 

Brookes, Rosetta, and Teal Triggs. Chic Thrills. London: Harper Collins Publishers, 1992.

 

Clancy, Deirdre. Costume Since 1945- Couture, Street Style, and Anti-Fashion. New York: Drama Publishers, 1996.

 

Crane, Diana. Fashion and its Social Agendas. Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press, 2000.

 

Mulvey, Kate. Decades of Beauty. New York: Reed Consumer Books Limited, 1998.

 

 

For more information on fashions of the 1970's, visit en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1970s_in_fashion

 

 

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