1970s Party Outfit Ideas
The 1970s were a fantastic decade as far as providing ideas for party costumes. A number of iconic figures that rose to prominence during the so-called "Me Decade" still linger heavily in the public consciousness. It is easy to dress up as these figures for 1970s theme parties, in part because many of them are now fixtures at costume stores, and those that aren't can be recreated at home. Does this Spark an idea?
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Fonzie
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Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli remains one of the most recognizable figures of 1970s pop culture. Even better, a Fonzie party outfit is not difficult to create. All it takes is a white T-shirt, black leather jacket, straight legged blue jeans and boots. Of course, you then must add some greasy liquid to your hair to shape it into a ducktail. Fonzie was more than just another biker, however, so you can't forget to occasionally raise your thumb and say "Ayyyyy!" If you can arrange for a jukebox to start or stop playing by hitting it with your fist, even better.
Charlie's Angels
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"Charlie's Angels" presents the perfect opportunity for three or more girls to show up at a 1970s party as a collective outfit. More than three girls can show up as the crime-solving angels because over the course of the show several actresses left and were replaced. For this reason, blondes, brunettes, and even redheads can copy actresses ranging from Farrah Fawcett to the mostly forgotten Tanya Roberts. As far as costumes, that's the great thing: the angels got into such a variety of jams that any costume you can find that is even remotely connected to the decade can be exploited as long as you create a crime theme around it.
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Musical Movements
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To judge from most movies about the 1970s you would think disco was the only music that ever blared from an 8-track stereo. Forget the disco stereotype and instead show up as an early-decade glam rocker, complete with enormous platform boots, glittery outfits, and long hair. Or go in the opposite direction and show up as a punk rocker with short spiky hair, ripped shirt and jeans, and safety pin through your cheek (faked, of course.)
The Shark
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Most are familiar with the movie that set the standard for the summer blockbuster--"Jaws." But that shark had a second life on "Saturday Night Live." A running skit from the first season of SNL featured Chevy Chase dressed in a shark outfit showing up outside a door seeking a victim in the guise of delivering flowers or candy grams. When the door would open, the shark would attack.
The Wild and Crazy Guy
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No, not another skit from "Saturday Night Live." Steve Martin today is mostly known for making movie remakes, but once a upon a time he was the biggest comedian in the world. Use the excuse of a 1970s party to bring back into the public consciousness the memory of Steve Martin in his patented white suit with an arrow through his head and suddenly being overtaken by happy feet. Study DVDs of early episodes of SNL for research.
Hippies
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Before they became BMW-driving yuppies in the 1980s, the hippies had their last gasp in the early 1970s. Hippies are usually related to 1960s parties, but the fact is that much of the hippie look, like really long hair, tie-dyed T-shirts, faded jeans, vests, and headbands, did not reach the mainstream until around 1970. Hippies in all their full regalia could still be found in multitudes well into the middle of the decade.
Streaker
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One of the big fads of the 1970s was streaking: running quickly through a crowd sans clothing. Depending upon the party and your own sense of inhibition, you could actually show up as a real streak. For the rest, a flesh-colored body suit will do the trick quite nicely. To add a little flair, however, you might consider adding a few delicate examples of artwork to further the illusion.
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Resources
- Photo Credit Anarkangel, Wikimedia Commons
