1970s-Style Black Dresses
The black dresses of the 1970s were designed with ethnicity, earthiness and a self-exhibition outlook. Silk, satin, fur, cotton and chiffon were some of the materials used to create these garment masterpieces. This era was known for an "anything goes" fashion sense that was characterized by individual expression. Fashion declarations such as the hippie movement and the punk era were a main part of the 1970s black dress style.
Other People Are Reading
-
History
-
Before the black dress's fashionable introduction in 1926 by designer Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel, the color black was reserved strictly for funerals and periods of grief. Chanel's design was a sleeveless sheath cut just above the knee made from a jersey fabric. After the end of World War II, Christian Dior reintroduced the black dress with more frills and extravagance. Hubert de Givenchy presented his first couture collection in 1952. In the 1960s sheer fabric was introduced into the design of the black dress. By the 1970s lace and more feminine versions appeared on the fashion scene.
Icons Who Donned the Black Dress
-
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis wore an eloquent black dress for dinner at the popular La Cote Basque. She was seen wearing this dress on a number of occasions during the 1970s, refusing to retire its simplistic elegance. Liza Minnelli attended the 1970 Academy Awards wearing a black slinky styled seductive wrap. In 1977 Blondie's Deborah Harry added a rock spin to the black dress's style.
-
Punk Era
-
Shocking fashions originated in the punk culture, with the black dress being an expressive outlet to its wearer. The dresses were ripped, cut and safety pinned and created with unusual fabrics like PVC, leather and garbage bags. Complementing the unusual take on the black dress were, often, a pair of fishnet stockings.
Hippie Movement
-
Favored black dress styles during the hippie age included the boho, the maxi and the halter neck dress. Boho is a class of fashion that drew its look from bohemian influences. The boho dress was known for its flowing and pleasant style. The maxi dress was an alternative to the shorter mini and midi dresses of the 1970s. Initially, the maxi dress materialized itself donning fabrics of lace and being slightly shorter than ankle length. Cutaway arm holes were often the most revealing part of a maxi dress. Long black maxi dresses were commonly worn for day and evening wear. A popular 1970s evening style dress was the black halter neck. The halter neck style featured a single strap around the back of the neck. This particular style was viewed as more provocative due to the exposure of the shoulder blades and upper and middle back.
-
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Model in black dress with bristling fingers, turn back image by Oleg Mitiukhin from Fotolia.com
