70's Fashions & Hairstyles
In the 1970s, equality was in and fashion showed off a variety of unisex hairstyles and clothes. Just like today, retro looks followed the celebrities of the decade, such as Farrah Fawcett, John Travolta and Debbie Harry. Denim, exotic fabrics and ethnic fashion trends made great impressions on 1970s youth, as well as disco music in the latter years of the period. Does this Spark an idea?
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Tops
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Both men and women wore tunic shirts, which tied in the front and hung loosely around the arms and waist. Women also wore peasant tops, which were flowy and often off-the-shoulder. Midriff tops were tied above the navel for women, and men wore custom t-shirts or baseball jerseys, such as John Travolta in "The Boy in the Plastic Bubble" from 1976.
Bottoms
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Bell bottom jeans with high waists were popular for both sexes. The denim jeans featured wide legs that flared at the knee. Women and men often wore platform shoes with jeans and other styles of pants. Fringed miniskirts made of suede were popular with women as well. Flared trousers for both work and dressy occasions were worn by both men and women. Pantsuits in bright colors also popped up in the disco scene, where tangy orange or pale blue polyester suits showed style on the dance floor.
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Dresses
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The caftan came from ethnic fashion trends which became incorporated into American 1970s styles. Made of silk, the caftan was open in the front with long, loose sleeves and a a deep V neckline that dipped below the navel. Other glamorous dresses came with empire waists, high necklines and floral prints.
Male Hair
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Both women and men took on longer hairstyles, inciting riots with traditional parents who thought the look was too radical. For men, long hair was worn past the ears, parted down the middle and feathered back from the face. For the "shag" look, some men parted their hair to the side, wore bangs over their foreheads and had long, shiny locks that barely rose above the shoulders. The afro style was very popular within the African American community for both men and women.
Female Hair
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Women also feathered their hair away from the face, emulating Farrah Fawcett's look from the 1970s show "Charlie's Angels." The style called for long layers, especially around the face, styled with large rollers for volume. Other women wore their hair long, straight and parted down the middle. In 1977, Debbie Harry also donned a new trend with her platinum blonde hair and fringed bangs. The pageboy hairstyle was a popular kids look for both girls and boys.
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References
- American History: A Visual Journey
- Louisiana State Museum: Elegance After Dark
- Fashion-Era: The 70s Disco Fashion 1970s Costume History
- HairStylesCut.com: 70s Fashion, Fashion Trends in the 70s
- Bellasugar: Bella Donna: Debbie Harry
- Fashion-Era: 1970s Fashion History Hairstyles Image of College Women 1977
Resources
- Photo Credit Photodisc/Photodisc/Getty Images
