1. Hot and sticky jumpsuits!
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Ah, jumpsuits. The worst nightmare when you need the bathroom. Back in the 70s, vinyl jumpsuits in particular were the done thing, which meant they were very warm and uncomfortable. And if you needed to pee, you basically had to get naked just to go. We must have loved them enough, though, because they’ve made a comeback.
2. Collars that could take someone’s eye out
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If there’s one thing 70s fashion is known for, it’s huge shirt collars. Suits were big in the 70s, especially for men, but no suit was complete without a collar spanning the entire width of your shoulders. Any big collar like that looks more gimmicky than can be taken seriously.
3. Can chest hair be a fashion trend?
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It’s strange but if there’s one thing you think of from 70s fashion it’s… man with shirt open (massive collar) and chest hair. It’s not really the 70s if you don’t have a rug showing. So much so it became part of the outfit. Maybe the shirt collars were so big so they acted as weights to keep the shirt open? We’ll never know.
4. Cut-out swimsuits
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This is a fashion trend that was so controversial that it went out of existence… and then came back with a vengeance in recent times. Back in the 70s, cut out one-pieces meant you’d get a huge half-moon tan line from a day at the beach – but these days most bathing suits are complete with a million straps or holes!
5. What was the deal with shiny shirts?
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It was like an unspoken law in the 70s that all shirts had to have a sheen to them – and no, we don’t mean from the sweat of dancing under a disco ball. Most shirts had a wet-look, sparkles, or reflective sheens… but to be fair, where’s the fun in wearing a shirt if it isn’t shiny?
6. Huge gowns with big patterns
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The 70s was really a time for looking like you’re wearing your grandma’s bedsheet as a dress. For some reason, huge gowns were in – and they were only acceptable if they had gargantuan patterns in a ton of different colours, and – bonus – huge baggy bell sleeves that dipped into every meal you were trying to eat.
7. Double denim
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This has always been a controversial look, but not so controversial that it stayed behind in the 70s – because it definitely made a comeback in the 90s and 00s! Most people will agree than double denim is a no-go though. If you’re wearing jeans, leave the denim jacket behind!
8. Knee-high socks
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The knee-high socks became a thing because mini skirts became a thing – and while you chose to have your whole leg bare because your skirt was so short, you wanted to balance it out by covering up at least to your knee… but no matter the decade, this will never not be the ‘schoolgirl’ look.
9. The rise of punk piercings
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The 70s were fraught with radical body piercings on the punk scene – something which has never actually stopped even today. Back then, it was more shocking to see someone with a huge chain hanging across half their face, or having their ears pierced anywhere but the lobe. But it was fashion!
10. The ‘space’ dress
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Call it what you will – the space dress, the hippy dress, the futuristic disco dress – but this dress was the dress in the 70s. It had sort of rolled over from the 60s and provided a kind of square shaped thigh-length dress, usually in a futuristic pattern, and paired with latex knee-length boots.
11. The studded belt
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It was sacrilege in the 70s to wear a belt that didn’t have a million studs on it. Whether you were part of the punk scene or not, studded belts eventually became the ‘norm’ and even with kids of the 00s as the key accessory. And sure, it plucked every piece of fabric you owned, but it looked good.
12. Stripes, everywhere
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If your clothing wasn’t striped in the 70s, why were you even wearing it? Stripes were in, and every single person was rocking their own variation on the streets. Sure, stripes looked bold and interesting, but when there were so many of them, it turned into a bit of an eyestrain!
13. Tops that tied in the middle
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What was the deal with those? Somewhere between a bikini and a bra, the tops had to tie right under the bust to show off your entire midriff and a good deal of chest. Everybody was wearing them in the 70s, including celebrities like Cher. You had to be sure to double knot, though, so it didn’t come undone…
14. Fur coats
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There’s no denying that fur coats looked – and still look – amazing and glamourous. The problem in the 70s was that it was real fur used. Thankfully, that’s an outdated practice these days, and you can still enjoy the look of a good fur coat with faux materials instead!
15. The 70s took heels to another level
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If you think stiletto heels are bad these days, the 70s really pushed its luck with high platform shoes. We understand why you’d need them to be higher to keep flared pants off the floor, but the heels were so huge – pushing around 8 inches high on average – that it’s surprise everyone in the 70s wasn’t walking around with a broken ankle!
16. The shaggy, feather hair
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The 70s were all about the big shaggy hair – so much so, it became part of the outfit in itself! You either love it or you hate it… but there’s no denying the huge hair everywhere you looked was a little much, not to mention the upkeep. Though these days people do request a shaggy 70s throwback look!
17. The casual suit
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We know that suits were a big deal in the 70s, but they were so big that it wasn’t just for formal occasions – people wanted to wear them everywhere, which made way for the more casual ‘leisure suit’, which meant wearing a bright, patterned suit just to run errands was acceptable.
18. So many waistcoats
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And if you weren’t wearing a suit jacket? You best hope you were wearing a waistcoat! Waistcoats were everywhere in the 70s, and they were never plain either – they usually had to be sparkly, feathered, tasselled, patterned and – of course – big collared! Never leave the house without your trusty waistcoat.
19. Knitted vests
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The only acceptable thing to put over your wide-collared shirt when you didn’t have a waistcoat? A knitted vest. It had to be a vest instead of a jumper, so that you could still see your shirt sleeves, of course. Bonus points if the knitted vests were in a shade of green or brown.
20. Flared pants
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Flares – or ‘bellbottoms’ – were so iconic they not only stuck around for the 70s, but they were there in the 60s and came back for the 90s, too. Most of us have a love-hate relationship with flares, because they did look good, admittedly… but they were just too big! And dragging on the floor meant frayed bottoms.
