Fashion in the Seventies

I loved the fashions of the seventies… why you ask? Was it the colours of the fabrics? No? Or maybe it was the cool flowing styles? Maybe. Or possibly it was that I am a little restricted in the height department and that those platform shoes were a heaven sent present from the Fashion Gods.

Yes I was the proud owner of a pair of 6” platforms which, when combined with a pair of over long flares , took me to new heights of girl pulling, or so I thought. As with all good plans there is always a drawback and this was no exception, for after 6 pints of Fuller’s London Pride walking was elevated to a whole new skill level. Staggering on stilts was the name of the game and I did manage it to some degree but trying to do the strut and talk at the same time was just too much. I think I did manage to get some girl’s attention one time when she said it was like watching Norman Wisdom, she knew I was going to fall, it was just a matter of when.

Can you remember what you were wearing in those sun filled days? Did you sew on the big Dollar patches or polish away on your big Levi’s belt buckle? Was you, like me, the proud owner of a Starsky Cardigan? Well I hope to bring back some memories for you here with a strut down the cat-walk of 70’s fashion. Here you will be able to peruse the Hipsters, Flares, Halter-necks etc that made the 70’s fashion unforgettable.

So don your Hawaiian shirts and corduroy jeans and embark on a journey back to coolness.

Of course if it's fancy dress ideas that you're looking for click here for the coolest selection of 70s Fancy Dress you could ever ask for.

Afghan Coat
A knee length sheepskin coat with huge fur collar & trim. Not one to wear out in the rain unless you wanted to smell like an old dog (Early 70’s)

Al Capone Hat
Black hat worn with white silk scarf & jersey smock dress. This was a short-lived fashion. No surprise there! (1975)

American Tan Tights
English white legs needed the help of tights to get that tan, but they were dark orange! Were “oompa loompa” legs really the fashion? (Early 70’s)

Bellbottoms
Trousers that flared out from the knee & covered your shoes. The wider the better, with 24” being the ultimate in cool.

Ben Sherman Shirt
Slim fitting shirt with button down collar & an inch wide pleat down the back with tab. Popular with the shaven head, braces and Dr. Martin brigade.

Blakies
Metal sole protection that you fixed on the heel of your shoes, mostly to make as much noise as possible tap dancing in the school corridor and to make sparks on the pavement as you walked home from school.. Did anyone actually ever buy them to protect their shoes?

Cheesecloth Shirt
A handy item for those people who hated ironing. I loved these in the mid 70’s when Status Quo were in their hey day. Went well with your Levi Jeans and huge buckled belts.

Chocolate Brown Tights
Another ghastly colour to cover pasty white legs! Not quite “oompa loompa “ but just as sexy.

Cowbell Necklace
A small bell hanging from a leather shoestring. Mostly worn by Hippies and probably with not a lot else! (Early 70’s)

Crombie
Black or Navy woollen knee length coat with red silk hanky in top pocket. Worn by the same crowd making lots of noise with their blakies! (1972)

Dinner Plate Sleeves
Blouses or shirts that flared out from the elbow. Not the best item to wear when meeting the boy/girlfriend’s parents for the first time and eating soup!

Elasticated Nurse Belt
Worn with high waisted skirts, this belt had a 3 clasp metal fastening. Most boyfriends were interested in the full nurses uniform, not just the belt! (1975)

Espadrilles
Woven or canvas wedge shoes/sandals with long ties to criss- cross up the legs! Great for stopping the circulation, giving you varicous veins and an interesting tan if worn in the sun. Never stayed up even with the best boy scout knot! (1977)

Falmer Jeans & Waistcoat
Denim with 3 pin-tucks in the back pockets & front of waistcoat. Status Quo eat your heart out. (1976)

Flares
Trousers that flared extremely wide at the bottom to completely cover shoes. Never knew the difference between these and bellbottoms. Does anyone know?

Halter Necks
Lovely little backless tops for the girls, which tied up round the neck and midriff. Very nice in the summer months.

Hotpants
Shorts with bib ‘n’ brace, very often made from crimplene! Some had turn ups. Some things have improved over the years. Just ask yourself, who looked better in Hotpants, Babs from Pans People or Kylie?(1971)

Kipper Tie
Extremely wide tie with huge knot! Great for keeping your shirt clean. (Mid to late 70’s)

Leather/Suede Waistcoat with tassels
Sometimes known as a “jerkin”, mostly worn by “Bikers” or “Hells Angels”, and definitely not worn with Hotpants! (Early 70’s)

Loafers
Leather shoes with front tassel. Made you look cool and sound even cooler if Blakies added and worn together with your Ben Sherman, Sta-press trousers and Crombie. (1972)

Loon Pants
Heavy cotton hipster trousers that changed colour from the knee downwards. Looked like something that Barbara from the “Good Life” would run up on her sewing machine! (1974)

Love Beads
Tiny multi-coloured beads threaded onto cotton, worn wrapped around and around your wrist or neck. Never knew if you wore them when you were looking for love, in love or just had a “bit of love”!

Mini, Midi, Maxi Skirt
A-line skirts in 3 different lengths, usually worn with knee-length boots. No doubt which length the blokes preferred! (1972)

Oxford Bags
Pleat-front baggy trousers with turn ups, usually woollen, checked material. No comment necessary. How awful do they sound? (Mid 70’s)

Patches
I used to work on a habidashery stool down Roman road and we used to sell these by the bucket. The big favourite was the US Dollar. Perfect for sewing on your jean jackets.

Platforms
Chunky shoes (often multi-coloured) with dangerously high heels and mega thick soles. Ideal for that sexy walk across the dance floor to impress that chick/guy you had your eye on all night. NOT!

Punk
Lots of leather, tartan, safety pins, heavy make-up, chains and anything else you felt like wearing, to get you noticed whilst “pogo-ing” and to scare your Nan! (1977)

Roundies
Big round toed shoes. Very comfortable fashion and popular with those who had a width-fitting off the scale at Clarkes!

Skinny Rib Tops
Very tight fitting jumpers to show off all those intended and unintended curves!

Snakeskin Boots
Steve Irwin (Crocodile Hunter) will be pleased to note these were fake.An ideal item to be worn with a mini-skirt, according to the blokes!

Starsky Cardigan
A chunky- knit, long length, woollen cardigan with belt. Normally cream and brown and only ever looked good on me and Starsky! A really cool bit of clothing which I absolutely loved.

Sta-press Trousers
Drainpipe trousers with crisp permanent creases. Made from the famous trevira that never required ironing. No wonder they were so popular.

Suede Patchwork Skirt
Another item of clothing probably made by Barbara from the “Good Life.” (1973)

Tank Top
Sleeveless skinny ribbed jumper in various colours. Lost all credibility when worn by Frank Spencer in “Some Mothers Do Have ‘Em”!

Tartan
No description necessary. What ever happened to Les, Eric, Alan, Woody, and the other one? (1975)

Teddy Bear Jacket
Short jacket with round collars and front zip, made with teddy bear fur in various bright colours. No animals were harmed in the making of these jackets! (1971)

Tonic Trousers, Skirt, Jacket
Woven trevira material that looked two different colours when viewed in different directions. Normally the following colours; green/brown, pink/purple or blue/black. Ideal for those short of money who wanted to make it look like they had more clothes, as long as they walked backwards sometimes! (Early 70’s)

Wide Collared shirts
Sometimes patterned with white collars. The wider the collar the better to show off the hairy chest and medallion. Collars that were wider than your shoulders were really impressive. Now back in fashion according to Harry Hill!