Bellbottoms were utterly perfect, and anyone who says otherwise is wrong. During the ’70s, bellbottoms had to be high-waisted and tight-fitting. Flares were also a huge thing during this era, but they weren’t as groovy. Absolutely nothing beats the classic.
Oversized sunglasses popped up around the 1960s and bled over into the following decade. The infamous Jackie O started wearing oversized sunglasses first, but celebs like Cher were the ones that carried them into the disco years.
Florals were immensely popular during the ’70s. While it’s common to see florals now, it isn’t the same. Pants, dresses, hats, tops—whatever you put on your body could be the big, bold, usually mustard yellow floral pattern. There was no “statement piece.” The whole thing was a statement.
Sky-high platform shoes looked better than they felt. Oxfords, sandals, and boots were all victims of this trend—yes, victims! Nowadays, no one would be caught dead in platform shoes, but they were pretty cool at the time.
The ’70s was the decade of wrap dresses. They were designed by Diane von Furstenberg, who ended up making 15,000 wrap dresses a week during the 1970s! By the end of the decade, wrap dresses were available in different materials from cotton to polyester.
It was pretty chic to have anything made of knit or crochet. Most of us had at least one knit poncho for the full year, but during the summer, it wasn’t rare to see a girl walking around with a knit crop top.
Rompers? Back in our day, they were called jumpsuits. The only difference is that ours had full-length pantlegs. Jumpsuits blew up, and why wouldn’t they? They were incredibly comfortable, had pockets, and slimmed anyone down. Naturally, the jumpsuit had to have a huge, winged collar.
We absolutely loved halterneck dresses in the ’70s. That being said, it didn’t have to be a dress to have a halterneck. Jumpsuits, crop tops, and other types of tops could be easily modified to have a halterneck. It was the best thing to wear during the summer.
Bellsleeves was another trend that bled over from the ’60s. You couldn’t be boho-chic in the ’70s without a good bell sleeved dress or tunic. If Stevie Nicks could do it, why couldn’t we?
Did you live through the ’70s if you didn’t have a good pair of corduroy pants? Jeans were good and all, but corduroy was pretty durable and could be paired with anything. Unfortunately, this trend hasn’t popped up again, so we can’t pull them out of the closet just yet.
Vests aren’t something singular to the ’70s, but they were trendy during this time. It doesn’t matter if you were into disco or the leftover boho-chic style of the ’60s, you had a vest. However, if it were the latter, we’d bet the vest was fringed.
The mini-er the better! Skirts and dresses were usually pretty dang short during the ’70s, sometimes even crossing over into macro-mini territory. This trend was usually paired with knee-high boots or socks.
Call them hot pants or Daisy Dukes; they meant the same thing – ultra-short shorts. They became a regular sight during the ’70s, not that anyone was really complaining. They were especially popular in disco clubs.
You couldn’t have mini-skirts and dresses if you weren’t going to pair them with knee-high gogo boots! It was just the thing to do back then. These boots would hit at or over the knee, and they almost always had a chunky block platform heel.
The ’70s brought a wave of inspiration for fashion, particularly from other countries. One of the biggest was the kaftan. It popped up around the beginning of the decade, but by the end of the ’70s, most people moved on.
The hippie movement brought so much fashion to this decade, and maxi skirts are a big one. They went all the way down to the floor and got caught on literally everything, but that didn’t stop us from wearing them!
Groovy! Everyone owned tie-dye in some form or fashion. Most of us had tie-dye t-shirts because what could be more comfortable? This trend lasted for quite a while and popped up again in the ’90s.
During the ’70s, you had to have a big, floppy hat. You could pair it with a fun dress, and you could accessorize it with whatever you wanted—flowers, vines, ribbon, the sky was the limit!
Peasant blouses came over from the ’60s during the hippie revolution and stayed throughout the ’70s, mostly because they were so dang comfortable. They were a great way to be feminine without having to put a lot of effort into looking good.
If you could define this decade with one word, it would be color (after disco, of course). Among all those colors, pastel was the most popular. Colors like baby blue, yellow, mauve, and peach were some of the most-seen shades out there.
The tube top may have popped up earlier, but it didn’t get famous until the ’70s. This trend also came along with crop tops and bikini-like tops that were tied just below the chest. Basically, if it showed your midriff, you wore it.
Shine bright like a diamond! Wait, wrong decade, but same sentiment. Disco was about grooving and shining—you wanted to make a scene. There wasn’t a better way to do that than sequins. Some women wore a full dress of sequins while others preferred a sequined halter top.
By the late ’70s, women pushed their mini-skirts aside and opted for something a little more modest, but not too modest. High-slit skirts blew up in popularity and would usually be paired with boots or chunky heels.
Leisure suits were something else. To be honest, they weren’t even that great at leisure-ing when you compare them to sweatpants. These monochromatic outfits were all the rage, but that doesn’t mean they looked good.
Patterns galore! The ’70s were all about expressing your style in the newest, kookiest pattern you could find. Sometimes the dresses were mini and barely covered our butts, but other times they could be full-on gowns!
Knee-high boots weren’t the only thing people wore with mini-skirts! People also wore knee-high socks, usually accompanied by platforms or clogs. They were pretty cute, but it always made you look like a schoolgirl.
Literally everything was mustard yellow. It was like there was a tint on the world. Outfits, curtains, couches, telephones, bedspreads—everything had to be mustard yellow. Now, the color dates anything thanks to its popularity in the ’70s.
Every girl had to have at least one thing that had fringe. Most of the time, it was a fringe vest, and a lot of them made it themselves. All you had to do was take a pair of scissors to the bottom. The more worn it looked, the better.
Ponchos were about more than hippies, although most hippies owned several different ponchos, guaranteed. Some women wore knit ponchos on top of their outfits as a fashion accessory. It was a good way to stay warm while in the office.
Totally groovy! Clogs were usually worn with bellbottom or wide-legged pants, and it gave women that classic ’70s silhouette that we’ll never forget. Plus, it wasn’t just a trend for women—men wore them, too! Do you still own a pair?
