These Vintage Photos Reveal The Coolest Fashion Trends From The 1970s
In the 1970s, embracing your individuality was beyond cool — it was groovy. And this was reflected in the fashion of the decade. Mass production meant clothing made from a wide variety of materials was now more affordable, and the countercultural movement saw people keen to mix and match styles. Standing out wasn't just the goal — it was the whole point of 1970s fashion. But nowadays, some of these now-vintage threads just may stand out for totally different reasons...
1. Headscarves/floppy hats
The wide-brimmed floppy hat was an essential item for many women in the 1970s and paired nicely with a floaty peasant dress. The cloche hat and beanie hat were also popular, as was a French beret. Many women also chose to wear scarves around their heads, a style that had carried over from the 1960s.
2. Wrap dresses
The wrap dress became so popular that in 1975 designer Diane von Furstenberg was manufacturing 15,000 per week. Then the wife of a German prince, she was determined to have her own career. Von Furstenberg’s creation — an all-in-one ballerina wrap top and cotton jersey shirt dress — had a huge impact on women’s fashion.
3. Pantsuit
By the end of the 1970s, many businesswomen had adopted the pantsuit. Before this, female executives had mainly worn a skirt or a dress, paired with a coat — even though the pantsuit had been around as an option as far back as the 1920s. Yves Saint-Laurent is often credited with popularizing it in 1966 when he designed Le Smoking, an evening pantsuit that purposely mimicked a man’s tuxedo.
4. Knee-high boots
In the 1960s, knee-high boots were generally seen as the province of teenage and college-age girls. In fact, in 1968 The New York Times surveyed office managers and found that 75 percent didn’t like female employees wearing boots to work. By 1977, however, boots accounted for 20 percent of all women’s shoe sales in the U.S., as they became hugely fashionable in the early 1970s.
