1970s Fashion Era
Unzila Arab
Charvae Johnson
Types of Textiles, Fabrics, and
Embellishments Used
• Men’s and women’s clothes were made of materials such as
cotton for t-shirts and silk for dresses and dress shirts.
• Synthetic, man-made fabrics, such as rayon and polyester,
were used frequently as well.
• Cotton plaid fabrics were used for western shirts or dress
shirts. The decade is known in particular and best
remembered for the polyester shirts that were massproduced for men.
• Jeans were worn with metal embellishments.
Clothing Production and Manufacturing
• Garments were mass produced because getting it tailor
made was too expensive.
Trend During the 1970s
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Jeans were popular, frayed edges, bell-bottoms, hipsters, or high waist jeans.
Disco gained popularity- Lycra clothing, hot pants, jumpsuits, halter necks, and clingy fabrics.
Granny dresses which were long dresses with high necks, necks could be pie-crust frilled, or lace
trimmed. Often they were made from a floral print design in a warm brushed fabric or viscose rayon
crepe which draped and gathered well into empire line styles.
Men loved wearing jerseys with slogans. The sporty look was visible with men opting for t-shirts in zany
colors. While some preferred to dress up as sport stars, a few opted to follow the punk look. This made
way for torn leather jackets worn with frayed denim jeans, punk fashion.
Men wore 3 piece suits
Short miniskirts, maxi dresses, midi skirts, hot pants
Women loved wearing loose peasant tops with skirts that flared out or were made of tiers.
For evening in the early seventies, either straight or flared Empire line dresses with a sequined fabric
bodice and exotic sleeves were the style for a dressy occasion.
Halter neck dress pattern and halter neck cat suits.
From the mid to late 70s, caftans,( kaftans) kimonos, muumuus, djellaba (a Moroccan robe with a
pointed hood) or jalabiya (a loose eastern robe) and other styles from every part of the Indian sub
continent and Africa, were translated into at home style robes and comfort wear. They were worked in
every fabric imaginable, but were especially suited as glamour dressing when sewn in exotic fabrics and
edged in silver, gold or other metallic embroidered trims.
Platform shoes
Economy and Politics During the 1970s
• Liberty of women grew during the 1970’s.
• Increasing political and economic awareness.
• Environmentalist movement.
• Economies were growing because of effect World War 2.
Popular Colors
• Vibrant colors
• Silvers and gold's (metallic colors)
Popular Designers and Brands
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Nakash Brothers launched line of jeans in 1978 known as Jordache,
Valente
Sasson
Gloria Vanderbilt
Calvin Klein
Guess?
Diesel
Bugle Boy
Parasuco
French designers introduced “retro”
Designer Claude Montana imposed broad-shouldered designs, often made
of leather
Christian Lacxroix introduced flouncy skirts, corselets decorated with
embroidery, and polka dotted crinolines.
The Beetles and The Rolling Stones influenced fashion.
Designs Used
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Floral patterns
Retro psychedelic
Op art
Pop art
Bold designs (geometric, abstract)
Fashion Vocabulary
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Maxi skirt
Mini skirt
Midi skirt
Hot Pants
Bellbottoms
Granny dresses
Platform shoes
Fabrics, Dyes, and Embellishments
• The Hippies of the sixties had brought with them clothes
from other ethnic groupings which had often never even
been seen before in the west. Nehru jackets and loose
flowing robes from hot countries made their way to world
cities and permeated down to mainstream fashion, helped
of course by designers like Yves St Laurent.
• From the mid to late 70s, caftans, kaftans, kimonos,
muumuus, djellaba (a Moroccan robe with a pointed hood)
or jalabiya (a loose eastern robe) and other styles from every
part of the Indian sub continent and Africa, were translated
into at home style robes and comfort wear.
• There was lots of ethnic influence in the 1970s.
Extra Information
• Loud colors and accessories that sported the peace symbol
were worn by men as well as women.
• The length of skirts was reduced, thus making way for micro
minis.
• Hot pants weren’t pants- they were really short shorts!
Pictures of Women’s Fashions
Halter Dress
Cat women
Suit
Knit Wear
Hot pants
worn
with Mini
Topcoat
Hippie
Outfits
Platform
Shoes
Trouser
Suit
Caftan
Bell
Bottoms
Pictures Of Men’s Fashions
Suits (3 Piece)
T-Shirt
Works Cited
• http://www.classic-modern.co.uk/textile4details.htm
• http://www.ehow.com/about_5031939_fabrics-were-mens-shirtsmade.html
• http://www.buzzle.com/articles/1970s-fashion-trends.html
• http://www.fashion-era.com/1970s.htm#Caftan%20Or%20Kaftan
• http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Designer_jeans
• http://www.shop-costume.com/clothing-1950-1970.aspx
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1970s
• http://ezinearticles.com/?Fashion-Trends-of-the-70s-DressDesigns&id=4589704
• http://www.ehow.com/about_5058924_did-women-wear-s.html
The End!