70's Fancy Dress Costumes and 70s Fashion

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The 70's was the decade of Disco. Major influences of the time originated in the 60's when hippies were still the vogue and very present in modern culture. Bell bottoms were very popular and for the first time you could decorate your own to suit. As well, we had the technique of using bleach and tie dye for extra fashion.

An eclectic of design had come to be where you could be wearing ripped and faded denims one day and hot pants with long knee high socks, the next.

As we came into the 70's clothing, men's fashion were also changing. Now tight shorts with loud prints and huge collars, were worn. Ethnic influences were hinted at by the wearing of bright scarves and large chunky jewelry.

John Travolta arrived in Saturday Night Fever, accompanied by the brightest colors you could wear. Remember the flared pants and bell bottoms? Psychedelia had influenced fashion with several multicolor prints,heavily influenced by Woodstock,from the previous decade. However such tight fitting clothes were uncomfortable to wear and that scene soon ended.

Politically we has the feminist movement coinciding with the Vietnam war, further compounded by the Watergate scandal.

That great sports brand of today,Nike, started business in 1972 focusing on running and sportswear. As time moved on, fashion adopted training and running shoes. In the music industry, celebrities started wearing slinky shirts and womens' make up. This the era of Boy George and David Bowie, and their influence was strong.

On the female front, Farah Fawcett's success in Charlies Angels helped create the market for the flicked end hairstyle. Afro perms were also part of the scene as worn by the young Michael Jackson of the Jackson five.

The craze for sun tans started in the 70's with women using fake tan sprays and starting to visit tanning parlors. Perhaps the incentive was that foundation was not needed when you managed to develop a tan.

Completing the look were the shimmering eye makeup and frosted lipstick. So now as we look back, we have many rich sources to draw on when we recreate the era.