Kelsey Bergstrom
6/29/11
Trend Forecasting
Fashion Bingo
70's
Trends of the 70's
When told to think about to 70's most people will mention, bell bottoms, flower power, and bright colors. These are all valid suggestions but surprisingly they did not define the era. The bright colors had already been around, they came in from the 60's with the hippie generation, and bell bottoms only hit their peak of popularity in 1975 with the help of Farrah Fawcett from the television show "Charlie's Angels." The trend that was developed in 1971 and stuck around until the end of the decade were the platform shoes! These shoes grew taller as their popularity grew larger. They became so common throughout this decade that wear a pair everyday was completely acceptable. During this time period fashion designers were testing their limits. The pendulum had gone as far as it could go and it was time to swing back. Women were holding on tight to the trend of the mini skirt that had become so popular. The midi and the maxi were introduced during this time but didn't end up taking as well as designers thought. This is the first sign of designs making drastic changes. It can also be seen in the pants that people were wearing. The "hot pants" for women, that came in many bright colors, were extremely popular and there were many options out there for jeans. A basic flare, bell bottoms, and hip huggers were all in style at the beginning of the 70's but in the mid 70's designers tried to introduce the high waisted pant which again the people didn't immediately go for it. The changes that the designers of the time were trying to introduce were just to drastically different from what people were comfortable with and what was fashionable in their eyes. As history shows, length and height were really being altered with during this time. That is what makes the platform shoe so important. It definitely follows the "changing of height" trend of the time, and it lasted much longer than any other trends of the 70's. Platform shoes had 2 to 4 inch thick soles and started off the disco movement of the 70's. These shoes were released in 1971 but really hit it off in 1977 with the movie release of "Saturday Night Fever" staring John Travolta. This movie and celebrity were the main trigger that drove this new "Disco style" These shoes were an androgynous fashion that both genders took to! Of course the silhouette of this era was extremely altered with people being a few inches taler that before, the artificial silhouette of the bell bottom pant worked to the advantage of hight also. The disco style took over the 70's. Men would wear a rayon three piece suit with their platforms, and women a jersey wrap around dress with theirs. The wrap around dress was first designed by Diane Von Furstenburg. It was marketed as having the multipurpose appeal. It would fit and compliment all different body types and could be worn from work to the disco with just a change of accessories! The wrap around dress has been around ever since, coming in and out of popularity with the ages. Recently there have been many 70's inspired collections hitting the runway. Marc Jacobs just debuted a line that was full of the colors of the 70's which included pinks, oranges, and lime greens. It was comprised of leisure suits, flared trousers, and large flower embellishments. The hippie styles of the 60's have a strong basis in most of the trends of the 70's. Some may say that the platform shoe has been reincarnated into the platform heel which has become very popular in the past few years and continues to grow in its popularity and height. The platform shoe as well as the disco look lasted until the very end of the 70's where it was replaced by a revival of the 1940's punk style. The platform shoes where then replaced by mules.
Marc Jacobs Spring 70's inspired collection
Platform shoes of the 70's
Movie and actor that triggered the silhouette and fashion trends of the 70's
Todays version of the 70's wrap around dress
