70’s Revival

Have you ever gotten a glimpse of a video, article, or photo that seemed to represent a time period, and just wondered how you happened to miss it? Maybe it’s a performance of your favorite band from 40+ years ago. Maybe it’s just a group photo of some young adults displaying the current trends in fashion. When it comes to fashion trends, old trends often find themselves revived with a touch of modernity.

When examining fashion trends of the last seventy years, it is the 1960s and 70s that are often regarded as the most iconic. I would have to agree with that sentiment, as I find myself creating outfits that seem to mimic some of those classic styles. The fashion trends of these decades are almost indescribable due to the wide-ranging styles often displayed. There was the emergence of punk-rock and rock’n’roll, hippy, disco, and bohemian fashion trends that ultimately created a period that cannot be put under a single label. These trends were so influential that we see much of them in our contemporary lives — from the reemergence of bell bottoms and tie dye, to the contemporary fashion takes on disco and folk. The 60s and 70s had it all, and these are the specific looks I would love to see come back.

Disco fashion is an iconic trend, as it has no boundaries to how bright or dull an outfit can be. It’s fancy, date-night fashion, but it’s also cool and hip. You can get down on the dance floor, or you can go to a nice dinner in the heart of the city. It can be dressed up or down by simply wearing a blazer over any top. It can be red, blue, purple, green, and yellow all at the same time, so there is never an issue with trying to match. Disco fashion is electric and represents just plain old fun.

As you can see from the photo above, I have dabbled in the disco scene just a bit. For my senior prom I decided to take a modern approach on the look and wear a purple, and rad I should mention, tuxedo. I can confidently say I stuck out in the mix of all the black and white tuxedos.

Turtlenecks have seen a resurgence yet again, and for good reason. They are comfy, can be light or heavy, and can be a perfect top to pair with many different styles of coats. Pair a turtleneck with long, usually unkempt, hair and some large, circular frames, and you’ve got yourself a modern hippy look (the picture above is my best take at John Lennon). One of my favorite looks with a turtleneck is the classic look of a denim coat over the turtleneck and paired with jeans and sneakers.

The look is classic 70s that uses the denim-on-denim aesthetic and dresses it up just a tad. All denim outfits have seen a revival, and pairing the look with a turtleneck exudes 70s fashion.

Another trend worth mentioning that is seeing a resurgence now is bell-bottoms/flare jeans. I cannot say I have contributed to the resurgence, as I have always stuck with skinny jeans for all my looks. Loose-fitting jeans and bell-bottoms are overtaking skinny jeans, but I cannot say that I will be partaking in this trend. I have always worn skinny jeans, and even though I may start to become a bit seasoned in my attire, it is likely that skinny jeans will be cool once again in the not so distant future.