1970s Fashion: Top Styles, Designers And Clothing Trends

Flares, brown and orange everything, glam, disco, then punk tears it up.

Below: the clothes, the hairstyles and the accessories of the 1970s, then the fastest way to put together a costume if you are going to a themed night.

Useful for a decade party, a school project, a reminiscence session or working out what someone wore when they were young.

Years covered in the 1970s

• 1970 - England defended the World Cup, the Beatles ended and eighteen-year-olds got the vote. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1970
• 1971 - Decimal Day, the first Glastonbury as we know it and Slade on the way up. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1971
• 1972 - Miners' strikes and power cuts, Ziggy Stardust and a very good year for glam. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1972
• 1973 - Britain joined the EEC, the oil crisis hit and Slade wrote Christmas. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1973
• 1974 - Two general elections, the three-day week and Abba winning Eurovision. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1974
• 1975 - Bohemian Rhapsody, the EEC referendum and Fawlty Towers. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1975
• 1976 - The heatwave, the drought and the first stirrings of punk. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1976
• 1977 - Silver Jubilee street parties, Star Wars and the summer punk went overground. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1977
• 1978 - Grease, the first test-tube baby and the start of the winter of discontent. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1978
• 1979 - The winter of discontent, the first woman Prime Minister and the last year of the seventies. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1979
• That is every 1970s year we have written up so far: 1970 to 1979.

What people wore in the 1970s

• Flares and loon pants, widening as the decade went on.
• Maxi dresses and smock tops in small prints.
• Wide-collared shirts, often worn over the jacket lapel.
• Glam rock: platforms, satin, glitter, jumpsuits.
• Punk from 1976: ripped tees, safety pins, tartan bondage trousers, leather.

Hairstyles

• Long and centre-parted for both men and women.
• The Farrah Fawcett feathered flick.
• Afros worn big and proud.
• Perms for everyone by the late seventies; punk spikes and colour at the other end.
• Men: sideburns, moustaches, and hair over the collar.

Accessories and finishing touches

• Platform shoes, on men as well as women.
• Wide belts, big buckles, chunky knit tank tops.
• Oversized aviator and bug-eye sunglasses.
• Chokers, pendant necklaces and puka shells.
• Punk: safety pins, chains, dog collars, badges covering a jacket.

Designers and labels of the 1970s

• Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren at SEX on the King's Road, inventing punk clothing.
• Laura Ashley with the long floral cotton dress.
• Halston in New York - jersey, Ultrasuede and the Studio 54 wardrobe.
• Yves Saint Laurent's peasant and Russian collections.
• Diane von Furstenberg's wrap dress (1974).
• Zandra Rhodes, whose torn jersey and safety pins took punk into couture.

Dressing up as the 1970s

• Flares, a wide-collared shirt and a centre parting.
• Brown, orange and mustard together is the seventies colour code.
• Punk version: plain white tee, safety pins, tartan, spiked hair.

Where to find the clothes

• Charity shops first - the later decades turn up constantly and cost almost nothing.
• Your own loft or a relative's wardrobe beats any fancy dress shop for authenticity.
• Buy the accessories new and the clothes second-hand; the accessories are what people recognise.
• Fancy dress versions of an era are usually a cartoon of it - one real garment looks better than a whole costume.

Shop cards

How to write it so it lands

• Photographs date an outfit faster than anything - look at family albums from the era before you shop.
• Hair and accessories carry a decade better than the clothes do.
• Pair this with the 1970s playlist for a themed night that hangs together.

Where to shop next

• Look back to 1970
• Look back to 1971
• Look back to 1972
• Look back to 1973
• Look back to 1974
• Look back to 1975
• Look back to 1976
• Look back to 1977
• Look back to 1978
• Look back to 1979
• 1970s books, films and TV
• 1970s calendar: year by year
• 1970s trivia: fun facts
• The 1970s: the whole decade
• Retro gift guide: the 1970s
• 1970s party playlist
• 70s kids' TV shows
• 70s quiz questions
• British Bulldog rules
• Kerby rules
• Sweets that disappeared
• Test card, Ceefax and three channels
• Decade history: key events, politics and culture by era
• Decade books: best novels, authors and reading trends
• Decade fashion: clothes, hair and accessories by era
• Decade guides: books, films and TV by era
• Decade calendar: every year from 1920
• Decade trivia: fun facts by era
• Nostalgia gift shop
• Retro party supplies
• Decade-themed birthday parties
• Guess the year quiz
• Milestone birthday cards
• Planning the party? Birthday party ideas
• How to make a balloon arch
• Photo booth prop ideas
• Pin badges
• All guides

Frequently asked questions

What did people wear in the 1970s?

Flares and loon pants, widening as the decade went on. The full list above covers the everyday clothes as well as the going-out ones, because the two were rarely the same.

What was the 1970s hairstyle?

Long and centre-parted for both men and women. The other styles above ran alongside it - no decade had only one haircut.

Who were the big fashion designers of the 1970s?

Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren at SEX on the King's Road, inventing punk clothing. The designers section above lists the rest of the names and labels that set the decade's styles.

How do I dress up as the 1970s for a party?

Pick one silhouette and one accessory that everyone recognises, and stop there. The dressing-up section above gives the shortcuts for this era.

Do you sell clothes?

No. We make greeting cards, art prints and pin badges in the UK. This page is free to read and free to copy.