1970s Shopping Guide: Fashion, Home And Tech

Flares and platforms, orange Penguins and annuals, glam and disco vinyl, and a music centre.

Below: what to buy for a 1970s theme, a 1970s birthday or someone who grew up then - clothes, books, records and gadgets, with what to check before you pay.

Straight answer first: we don't sell clothing, books, records or technology. We draw and print cards, art prints, pin badges and stickers in the UK, and we stock party decorations. Everything else here is advice on where the genuine items come from.

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.

1970s clothing and accessories

• Flares, denim, corduroy and a wide-collared shirt in brown, orange or mustard.
• Platform shoes, maxi dresses, halter necks and a wrap dress.
• For men: safari jackets, leather blousons, tank tops and enormous lapels.
• Punk from 1976: tartan, safety pins, drainpipes and Doc Martens.
• Genuine 70s clothing is still common in vintage shops and generally wearable.

1970s books worth buying

• Watership Down, Richard Adams (1972).
• Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, John le Carre (1974).
• Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Hunter S. Thompson (1971).
• The Selfish Gene, Richard Dawkins (1976).
• Annuals - Beano, Blue Peter, Look-in - are the cheap, instantly nostalgic buy for this decade.

1970s music and records

• Album sleeves from the 70s frame better than any other decade; the artwork is half the gift.
• Glam: Slade, T. Rex, Sweet, Wizzard, Bowie. Disco and soul: Chic, Donna Summer, Earth Wind and Fire.
• Punk and new wave from 1976: the Clash, Buzzcocks, Blondie.
• The 1973 Slade and Wizzard Christmas singles are everywhere and cost almost nothing.
• Music centres - turntable, radio and cassette in one lid - are the period player to look for.

1970s home and interiors

• Brown and orange everything: swirl carpets, wallpaper and curtains.
• Hornsea Heirloom, Denby Arabesque and Pyrex Gaiety pattern dishes.
• Wood-effect laminate units, a serving hatch and a breakfast bar.
• A Slow Cooker, a SodaStream from 1979 and a hostess trolley.
• Macrame plant hangers, cheese plants and a wicker peacock chair.
• The music centre - turntable, radio and cassette deck in one teak case.

1970s tech and gadgets

• Pocket calculators, digital watches and the Stylophone.
• Cassette recorders, eight-track players and the first home video recorders at the end of the decade.
• Space hoppers, Chopper bikes and Star Wars figures from 1977 for the toy side.
• Test any cassette deck's belts before buying; perished belts are the standard fault.

Where to buy and what to check

• Car boots and charity shops still turn up 70s vinyl weekly - this is the easiest decade to shop.
• Buy sleeves you would hang up; a framed album cover costs less than a print and means more.
• Annuals are dated on the cover, so you can match the exact year without guesswork.

How to shop a decade without overspending

• Set the budget before you start; period shopping is where budgets quietly double.
• Reproduction for clothing, genuine for the small objects - it looks the same in photographs and costs a fraction.
• One real item plus three cheap nostalgic bits beats one expensive present every time.
• Check the year, not the decade. Plenty of what people file under one era actually arrived in the next.
• Music last: a single from their year plus the 1970s playlist covers the whole evening.

Shop prints and posters

Milestone birthday cards

Blank inside, kraft envelope, printed in the UK.

Decorations for a decade party

Banners, balloons, cake toppers and confetti, plain enough to take any era theme.

How to write it so it lands

• Buy for the year they turned eighteen, not the year they were born - that is the era they actually remember.
• Photograph the label or the pressing before you buy online; reissues and reproductions are rarely described as such.
• Leave the clothing to last. The objects are harder to find and the outfit can be sorted in an afternoon.

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 history: events, politics and culture
• 1970s calendar: year by year
• 1970s music: songs, genres and trends
• 1970s films and directors
• 1970s books, films and TV
• 1970s books: novels and authors
• 1970s art: artists and styles
• 1970s fashion: styles, designers and trends
• 1970s food: dishes, restaurants and trends
• 1970s travel: destinations and holidays
• 1970s technology: gadgets and computers
• 1970s games: board, card and video
• 1970s trivia: fun facts
• 1970s quiz: questions and answers
• 1970s party playlist
• The 1970s: the whole decade
• Retro gift guide: the 1970s
• The decade before: the 1960s
• The decade after: the 1980s
• All decade guides in one place
• Decade history by era
• Decade calendars: every year from 1920
• Decade music: songs, genres and trends
• Decade films: best movies and directors
• Decade books: novels, authors and reading trends
• Decade art: artists, styles and trends
• Decade fashion: styles, designers and trends
• Decade food: dishes, restaurants and eating trends
• Decade travel: destinations and holidays
• Decade technology: gadgets and computers
• Decade shopping guides
• Decade games: board, card and video games by era
• Decade trivia: fun facts by era
• Decade quizzes: questions and answers by era
• Decade trivia game: play for points
• Decade quiz: test your memory
• Shop art prints and posters
• Shop greetings cards
• Shop birthday cards
• Shop funny cards
• Milestone birthday cards
• Nostalgia gift shop
• Retro party supplies
• 70s kids' TV shows
• 70s quiz questions
• British Bulldog rules
• Kerby rules
• Sweets that disappeared
• Test card, Ceefax and three channels
• Decade guides: books, films and TV by era
• Planning the party? Birthday party ideas
• How to make a balloon arch
• Photo booth prop ideas
• Pin badges
• All guides

Frequently asked questions

What 1970s homeware is worth buying?

Brown and orange everything: swirl carpets, wallpaper and curtains. The home and interiors section above lists the rest, from furniture to kitchen kit.

What should I wear for a 1970s theme?

Flares, denim, corduroy and a wide-collared shirt in brown, orange or mustard. The clothing section above covers the rest, including accessories and where to buy.

What are the best 1970s books to buy as a gift?

Watership Down, Richard Adams (1972). Every book listed was published in the decade, so the date on the title page does half the work.

What 1970s records are worth buying?

Album sleeves from the 70s frame better than any other decade; the artwork is half the gift. A single or album from the year they turned eighteen is the most personal option and usually the cheapest.

Do you sell 1970s clothing, books or gadgets?

No. We make greeting cards, art prints, pin badges and stickers, and we stock party decorations. For the rest, charity shops, car boots, eBay and independent record shops are the honest answer.