Tuesday 10 August 2010

A Century Of Style: The Challenge (1970 - 1980)


Continuing on in my Century Of Style Challenge comes the Sensational Seventies and for me the greatest fashion decade of the Twentieth Century.


The Seventies was an all-encompassing era, kicking off with the continuation of late Sixties hippy chic, embracing glam rock and punk and finishing with the burgeoning disco scene.


Skirt lengths were mini, maxi and even midi, in fact, anything went from bell bottom jeans to hot pants, cat suits to Kaftans. Foreign travel became popular and with it came the influence of souveniers bought back from abroad, crochet, prayer beads, ethnic and exotic patterns, kaftans and tooled leather. Those returning from the Hippy Trail brought back Indian and Afghani tie-dye and intricate embroidery, Rajasthani mirrorwork, heavy silver jewellery and nose piercings.

Platform soles started the decade with a meagre 1/4inch and reached a massive 4 inches at the peak of their popularity. Clogs were also seen as the height of fashion for both sexes.


Maxi dresses were the top choice for posh evening wear, often influenced by the glamour of Motown. Due to their vibrancy and versitility synthetic fabrics continued to be popular.


Make-up became softer and more natural. The harsh black eyeliner of the Fifties and Sixties gave way to shimmery eyeshadows in greens, browns and blues applied under the eye as well as on the lid, cheeks were coated in lashings of creme blusher in peachy tones and lipstick was applied without  a lipliner or brush.


1970's hair was, like the clothing, all encompassing. From the Afro, the shag, Farrah Fawcett's flicks, the mullet and the Mohican there was no single defining hairstyle, it depended purely on personal taste.

California maxi dress (eBay), Silver rings (India, Lebanon and Morocco), Felt Hat (Car boot sale)

41 comments:

  1. Hi my dear-another fabulous post, you look so authentic and stylish and a great history read too! x

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  2. Now we are into my years, i remember them well, even though i was not born untill 77 i remember mum wearing these clothes, one of my earliest memories is hiding up a skirt of my mums similar to the one your wearing. I also rember mum wearing a white jumper with navy edging with 'charlies angels' on it. Thank you Vix, loving each and everyone of these posts, can't wait for the 80's. Loved ashes to ashes just for the clothes.

    Sharron x

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  3. You gorgeous creature you!! Look how small your waist is!

    I want that hat.

    Xxx

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  4. The 70's isn't really a decade for me, but you look fabulous x

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  5. The 70s, I remember it well! Hi Vix, you have certainly held up well over the decades!

    You look so authentically 70s that I am having a disco flashback. I used to have a Farah Fawcett do and I even had an afro wig. I would wear it slightly pushed back on my head so you could see my hair and would wear some sort of hair ornamentation like flowers, scarf, etc. Oh yeah, I was happening! Granny dresses and platforms completed the look.

    Excellent challenge Vix. What do you have up your sleeves for the 80s?

    xoxoxo, Bonnie

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  6. Love the hat!!! and enjoyed reading about the 70's! You are fabulous as per usual :o)

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  7. wow, the print on this dress is really gorgeous. I love maxis - they look so elegant. I love this era since it combines my love for maxi's and platform shoes..

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  8. Four inch platforms! Wow. Can't wait for tomorrow's post!

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  9. OOps I've missed a few - love the sixties Biba shift and have to admit the further away from the seventies I get the more I like the style! Please tell me you'll be doing punk?

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  10. Love the seventies! It so suits you! I love the floppy hat, gorgeous, Vix! XO!

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  11. Love it...the maxi dress, the floppy hat, the rings are all beautifully boho.

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  12. Gorgeous vix! Very Margot Ledbetter. Fantastic! xxx

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  13. Very stylish, love the narrow shoulders and wide sleeves of 70s dresses.

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  14. Wooohooo!!! I knew you'd blast us all with your magnificence on this era!Fabulous,my sweet,just FABULOUS!!!
    Greatest era o yes!
    LOVE Helga xxxXXXxxx

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  15. O the fabulous 70’s. This outfit is so much fun, this dress is so wonderful. I just love all the psychedelics and groovy patterns that the 70s gave us xxx

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  16. Oh, probably my absolute favourite of the decades (without prejudice of those to come). I must admit, this the what first springs to mind when I think of your blog

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  17. I love that you know so much about each era that you portray. You look great in this, but you look great in each of the eras anyway. I love it. xx

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  18. Love this era - very glam. xx
    http://www.weshopthereforeweare.co.uk/

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  19. eye catching print on the maxi dress!

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  20. Fantastic! In spite of the fact that I never saw this decade of fashion, I almost feel nostalgic for it! :-)

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  21. A dress bringing us all a little sunshine to this dreary August!
    Gorgeous jewellery - I cannot wait to travel the world and find some more rings!

    Lou x - craftyandquirky.blogspot.com

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  22. Ahhh! Back in blogland! I love this decade ;)
    The styles of today remind me a bit of the 70's where anything goes and I so love seeing other people be who they are! Thank you soo much for your spirit and encouragement. You are the bomb-diggity lady of all time!

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  23. these posts are so educational, thank-you! you look lovely, as always. thank-you for such a wonderfully sweet comment, yours really made me smile :') xxx

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  24. Great post. Memories. I used to stride round York Uni. in my maxi dress from Droopy & Browns. Black eye shadow. This was 1973. Clogs? Yep. Platforms? Got my first pair in '71. AND don't forget the eyebrows. I shaved mine off early 70s and didn't let them grow back for maybe a decade. Hats? Loved hats. Did mini, midi and maxi. Got a fabulous blue maxi-coat in Hamburg in '73. And I had a black one which was just...so cool. I felt like Dracula and that was obviously a good thing. And then a black PVC Dannimac midi-coat which was scrunchy and creaky and wonderful.

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  25. I doubt this dress would look as good on another girl. You wear it well and I love the pattern and colour - what details, too!
    You have to teach me how to find such exquisite pieces at bargain prices. E-mail, please?;-)

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  26. This has to be one of my favourite outfits so far; I've always loved 70s fashions - especially the maxi skirt teamed with killer platforms and crimped hennaed hair! Your floppy brimmed hat is fab!

    P.S. Vix - you'll have to do another series (on shoes, boots or handbags!!) as I'll be sorry when this decades challenge finishes. x

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  27. you look stunning, and you waist is so tiny!!

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  28. That outfit is very much you! You look wonderful.
    Kandi x

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  29. Love seventies prints they are so colourful and can get very outlandish. I really like that fact that anything went! x

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  30. I sensed you might like this one best ;-) It's just so fun and so joyful and so you. Gorgeous colours in the frock and the hat is brilliant!

    I've been meaning to ask though, how do you cope with the polyester? It's the one thing that puts me off a lot of vintage stuff - am I just not lucky enough to find things in nice fabrics?

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  31. Dear Vix,
    Even if I spent most my 70s in nappies, I still love this style era to bits.
    I keenly remember my mums red polyester maxi dress for special occasions that had crochet peek-a-boo detailing underneath the bust line, her bright yellow leather jacket (that I still have) that she teamed with the most fabulous looking cork heeled denim platforms.
    I recall my sister in her magnificently quirky printed maxi skirts, slogan tees e.g. save the whales, Swedish clogs & a bag that she'd made herself from an old rag-rug that she lovingly embellished with badges depicting a wide variety of pop, rock & disco stars.
    As for the 70s allegedly being 'the decade that style forgot'...this just isn't true in my opinion & by designers revisiting the styles spawned by this era again & again that just proves my point!
    You've nailed the divine Margo Leadbetter look in that superb California dress & hat my darling :)
    ...xXx

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  32. This was always going to be my favourite decade for you. It's just so... Vix! LOVE you in that maxi dress and the hat - you look ravenous. So, so pretty and perfectly suited to your personality. Love it. x

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  33. Wow, this might actually be my favorite decade for you!! You look so effortlessly gorgeous in that dress and the hat. You seriously look like you have stepped out of a time machine from the 1970s!!

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  34. Absolutely brilliant. I love the print on the dress. The 70s were so varied and colourful, something for everyone. I have always said I like the 60s best but I think I'm changing my mind =) xx

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  35. LOVE love love love LOVE!!! This is YOU! Gorgeous!

    ...seventies is THE classic era for me... not classic as in elegant conservative (ha!) style but classic as in timeless... the music too...

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  36. where do i start? every detail is so authentic and so well orchestrated. the most important point is that you are so diligent with your vision. you have a set purpose and you are focused on the theme. i love for that. and you are just so cool. why do you live so far away. well at least you don't live on the moon. i guess i must have thought the 70's were cool because i was born in 71'. oh baraccuda!

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  37. This style truly suits you the best - I love that hat - my mum had one similar - I have no idea what happened to it though - I wish she had kept more of her clothes ... maybe I should box up some of mine now for my children (whenever they should come along :) )

    Sal xXx

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Thanks for reading and for leaving a message. Please don't be anonymous, I'd love it if you left a name (or a nom de plume).

Lots of love, Vix