Fashion History:

1900s * 1910s * 1920s * 1930s * 1940s * 1950s * 1960s * 1970s

Hippie Chic 1970s Red Handkerchief Halter Dress

Svelte Black 70s Halter Dress with Cutwork Neckline

Beautiful Roses Print 1970s Swimsuit by Sirena

For more information on this decade in fashion history, check out our list of books and reviews at Recommended Reading.

If you do not find the image you want here, please view more images or go to our Links page. There are a variety of other sites listed with vast numbers of images available.

For bibliography referencing, the author of this page is Vintage Vixen Clothing Co.

Hippies in Polyester - Women's Fashions of the 1970s

Silhouette The outline of figures by this decade was widely varied, especially in hair and hem lengths. In general, a long, almost gaunt look was desired in the arms and torso, and the flared line of bellbottoms was common. Some free-form silhouettes were worn in a muu-muu style, while other outlines tended toward a romantic re-development of Victorian and Edwardian styles, blending such details as empire waists and leg-o'-mutton sleeves.

Common Designs

Straight, skinny synthetic shirts or the ubiquitous T-shirt paired with synthetic or denim bellbottoms
Polyester knit suits in dress-and-jacket, jacket-and-skirt or pant sets
Princess-line polyester print dresses with any sleeve length
Ethnic and primitive leisure wear in rougher, ethnic fabrics or slippery new synthetics
One-piece dresses or pantsuits with a solid-color bodice and wild-print bottoms

Fabrics Available Every fabric we know today except two little known fibers (PBI and sulfar). Polyester was overwhelmingly the fabric of choice from leisure to evening wear, but natural fibers had a resurgence with the organic flower child look. Nylon, acrylic, acetate, rayon blends and other synthetics were commonly used.

Popular Colors and Prints Loud and clashing colors were now in everyday fashion prints, from conservative to wild. Swirling psychedelic prints, dotted with flowers, medallions, geometric shapes, and what-have-you were popular. Drug-related motifs, such as mushrooms and poppies, were subtly added to prints.

Trims and Detailing Trims were often minimized and usually easy to apply by machine. Borders of crocheted lace and beads were worn; appliques and novelty stitches were popular. Most detail was seen in the involved prints, though beading, sequins, and other traditional formal applications were used in some evening wear.

Hemlines Day and Night Maxi-length skirts and coats were a fashionable length, but hemlines ranged from above the knee to the ankle for any type of wear. Hot pants were still popular especially for club-going and performers.

The Latest Fads

Wide and pointy lapels
Bellbottoms, flares, elephant bells and wide leg pants
Natural or ethnic styles of flower children and hippies
Polyester as the new staple fiber
Pantsuits
Career wear for the working woman in two and three-piece polyester suits
Platform shoes, some with outrageous designs like clear plastic platforms with live goldfish placed inside
Long, free-flowing hairstyles, girlish pony and pigtails, and afros

Popular Designers

Halston

Innovations Widespread use of designer names and labels as an incentive to shoppers, marking everything from clothing to luggage with designers such as Geoffrey Beene and Christian Dior.

Contact us at sales@vintagevixen.com or 941-627-2254 with questions regarding this site.
(C) 1997-2007 Vintage Vixen Clothing Co. All rights reserved.
No portion of this site (text or graphics) may be reproduced without prior written permission from the owner.