From Plaid To Chic Jeans, Disco - The Fashion Statement

The best years for fashion and dance in my life was the 70’s. The nights of getting dressed for a dance at the high school or the local hockey dance ,always included my sewing machine.

I remember making my first lime green bleather ( like leather) bell bottom pants and matching jacket. That night I looked fabulous, from my Afro (after having a Toni perm) hair, to big hoop earrings, I was ready to dance the night away.

I can honestly remember the great dances from the bump, YMCA and everyone’s favourite “Disco”. I still Disco when I am vacuuming.

I can tell you these years were the years of fashion for men and women, lots of floral shirts, bell bottoms for both and now I see my dads favourite trench coat came back. Dad wore his jacket to coach hockey games but most often to Church. Now it’s a beautiful trending dress for the women of the 21st century.

It’s interesting to see the trends of yesterday’s past come forward into the future. Recently our granddaughter came in to visit with a beautiful floral short dress. Now I know in the late 60’s early 70’s I wore those short dresses, floral print but my go-go boots were so groovy.

When I speak of the men in the 70’s, wow bright colours and those amazing plaid pants and jackets. I remember the guys in high school wearing those plaid pants but than I started thinking. The women who loved the band called the Bay City Rollers had to have those awesome plaid bell bottom pants to.

Fashion really rocked the chart, it was everything and anything and you always felt beautiful. The redder the lip stick the bluer the eye shadow. From large daisy broaches to even peace simple necklace. The floppy hats to Buffalo sandals. Fun Fashion and a whole lot more.

Tie Dye still is a trend from then to now. Again the brighter the better. Everyone back in those day were all (expression said - so cool), meaning beautiful, as they are now.

The Amazing Beach Fashion 1970

As for the teen men that use to go to our local beaches, majority of them wore their jeans cut off, or some wore short athletic shorts. As for the young ladies there were bikinis, from polka dots to many colours.

Fashion was at an all time high especially when Bay Watch became everyone’s favourite TV show. What women or man didn’t want the bathing suits they all wore. I personally really liked Farrah Fawcett. From her swim suits to all of her clothes, most of all I wore my hair like hers and used her shampoo- Wella Balsam. The beauty icon to so many, especially me.

Passion For Hats

The ladies going to church or somewhere fancy wore some really amazing and stylish hats. I remember my grandma hat hat boxes with beautiful hats and hat pins. In the early 70’s we would go into the spare room and I can still see each hat she placed on my head. The pill box hat was always my favourite, still to this day and the bridesmaids wore them in our wedding.

Hats were trending then for both females and males and still is to this very day. I love watching shows of this era and seeing old trends come back but with a different and creative flair. I really loved watching the royal weddings and seeing the trending hats from this century.

The Passion of Dance And Fashion

The opportunity to learn ballroom dancing was amazing. The competitors wore such amazing gowns in the 1970’s as they do now. Flowing dresses usually shorter than now that flowed while women danced, made of a delicate fabric. While the men wore really nice custom suits.

The disco as we always remember from the movie Greese with John Travolta, from John’s hair slicked back with brill cream while Olivia had hair much like Farrah Fawcett. Many trends just keeping advancing, changing but if I had to stand still in an era, freeze time, it would be the 70’s.

Watching my mom share patterns with friends, making clothes and often changed the pattern to make it have a different look was fun. I also loved how she would make wedding gowns with lace and pearls and different appliqués. Her hair pieces from headbands to bun wraps were the best.

The best of all was when she made my dad suits, even for others. From polyester fabric of many shades of colour to the amazing plaid. Who doesn’t love plaid, it will always be a trend of the future. It may be in different ways like the trench coat, but it always looks amazing.

Oh yes, what girl in the 70’s didn’t listen to the Osmond brothers, “And They Called It Puppy Love”. Donny was truly dashing in my eyes, from plaid suits to purple socks. My sisters and I had to have our bedroom painted purple all because of Donny’s love of purple. (Donny’s poster was on the ceiling of the room). Great falling to sleep looking at him and Keith Partridge.

From a walk in closet, many styles of clothing for each one of us. We all had our own fashion statements, I of course had many. Yet the chic jeans was a passion between my youngest sister and I. My first pay check I paid, $6.75 for a pair. Dad wasn’t too sure of the jeans on girls and yet he finally got use to him. He grew up in an era where woman and young ladies wore pretty dresses. I on the other hand couldn’t build my tree house or my derby car in a dress.

Yet as we see from one era to another the fashions change, the styles change. The colours that were either bright or pale are bold and beautiful. I feel the 70’s was the beginning of many trends, may be worn differently, made into a different style. “Yet They Keep Coming Back”.