When I was a teenager, I hated the 1970s. A real put-down was to call something "so 1970s", but that is of course probably because I was born in the 1970s. Once I got to college I was totally 1970s wearing this super awesome pair of bell bottom jeans that I made MORE bell bottomed by sewing triangle shaped swatches of fabric from the knee to the hem of my jeans. My love for the 1970s has only grown from there, these Clive Arrowsmith fashion photographs pretty much capture what I really love about 1970s fashion - ethnic & bohemian prints, big shapes, maiden hair, etc; I think at least one or two of these are Bill Gibb creations, a designer we hear nearly nothing of nowadays which is really a shame. One of my biggest vintage dreams is to find a Bill Gibb dress and make it mine!
Showing posts with label 1970s. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 1970s. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 3
Tuesday, August 28
Sears catalog 1972
via
Par for the course with 1970s fashion, some things to love and some things to hate.
Which do you love/hate?
Par for the course with 1970s fashion, some things to love and some things to hate.
Which do you love/hate?
Tuesday, August 14
Spiegel catalog 1979
Recently, at an antique mall, I found this 1979 Spiegel catalog and purchased it without hesitation. I have a real soft spot for this period in fashion. I also kind of hate it. Thing is, it's a real weird time in fashion precisely because there is so much to love right along side pretty detestable things. Let's look at some examples shall we?
So, I love what is going on here. The colors (or lack thereof really), the bolo tie, the hat, the 3-piece suit with stiff Arrow collar? Heck yes! Annie Hall much? Love it. However, I do, personally, I take issue with that skirt length, it does nothing for MOST gals. I know, I know, it's the midi skirt that's semi-popular now (or trying very hard to be popular), but even so, I feel like there is a "sweet spot" for the midi skirt and if you miss it, you're just gonna look like a sister-wife or a frumpfest. As a side note, I do think the point is moot when you add tight and tall boots to the midi-skirt mix, then all bets are on; prance away in your midi and knee-high boots sister, that almost always looks great.
More I love, more Annie Hall/menswear inspiration, more beige (sorry, I really do love beige)
and the woman on the left is sporting a brooch, word up!
Yep, I even like these, look at the cute shoes too! Gettin' all Teutonic, get me to the beer tent! I dig it!
Ok, these are great dresses on a summer night, sure. You might get super hot sporting the polyester jersey,
sure, but at least you won't get all wrinkly. And if you pass out in your dress you will actually be quite comfy. AND THEN, in the bright light of morning you can throw that frock in the washing machine and put your hungover arse back in bed.
Ok, more good stuff - these caftan dresses are super pretty and the basic black beach attire is a total go. A side note here, there were many pages of swimwear and I kid you not, not one gal has bigger boobs than an A or small B cup. It was flippin' refreshing. What an anomaly in our world today, swimsuit models with women of my tiny-titties tribe!
And here we turn a corner...the first outfit, cute. The other two? Wow. The green one is particularly heinous. It's nearly Victorian & not in a way I like. I mean, where is her BODY? She looks like a giant triangle and not in a cool avant garde fashion way, but um, again, in a sister-wife way. No, you don't have to show off your body to look great, but this is something entirely ugly.
Shoes that are cool. Shoes that if I found while thrifting I would consider it a pretty great day.
Annnnnnd some hideous shoes. Cute & sexy dresses and then really awful white strappy shoes. Notice they are also worn with suntan colored nylons...awwww yeah...
Finally, just some, what I think are, super pretty hairstyles that are blissfully non-fussy.
Which is more than one can say about those undergarments...
Tuesday, July 24
Saturday, June 23
summery '70s
Every summer it's the same - my style goes more 1970s than any other decade.
There's just something about the ease of 1970s clothing that lends itself so well to warm summer temps.
There's just something about the ease of 1970s clothing that lends itself so well to warm summer temps.
And how gorgeous is Ali McGraw in that (first) photo? What a damn babe.
Saturday, June 16
the new macrame
Ever since I can remember I've been trying to get my house to look like some dwelling in a 1970s (or very early '80s) Woody Allen film or some of the houses in this book that I found while thrifting years ago - you know, lots of books, lots of plants, kilim pillows, some cream cotton lace or crochet thrown in, lots of textural details, cool lamps, art pottery... I don't really know how to explain it, but it's totally some natural, intellectual, very (cool) 70s vibe. Anyway, it's how I have wanted my house to be for as long as I can remember. Macrame fits perfectly in this schema. I remember when I first bought a macrame plant holder at a yard sale my mom cringed. But see I didn't have to live through the all the awfulness of the 1970s, I have the luxury of picking out the best parts of the '70s an incorporating them into my house (& wardrobe for that matter). Anyway, usually I have to wait and find macrame while thrifting or at yard sales and finding it is actually pretty rare (although I did thrift one this week!), but Cold Picnic is re-thinking macrame so if you're into it, you needn't wait until you stumble upon it at your neighborhood yard sale.
Also, if you like the '70s style I am talking about, you might want to get The House Book, by Terence Conran from 1974. It's an invaluable source of inspiration for me.
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