FASHION WAS FUN IN 1970

The fringed mini and ruffled midi were both favorites.  A new decade in fashion started in 1970.  Skirt lengths began to stray away from the mini skirts of the 1960's into longer length styles.  Hemlines, although a popular topic, were not the only news .  Life styles and personal rights and causes had an increasing impact on the trends of fashion.

Influential was the Ethnic look with the peasant, gypsy and Victorian styles being popular.  Ecology was an important word which evoked enthusiam in fake furs, especially leopard, cheetah, tiger and jaguar.  Animal and reptile prints could be seen on everything from bras and bikinis, to raincoats and chiffon evening dresses.

Tie dyed T-shirts were a huge rage and t-shirts showing different causes or protests with peace symbols and life signs were fashionable among the teens.

Belts were wide and had big buckles.  Many wrapped the waist softly and others were slung low on the hip.  Boots were worn with the longer lengths as well as short.  The shoe look was still chunky but the heels became higher.  Laced sandals running all the way up the leg were fashionable, including silver and gold ones for evening. 

Here, a girl ponders which hemline to choose in the war of the hemlines.  Stores reported the most popular length in sales were those just below the knee.  Midi did not necessarily mean mid-calf.  However, a choice of lengths were offered at most stores.  A Lord & Taylor ad stated,  *"...It's not the length, it's the look."

Fashion columnist, Eugenia Sheppard stated:  *"...1970 should go down in fashion history less as the year of the midi than the year when clothes became costumes and costumes became acceptable as clothes."

Mary Quant of England and creator of the mini said:  *"We all worried about the mini, and, after a bit, we all found our own length.  Right now, the longer length is going through this phase of being misunderstood.  The most important thing is that one hem length is gone." 

*Quotes taken from The Americana Annual, 1971.

We will be adding more fashion years later, but if you would like to see specific 70s or 80s fashion years highlighted or a fashion topic, please email us.  Thanks.