Stories Written By: Rennie Hand
Smocks and Smock Tops
There was a lot of ethnic style clothing throughout the 70s and smocks or smock tops were especially popular with women of all ages. There was a fashion for getting back to nature and smocks looked like something that Barbara in the Good Life would run up on the home sewing machine. Smock tops came in two basic styles. The long smock top that was ruched at the bustline and was a wide garment that came down to thigh length and the version that was more tightly fitting and finished at the waistline , usually elasticated or with ties. The …
More….
Parkas
Mods and rockers. Scooters and Bank Holiday punch ups- this long green padded warm coat with a fur-lined hood was an iconic fashion statement, big with the Mods of the sixties. Although the parka coat will always be associated with the 60s, by the 70s the parka was back again, although it had probably never been away. Parka coats have their origins in the Arctic and were invented by the Inuit people- whom we used to call the Eskimos. Long jackets with fur-lined hoods pulled tight around the face were ideal for the these freezing weather conditions. The word parka …
More….
Lumberjack Jackets
A colourful short tartan or plaid jacket with a wool lining and a thick woollen collar and front pockets to keep your hands in. These American style jackets had the look! You may be only going to school or work but this rugged looking jacket made you feel it as if you were about to cut down trees in the great outdoors, not just go to lessons. Lumber jackets were big in the 1970s with guys who wanted to look manly and keep warm, so were great for school kids too. Mid seventies, lumber jackets were very popular and had …
More….
Sheepskin Coats
I think I said in a previous post that I used to work in Roman Road market in London on a Saturday and opposite our stall was a sheepskin stall that used to sell loads of coats every week. Weirdly enough the guy that used to run the stall actually started working with me on my first full time job in South Woodford but that’s another story. Yes, sheepskin in the mid 70s was the coat to have. You could go for the plain and simple design but if you had the money, the ones with the fur trims were …
More….
Denim
Blue jeans and denim had made its way to Britain and Europe first in the 1950s. Originally workwear, jeans took on cult status and by the early 1960s everyone was wearing blue denim although it was still seen as a slightly “outsider” fashion. In the mid 70s, Denim exploded and it was everywhere. Status Quo were riding high in the charts with “Blue for You” and everyone was wearing denim not just as trousers but as jackets, shirts and even waistcoats. Denim skirts were popular with girls as well as jeans and denim jackets. Girls often worn their jeans tight …
More….
Polo Neck Dresses
Polo neck dresses When I think of 70s fashion, the Polo Neck comes straight to mind but mostly in men’s fashion. It is normally the guys you see sporting the latest polo neck shirts and jumpers so I was very surprised to see these lovely dresses with the polo necks and looking quite stylish, dating from the early 70s. These dresses were generally long sleeved gathered into deep cuffs with an option to tie a rouleau belt around the waist. This was a smart and chic look appealing to young well-dressed women who did not want to relive the hippy …
More….
A – Line Dresses
A – Line Dresses Although A line dresses were popular in the 70s, the style and the name was invented by French designer Christian Dior back in 1955 due to its shape. The A-Line was a simple cut dress, so named because the shape of the dress was an “A” shape that finished just above the knee. Originally a simple short sleeved short dress, the A line dress became an iconic 60s style modelled by models such as Twiggy and Jean Shrimpton. However by the 70s the A line dress had evolved and included many different looks and styles and …
More….
Shirt Waisters
Shirt Waisters were hugely popular dresses in the early 70s being such simple garments. The name says it all really, because these dresses were pretty much long, sleeveless or short sleeved shirts, which were cut just above the knee and buttoned all the way down. They were fitted at the waist and usually worn a little longer that the picture shows. Occasionally you would add a belt but normally worn as seen and as you can see they came in some lovely designs. Shirtwaisters were ideal dresses for the summer. They were versatile and could be as smart or as …
More….
Jumper Suits
Jumper Suits had been popular throughout the 1960s but by the time the 70s got into their swing, this was a look favoured by older women. I remember my mum wearing jumper suits for work in the early 70s – she seemed very old to me and must have been aged around 35 so was certainly past it! According to me that is! Smart yet casual the tops could be quite a few different styles with scoop, polo or collared, long, short or sleeveless but the skirt would normally be straight cut. This was a smart tailored look that appealed …
More….
Fabrics of the 70s
Fashion Fabrics in the early 70s With the space age in full swing, man-made fabrics were finding their way to the designers and out to the High Street stores. Here’s a selection of the new kids on the block as it were with descriptions courtesy of Burtons circa 1970. Trevira – The great new Polyester Fabric Uncrusheable, shape-retaining, and impeccably behaved, dresses containing Trevira have that beautiful, expensive look that lasts for a long, long time. In addition, they’re machine washable, shrink-resistant; need little or no ironing, which means that they’re very, very practical. Crimplene – Fashion’s favourite easy-care fibre. …
More….
