Stories Written By: Rennie Hand
Chocolate Brown Tights
Another ghastly colour to cover pasty white legs! Not quite “oompa loompa “ but just as sexy. Not sure if they were one of the most memorable pieces of clothing from the 1970s. No need to worry about the fashion police in these days, as wearing brown with any colour is not a problem, in fact it is a must. But brown? I love the fact that the girls would come in with their 1970s school uniform, but they would take fashion liberties by wearing these chocolate brown tights that just was enough of a neutral colour not to get …
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Cheesecloth Shirt
Cheesecloth shirt. A Cheese cloth shirt was a handy item for people who hated ironing – this cotton based natural fabric had a crumpled appearance that was part of the look. I loved these in the mid 70’s when Status Quo were in their heyday. These cool shirts matched well with your Levi or Falmer Jeans and looked good when teamed with a huge buckled belt. Every Saturday when I worked the market I used to take a stroll into Mr Byrites and look over all the lovely shirts they had there and I always hung around those cheese cloth …
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Blakeys
Blakeys Metal sole protection that you fixed on the heel of your shoes, mostly to make as much noise as possible tap dancing in the school corridor and to make sparks on the pavement as you walked home from school. Did anyone actually ever buy them to protect their shoes? There were several types that I can recall, the ones I most used were the small half-moon shaped ones that I put on the heels of my shoes. These were supposed to help protect the wear and tear on the shoes and make them last longer, especially important if you …
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Ben Sherman Shirt
Ben Sherman Shirt Slim fitting shirt with button down collar & an inch wide pleat down the back with tab. Popular with the shaven head, braces and Dr. Marten brigade. It all started by a man called Arthur Sugarman who formed the company in Brighton in the 1960s. The shirts were always popular, and by the time the 1970s arrived, the Ben Sherman range was very big with the skinheads, and the later mod revival. The look was sharp smart and detailed and when you look back on it, their clothing sense had great fashion taste. Ben Sherman shirts were …
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Bellbottoms
Bellbottoms Bellbottoms were trousers that flared out from the knee downwards and covered your shoes. The style was taken from old-fashioned navy uniforms from both the US and British navy. These style trousers were easy to roll up and keep dry and became synonymous with old fashioned sailors outfits. In the 1970s, bell-bottoms were firmly in fashion. You could make your own jean bell bottoms by taking a pair of jeans, cutting open the seams to the knee and sewing in an extra panel of material to get the bell bottomed home made look. However this was a fairly 1960s …
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American Tan Tights
American Tan Tights English white legs needed the help of tights to get that tan, but they were dark orange! Were “oompa loompa” legs really the fashion? (Early 70’s) Tights had became popular in the 1960s as an alternative to stockings. Although many men were sad at the decrease in the numbers of women wearing stockings and suspenders, tights with their long sheer legs were perfect for wearing with the shorter length skirts, dresses and hotpants. Tights meant liberation and were easy and comfortable to wear. Although the sheer nylon looked like something the older generation wore in World War …
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Al Capone Hat
Al Capone Hat The boys wore Al Capone hats with black shirts and sometimes even a white tie. Girls could wear it with a white silk scarf & jersey smock dress. The important thing to remember about this fashion is that the colours were predominantly black and white. However, this was a short-lived fashion first time around. No surprise there! (1975). The fashion was based on old gangster films Al Capone of course was a notorious gangster from the American 1920s and the 1930s, and because of the many gangster films of the 70s, most of us associated the hat …
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Afghan Coat
Afghan Coat A knee length sheepskin coat with huge fur collar & trim. Not one to wear out in the rain unless you wanted to smell like an old dog (Early 70’s). The Afghan coat was an ethnic goatskin or sheepskin coat that was decorated with silk embroidery on the front panel and did up with hooks not buttons or toggles. . Afghan coats were first seen on the streets ofLondonin the late 60s – famously the Beatles were pictured wearing Afghan coats on the cover of their classic album “Sergeant Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band”. The original 60s version …
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