The 1970s were a decade of significant change in fashion. The fashion trends of the 1970s were influenced by various cultural, political, and social factors that made the styles of the era unique and iconic. The 70s saw the rise of the hippie and disco culture, which had a significant influence on the styles seen from day to day worn by both adults and younger teens. I have done some research and compiled a list of some of the top trends of 70s style and where the influence arose.
Hippie Culture and Fashion
The hippie movement of the 1960s continued into the early 1970s. The hippie style was characterized by free-flowing garments, tie-dye prints, and a bohemian vibe. The styles were made up of maxi dresses, peasant blouses, flared jeans, and fringed vests. The colors were often earthy and muted, with a lot of browns, greens, and oranges.
Disco Culture and Fashion
The 1970s also saw the emergence of disco culture, which influenced fashion trends in a different way. Disco culture was all about dancing, and the clothes reflected that. The style was characterized by shiny fabrics, metallics, and lots of glitter. The disco style was made up of jumpsuits, bell-bottom pants, and wrap dresses. The colors were often bright and bold, with a lot of blues, pinks, and purples.
Influence of Pop Culture
The decade saw the rise of iconic celebrities such as Farrah Fawcett, Cher, and John Travolta, who all had their signature looks that were emulated by many. Farrah Fawcett’s feathered hairstyle and bell-bottom jeans became a fashion trend, while Cher’s daring and revealing outfits inspired many fashion designers.
Influence of Politics
The political climate of the 1970s also had an influence on fashion trends. The feminist movement was gaining momentum, and women’s fashion was becoming more androgynous. The power suit emerged as a symbol of women’s liberation, and shoulder pads became a fashion trend. The anti-war movement also influenced fashion trends, with many people opting for military-inspired clothing such as fatigue jackets and cargo pants.
Influence of Technology
The 1970s also saw the emergence of new fabrics and materials. Synthetic materials such as polyester became popular, and clothing was often made with bright, bold prints. The use of technology in fashion also led to the creation of stretchy fabrics such as spandex, which were used in disco clothing. Materials otherwise unseen in popular culture.
In Conclusion
As you can see, the fashion trends of the 1970s were influenced by various cultural, political, and social factors that made the styles of the era unique and iconic! The hippie and disco cultures, pop culture, politics, and rise in synthetic technology all contributed in various ways to hit the mainstream. The fashion trends of the 1970s continue to inspire fashion designers and are still popular today.
Tell us about your favorite fashion trends from the 70s…or maybe some that should remain history 🙂
Listen people, it’s 2022. Clothing really has no business being gender specific! Taking a look at the newest fashion lines coming out will give you a perfect example of clothing androgyny and the progression we have made in the past couple decades.
In today’s article I’m going to explain why gender neutral clothing is important. I will cover freedom of expression, some of the challenges with gender neutral lines, the stigma, and where I think the future lies.
This is not an article forcing you to wear gender-neutral clothing or to make you, as a woman, dress like a man or vice versa. It is only my opinion based on what I have seen during my time in the clothing industry and an alignment of what our store Diversity Consignment believes in within our core mission.
Freedom of expression
Freedom of expression can be defined as : You have the right to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of your choice without interference and regardless of frontiers.
I will define freedom of expression within the clothing industry as the following : The ability to express oneself freely, without restraints, and voluntarily, through the clothing you choose to dawn regardless of specific constraints. Side note: I am not a proponent of blatant disregard for the sensitivities of specific cultures or the use of historical garments for appropriation.
Freedom of expression, especially within the confinement of the United States is a beautiful thing that should be embraced. One of the simplest ways to express oneself is through the clothing that one wears. Want to dress in Crayola colors? Go for it! Want to wear a plaid skirt with Dr. Marten boots? I say, you better take a picture and send it to us so we can promote it!
Clothing should not have gender constraints. They take away the very principle of freedom of expression that has been founded.
Challenges with clothing binarity
One of the major difficulties a lot of men, in particular, may find when clothing shopping in a gender neutral environment is sizing constraints. You see a cute skirt that you want to try on, but find out that the sizing is only constrained to XXS-L in “women’s” sizing. As a 6’4″ 240lb guy that can be a real challenge! What are the options out there?
The same can be said for women. The clothing companies do not take into consideration body shapes, differences, and tastes. There should be no reason why a skirt is not manufactured for men’s bodies as well as women’s. In fact, men have historically worn skirts as well as heels!
The simple fact is this — people come in all shapes, sizes, and with different interests. It’s time for retailers to embrace this.
Stigma
Another major challenge within the retail world is the stigma. It is challenging for opposing sexes to find a comfortable space where they can shop in the “other” section. There is a lot of separation between areas; men’s and women’s. When the general population sees a man in the women’s section they tend to do a lot of gawking and staring. That is super uncomfortable for that individual. The same can be said for women in the “men’s” section.
As we progress as a society, I must say, this is becoming less of an issue in specific geographical areas. The fact still remains that the stigma is continuously a huge issue that deserves recognition. Living in a diverse community of NYC will show a big difference in the stigma than an area in rural America. That is unfair for individual freedom of expression.
I want to explain a little bit about how clothing styles and sexuality corelate. They Don’t! Just because a man finds a certain blouse nice, does not mean that man is gay. If they are, great! Just because a woman is wearing a Carhartt top with Timberland boots does not mean that they are gay. It is simply an expression of taste through style. Period. Regardless, it’s honestly none of your business anyway so why should you even care??
The future of clothing androgyny
I, for one, am hopeful for the future of clothing and the elimination of stigma and judgement. I have already witnessed lines of bags and accessories that positively embrace gender neutrality. Many of the lines on the runway for 2022 showcase femme skirts on men as well as wide-leg “dad jeans” on women.
I am hopeful that more gender neutral environments will be opening up that decrease the divide. I really am not trying to be political in this article, as I believe that politics have nothing to do with freedom of expression and the comforts that should come with the concept.
We, at Diversity Consignment openly embrace gender neutrality and focus on creating a comfortable environment where men, women, and non-binary individuals can express themselves freely without judgement. I cannot tell you the amount of times I have seen burly, bearded men (prototypical essences of masculinity) trying on a dress and KILLING IT. I hope that we can continue in a progressive direction where everyone feels comfortable as a society.
“There’s no point in seeking out an art degree.” “You’re wasting your time and ourmoney!” “Yeah she’s hopefully going to get a good college experience, we’re not expecting it to become her actual career.”
The Advice
These are all typical things you’ve been told by your parents, teachers, or friends at some point during your life if you’ve ever been interested in pursuing a degree in the arts. It can honestly seem like a waste of time trying to convince people around you that this is something you’re passionate about and that you can make money pursuing.
If you’ve ever been feeling this way or have been told you should feel this way, read on my friend because I’m going to prove that you CAN make money being a freelance artist/creator and prove all the nay-sayers wrong!
Now I should note, I am not a professional artist nor do I personally have an art degree but I do know the art of creating and selling and there are certain principles that span over different facets of art.
Specialize
The key is to become a specialist. The same thing applies in whatever style of creating/selling or buying/selling you decide to take leadership and ownership of. When you specialize in one particular area or niche, you become an expert at that particular skill. This could be anything from painting landscapes, drawing graffiti art, or carving wooden sculptures. Just know that the old adage, “A jack of all trades” is almost always followed by “A master of none.” Use this to your advantage and focus solely on creating one unique specialized form.
You have to understand that when it comes to art there is a lot of competition out there. Why would a gallery or storefront give their precious space up to you vs. someone else? The answer is simple: YOU are the best at x*.
Take a look at @itsasign by Keith Henderson on IG to get an idea of specializing. He’s an artist who has honed his skills into making custom window splashes for business window displays. An excellent example of how to make doing what you love into a business and monetizing it.
Use Online Selling Platforms To Your Advantage
In today’s day and age, selling direct to consumer is as easy as creating an Etsy account or even a business IG page. Use these platforms to your advantage! They can be especially advantageous when you have mastered point number one, “Specialize”. First of all, people love buying handmade and custom made things from Etsy. It gives you a feeling of wow this was made just for me! It works out even better when it comes to gifts for people’s birthdays and holidays. Making your art customizable for people to buy as gifts is a huge advantage to being able to do what you love to create and make some money doing it.
Yes I know, Etsy takes a fee but trust me when I say that everything comes with a price. At least you’re putting your work out there to thousands of eyes who wouldn’t have seen it previously! I will probably do a more detailed post about how to create an Etsy page in a separate article.
As far as selling on IG goes or creating your own website, this too is a good way to sell products or gain a solid following. I would avoid posting only “product” posts on IG (especially on the feed) and post more about how it’s made or something funny like blooper reels. Take a look at @madeinthemoment on Instagram for an example.
Remember, IG or Tiktok are social apps and people will be lulled to sleep on your page if they don’t see anything entertaining. GET CREATIVE! IT’S WHAT YOU’RE GOOD AT!
Instead, use IG or tiktok as a funneling tool to get people to click on your website or Etsy shop. The integration is awesome and powerful. Once you’ve gained a substantial following of people who love what you create, you can funnel them right into your site! Offer special coupons or call to action incentives for people who order from you directly.
We (@diversityconsign) sell our products directly through our story page on IG. We take venmo payments for holds and ship things out for an extra fee.
On The Road
Now that you have your social apps working to your advantage, it’s time to get the word out there. You can try and wait it out and spend your time twiddling your thumbs until word of mouth spreads or you can get yourself in the drivers seat and spread the word yourself!
Start by researching and getting involved with outdoor or indoor markets. They’re typically affordable (small start up costs) $50-100 and they can be great for exposure if you find one in a busy part of the city! I know for example @neoopenmarkets has a few in our local area of Boston! But if you do your research, you’ll definitely be able to find some near you.
You’re going to need a few basic things; a canvas tent, a foldable table, a card processor, table cloth and be prepared to have some products ready and available! Make the investment! Bring some business cards to hand out that can direct people back into your funnel and be ready to talk people’s ear off about who you are and what you do! Be prepared to spend some weekends traveling and waking up early.
If you’re an artist you’re going to want to make some prints available of your originals. Trust me, most people do not carry hundred of dollars on them during pop-up markets and are less likely to buy originals and carry them around. Use your social skills to tell them about where they can find your originals for sale.
Get your products in as many stores and local businesses that will take them. From a small business perspective, we love the feeling of helping someone gain exposure. Even if your art doesn’t get purchased in the store, you should have an artist bio made up letting shoppers know who you are and where they can find more of your products!
Conclusion
I know you want to spend your time creating new products but you need to remember that you’re trying to make some money here as well. Turning your art into a business is extremely time consuming and involved. That’s why only a small number of people actually succeed in transforming “doing what they love” into a sustainable career! You’re going to need to spend a lot of your time focusing on marketing yourself and creating a need for your work. That’s what separates the dreamers from the doers.
I would recommend watching YouTube tutorials and reading educational books on business regularly. After all, that’s what we’re really here to do right? Prove the nay-sayers wrong and show them that you can make a career making art and more importantly doing what you love!
Leave a comment down below and let us know if you think this information was helpful! -Much Love- …Ian Drake, Diversity Consignment.
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