Power Trip: the influential style of the 70's

A continuation of Seventies Fashion...

Do you know that feeling where your stomach drops because it feels like your missing something? That's how I felt when obsessively reread my post from last week. I thought " This is okay, but I can do better than this." so I decided to do a second post on fashion in the 1970s because I felt like I briefly spoke about issues Women's Liberation,  the breakaway from heteronormativity and the prominence of cultural appropriation.   Furthermore, in my research I found out that a lot of fashion in the Seventies was influenced by African Culture yet, these fashions were not accredited to people of color, so I thought that it would be important to speak about Black Culture and African Fashion and it’s influence on the fashion of this decade. Hence, my decision to write a second blog post on  70s fashion.


 The Seventies is a decade that is filled with fashion influencers from the stars that attended Studio 54 to the young adults that busted down at the disco on Saturday nights, and to the activist relentlessly questioned "the man".The trends of the Seventies have a heavy influence on fashion today.

BOSS: A tribute to working-class women

Suits

Actions speak louder than words.
 Women in the 70s wanted freedom: freedom from traditional values, the idea that looking good comes at the sacrifice of comfort, and societal norms. This encouraged a progression of fashion away from the frilly and dainty clothes of the 50 and 60s to the more practical garb of the 70s. As women fought for equal pay and the ERA  (The Equal Rights Amendment, which if ratified would prohibit discrimination based on gender ).  Suits are commonly worn by men in the workplace. Women wore suits to negate the belief that "men should be the sole figure of authority within the workplace." Women walked proudly down the streets in sleek suits, to emphasize their equality to men.

Monochromatic Garb

For the aspiring girl boss, this is a key staple in her closet. The women wearing these monotone outfits were anything but dull. This was a monochrome outfit allowed women to look professional without sacrificing comfort.

That's a wrap!: The wrap dress 

The wrap dress was created by Diane Von Fürstenburg in 1974. The wrap dress has versatility in the ways in that it can be worn. I can be styled with a belt or worn with thigh-high boots. This encouraged individualism and fostered creative freedom in terms of what you could wear. Accessorizing gives women the option to stand out and experiment with different trends. Looking good does not mean you need to sacrifice comfort. The wrap dress is a dress that is simply put on by tieing a bow. This ready to wear dress has hugged the curves of the wearer's body with ease.

The Seventies expanded the view of fashion. Fashion became something that was shared something attached to tradition. Fashion trends of the seventies were shared by men and women. Jumpsuits, bell bottoms, floral tees, and platform shoes that were popular during this period. In understanding the style of the seventies it is important to acknowledge that is focused on ease and comfort, the clothes a person wore accessorized their already unique personalities. This freedom of expression is what the style from this decade represented.

Elton John and Bowie and Queen

The counterculture in the 60s brought about a resistance to tradition and encouraged individuality and the pursuit of happiness and peace. In the seventies, this evolved into a pursuit of personal style instead of adhering to trends people in the seventies found ways to integrate trends into their personal style. Fashion in the seventies focused on how clothes can accentuate and match the personality of the person wearing clothes.

Disco emerged in the seventies, but you couldn't wear just anything to the disco.  This Friday night rager the rung at the weekend and welcomed all.  Here, people wore what they wanted they were proudly themselves. Platform Shoes have completed any outfit for the disco. When disco originally started it was a place for people of all sexual orientations, but it became less inclusive as disco became the mainstream.

 For the stars of the period, the spot was Studio 54 a mecca for the arts. From Andy Warhol to Diana Ross to Cher this was the place for stars. The outfits people wore here were more exceeded extravagance.

Elton John and David Bowie broke away from social norms to develop their unique personal style.  David Bowie was a style scientist, always experimenting with what commonly perceived as odd or weird.  Elton John topped off his outfits with a pair of kooky sunglasses.

Do it for the culture: The influence of African American culture on 70s fashion

A lot fashion from this period was influenced by African culture and introduced by African Americans and appropriated by designers of this period.  Patterns from these cultures were used for inspiration to create prints for dresses, pants, blouses, etc.

Jewelry from African cultures was symbolic of this status and within African communities. In the seventies, jewelry from these cultures completed any outfit. Appropriation diminished the cultural meaning of a style or tradition, it diminished the significance of traditional wear for the purpose of monetary gain. Innovation is key in increasing fashion if one does change an idea it is simply copying from other cultures. This appropriation led encouraged a pride for one's culture and the traditional garb that came with it.

Clothing worn by the Panthers the expressed their militant approach to pursuing self- defense for people of color. Black Leather jackets, sunglasses, pants and berets. This uniform showed unity and support for people of color.

African Accessories
Black Panther Fashion
The Emergence of Hip-Hop