The 70s were hardly my
favorite decade for style and design. I could barely abide the
era’s fashion while living through it, and was apt to attend school in a
nipped-waist jacket Mildred Pierce would envy, or do the town in a silk kimono
re-purposed as a dress. It was as if the 70s forced me to develop personal
style, leading me away from retail and into thrift shops.
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| STAR, for groupies in training |
Now I view the 70s
differently. I can appreciate how all that polyester and nylon meant
liberation, especially for unleashing women from their ironing
boards. I can understand how “designer” jeans made luxury accessible to all. Even the winged coifs that made it seem our hair could fly off our
heads at any moment evoked freedom. There was a slinkiness, a sexiness, an
embraced bralessness (though not to the extent American Hustle had Amy Adams portraying) that wasn’t just for
hippie chicks.
 |
| Distressed, dysfunctional |
The shift from flower child
to disco diva coincided with what Tom Wolfe labeled “The Me Decade,” and
whether you took that to mean atomized individualism or ugly egocentricity at
the time, you'd no doubt cringe over what our
culture embraced so heartily—gas-guzzlers, cocaine and wardrobes comprised primarily of
Qiana. As to the counterculture style that would be called punk, it
back-lashed to basics: denim, leather, fishnets, black eye makeup and scarlet
lipstick.
Make mock if you will—the
70s are an easy target. Yet to me, vintage items from the era have their charm.
Come autumn I’ll be showcasing some classic 70s button-downs for men and women,
one pattern wilder than the next. For now, I’m offering nightwear — the stuff
that disco dreams are made of. Enjoy!
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| Liberate yourself in this "Freedom Front" nightgown by Olga, $17: https://www.etsy.com/listing/195100547/simply-sexy-tulip-print-70s-era-nylon? |
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