Bohemian 70s forever entered the history of fashion, as a decade full of contradictions, combinations of the incongruous and the desire to become free through falling into a completely different dependence. This is the time of hippy America, bohemian Europe and the Soviet Union stagnation era. We will learn how historical events influenced the formation of fashion trends and consider the most popular silhouettes and lengths in which a women's dress of the 70s was made.
The influence of history on fashion
America’s military actions in Vietnam gave rise to such a youth movement as the hippies. Young people expressed their opinions in mass demonstrations, where they protested against war, violence, nuclear weapons and other manifestations of political aggression.
Hippies led a peculiar way of life: they promoted “free love”, nudism, and used psychotropic substances. It was a challenge to the "system" and to everything that somehow influenced the minds and behavior of the masses. Of course, hippies differed not only in their worldview, but also in their appearance. There were many ethnic elements in their outfits, and since the ethnic group of America was made up of Native Americans (Indians), hippies could be recognized by fringed clothing, prints with national patterns, wood and feather ornaments.
The characteristic women's dress of the 70s is a long, floor-length, free cut, decorated with a floral print or hand embroidery.
The political and economic situation in Europe was more favorable for fashion formation than in the USA. Hence the emergence of such a thing as bohemian chic. Clothing, characteristic of the creative strata of the population, has acquired hypertrophy and gloss. Prevailing expensive fabrics, finishes, accessories. Eclecticism inherent in the style allowed in one dress of the 70s to combine ethnic motifs, sports elements and the glamor of old Hollywood.
70s designers
One of the most iconic designers of the 70s is Yves Saint Laurent. Women were not only his clients, but also muses. He could not create clothes that would not adorn or emphasize the sexuality and beauty of the female body. The safari style created by Saint Laurent is the fashion of the 70s. Dresses of this period are distinguished by the colors with which the designer was inspired by Africa: sand, olive, milk, khaki. A safari shirt shirt was one of the most desirable acquisitions of the time. Modern designers often resort to the style of safari, so it’s not difficult to embody the fashionable image of the 70s.
Who else created fashion in the 70s? This is Kenzo Takada, who proposed changing the narrow silhouettes to more free ones characteristic of the East, Diana von Furstenberg, who invented a cult dress with a smell, knitted queen Sonia Riquel, Giorgio Armani, Gianni Versace, Valentino, Pierre Cardin and other fashion designers, many of whom continue to create this day.
Silhouettes
Almost all dresses of the 70s (photo of which is confirmed) had either an X-silhouette or an A-silhouette. The first type often included dresses of midi or maxi length. The top was quite voluminous, the sleeves could be “flashlights” or flared to the bottom, the waist was emphasized with belts, and the skirt was moderately magnificent.
A-line dresses migrated into fashion from the 60s. Trapezoid mini-dresses were so attracted to residents of large cities that they were worn with pleasure in the 70s. Their sleeves were either flared or narrow and long.
What other silhouettes does a dress in the style of the 70s mean? A straight silhouette or tight fit on the figure. Such models were less common, but were also held in high esteem by fashionistas, especially for noisy parties in night clubs.
Length
Choosing a dress in the style of the 70s today, you will definitely not be mistaken with the length, since at that time there was no specific fashion for the length. The most daring wore playful ultramini, combining them with high stocking boots or golfs. Elegant ladies preferred midi length. It could be a straight knee-length safari dress, complemented by a wide leather belt at the waist. And, of course, the bohemian maxi: a flying dress on the floor with a floral or ethnic print. Nowadays, it can be worn with coarse “biker” boots, and in summer with white sneakers or flat sandals.
Fabrics
Hippies as the main trendsetters of the 70s popularized the use of inexpensive natural fabrics: cotton, linen, wool. Then the phenomenon of hand-made began to develop. Girls not only wove baubles and beads, but also crocheted openwork dresses from light cotton yarn. Today, many designers include knitted dresses in their summer collections.
European fashionistas preferred to wear designer clothes made of more expensive and noble fabrics: silk, chiffon, velvet, tweed, cashmere, genuine leather and fur.
Evening disco options were made of glossy fabrics or were completely embroidered with sequins.
Decor
The dress of the 70s was never simple and concise. It is distinguished by either a bright, eye-catching print or finish. The most common finishes: patch pockets, turn-down collar, buttons, belt or belt, fringe. It can also be frills along the neckline, a bow tied around the neck, draped sleeves.
The prints that can be found on a dress in the style of the 70s (photo can be seen below) are as follows: flowers, ethnic patterns, including the “Indian cucumber”, psychedelic patterns, peas, “goose paw”, cage. The colors were dominated by bright, saturated, juicy. Designer clothes could be made from calmer color combinations: black and white, beige and blue, gray and purple.
70s in the USSR
Due to stagnation in politics and economics, women of fashion in the Soviet Union learned about world fashion trends from fashion magazines and cinema. The most coveted models were embodied either by ourselves or with the help of a familiar seamstress. The fashion of the 70s (the photo of the dress will be presented below) was a simplified version of the fashion of Europe and America. There was no large selection of fabrics, so simple toilers wore dresses made of chintz and viscose. The stars of cinema and pop could afford dresses made of printed silk with bright actual prints and decor. The styles were also eclectic, with a touch of ethnicity, in our case they were cotton shirt dresses from India. In honor were short dresses with a flared skirt and summer sundresses slightly below the knees.
Despite the difficult situation of the country, we also had a designer who made a coup in the Soviet fashion. Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Zaitsev was able to give a second life to cheap viscose fabric, embodying outfits of amazing beauty from it.
If you want to repeat the image of the capital's fashionista and get the perfect dress of the 70s, revise the cult films by Eldar Ryazanov “Office Romance” and Vladimir Menshov “Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears”. There you will see not only everyday life, but also the fashion of the USSR of that time.