Fashion in the 1970s had the biggest transformation of any century. This was due to the many new fashion trends that were introduced during this decade. There was also a big cultural/societal change that happened in the 1970s that may have influenced these dramatic changes in clothing. The women’s movement was a big topic in the 1970s and it gained tremendous popularity during this time. As a result, there were many forms of protests going around the country for more equal laws and regulations. This newfound voice and freedom for Canadians sparked change in not only political aspects but in fashion as well. 1970s fashion was very fast changing as there were 2 different phases/styles that took place during this decade. Let’s first start with the early 1970s fashion for teenage boys. During the beginning of the decade, bright colours and textures were still in fashion. Teenage boys would typically wear a pair of jeans or flare pants with a bright buttoned-up shirt. Another popular outfit amongst boys was a tie-dye shirt and a pair of jeans.
However, in the latter part of the decade, there was a shift from the “hippie” style to a “disco” style. This new change in style had teenage boys dressing in the ever-so-popular bell-bottom jeans, buttoned-up silk shirts, turtle necks, and reversible jackets.
The hairstyle for men was generally longer hair as they would see their favourite singers/bands with this style.
Teenage girls on the other hand followed this same switch in trends from hippie to disco. During the early 70s in the hippie stage teenage girls’ fashion consisted of paisley or tie-dye fabrics much like the boys. For the bottom half of the outfit mini skirts were starting to gain popularity, along with “hot pants”. Hot pants were these very bright-coloured pants that came in a variety of different colours. Go-go boots were also very popular amongst girls in the first half of the decade.
Moving on to the disco half of the decade, teenage girls started to dress more formally. This new look would consist of bell-bottom jeans, stretch disco pants, disco dresses, and jersey-knit wrap dresses. Teenage girls also really enjoyed clothes that were decorated in sequins and rhinestones as they would sparkle under the disco lights. In terms of footwear, the most popular shoe during this decade for both boys and girls was platform shoes. The boys opted for a shorter heel and the women a longer heel but they both really enjoyed this style of shoe. Down below you will see some examples of 1970s fashion in pictures of our local students.
