Disco style in the 1970s
By the middle of the 1970s, disco clothes were very famous. Elvis even wears a jumpsuit with a cutout at the belly. New Yorkers who go to discos wear expensive and flashy clothes like slinky wrap dresses by Diane von Furstenberg, flowing Halston dresses for women, and polyester shirts with patterns from Qiana for men that should have pointy necks and be open at the chest. With double-knit polyester shirt sleeves and pants that match, the leisure suit has become popular.
In this age of fashion where anything goes, the trend for these ready-to-wear couture styles quickly spread to cheaper high-street clothes. Men dress like peacocks by wearing bright colors, fancy patterns, and flashy jewelry.
From the late 1960s to the early 1970s, women wore miniskirts, bell bottoms, and the unisex hippie look. But the disco style of the 1970s takes crazy fashion to a whole new level. The fashion shifted from the childish look of the late 1960s to a style that was more intelligent, sexually aware, and grown-up. These styles become well-known until everyone and their grandmother is wearing them.
Here is a list of certain must-have things that have come to define the 1970s disco era:
Warm pants:
Since 1971, young women have liked wearing hotpants. These shorts were as short and tight as they could be. Hotpants were first made to be worn with thick, opaque tights, but people wore them with or without stockings because of the “anything goes” mentality.
Shoes with platforms:
When they first came out in 1971, platform-soled shoes made both men and women stand at least 2 to 4 inches off the ground. Even though they kept wide-leg flares from dragging on the ground, these shoes weren’t very useful.
Jeans or pants with flares:
Back in the early 1970s, women were quickly becoming more likely to wear pants. Labels became important as a sign of social status, and jeans like Vanderbilt and Fiorucci became must-haves. For the free-working woman, pants are useful and make her feel more free.
Styles were different from the hipster pants of the 1960s; they were high-waisted and tight around the hips and legs, but they flared out to cover those high platform shoes. People fell over flares because they were too wide, and their platform shoes got caught in the extra fabric.
There was a range of man-made fabrics that could be used, from plain white satin to ones with psychedelic colors and flower designs. However, flared pants lost their cool in the middle of the 1970s. Skin-tight pants for dancing (women) and a more roomy or less structured trouser shape (men) took their place.
Suit with three pieces:
It became popular for men to wear a white polyester suit and jacket that matched after John Travolta wore one in Saturday Night Fever. It was often worn with costume jewelry like a bracelet or pendant with a medallion under a shirt that was open at the belly. People had to wear suits with wide lapels, wide legs, and high waists. Suits could also be bright colors to match the colors of the dance floor. Also, white looked great in discos with the UV lighting that became famous.
Dress with a wrap.
Nicole von Furstenberg created the easy stretch-jersey polyester wrap dress in 1972. It was also used in the movie Saturday Night Fever. It was worn with flip-flops with slingbacks or knee-high boots with big heels. It could be worn to work in a plain color during the day and changed into a sexy shape at night.
A sparkle:
It was the decade when glam and glitter became popular with most people. Because man-made materials were so cheap, anyone could wear clothes with glitter, and everyone went crazy for it. Threads that were metallic, looked like satin, had diamonds, or anything else that sparkled and shone were great. There was also glitter in the makeup. Girls put glitter gel on their eyes, lips, and cheeks. Lip gloss was a must. Also, the eyebrows were pulled out to make a thin line with an arch.
Tube for boobs:
The boob tube was a stretchy, strapless tube that was worn around the chest and waist or to show the midriff. It was often decorated with sequins. A lot of people wore halterneck tops to the disco as well.
Leotards and dancewear:
This happened again in Saturday Night Fever. From 1974 on, the leotard was a famous piece of disco clothing. Shapes that show off your body and show that you are serious about learning the newest dance moves You could dress it up by putting a scarf around your hips or adding another color on top of it.
This kind of dress was a lot of professional dancewear. Its adaptability helped with tough moves and hot nights on the dance floor. Clothing made of polyester and spandex became popular when dancewear came out in the 1960s and on the disco dance floors in the 1970s.
People could also tell that you liked dancewear if you were into keeping your body fit and toned. This is an obsession that has roots in the rise of fitness and health clubs and regular exercise. For people who wanted to look good, jogging, skating, and other sports became very popular.
Adding ons:
Hats, slinky scarves, and feather boas
Think afro, shaggy, and feathered layered hairstyles for guys! You could wear your hair open and easy or tight and curly with just some tongs, hairspray, gel, and maybe some glitter gel for the girls.
