Fashion the 1970s

The 1970s was a decade of style contrasts. More so than in any other decade, every extreme of fashion was met by an equally trendy opposite reaction. Ankle-length maxi skirts vied for attention with super-short hot-pants. Outfits in vibrant prints and obviously man-made fabrics contrasted with subtly-colored ensembles in wool jerseys and silky crepes. Delicate floral cottons, hand-knits, and hand-tooled leather came up against boldly synthetic and plastic looks perched atop platform shoes—for men and women alike. More so than at any other time, fashion looked backwards in order to dress the future, with quirkily ironic retro looks, while alternative street-style movements such as Punk used appearance to startle and challenge the establishment.