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Objects Of Desire: That 70s Clothing

While fashion lacks a gale force trend right now, I think we might reasonably point out a few “breezes” — influences, if you will. The Seventies are in the air.

And that’s it for wind metaphors.

Anyone else here a teenager in the 70s? I thought so. Remember our bell-bottoms, skinny-rib tees, and hand-tooled leather handbags? The romanticism that flowered as the 60s faded, before disco took over? Puffy sleeves without irony?

You might be tempted to acquire a piece, maybe two, of type. Something that doesn’t require disrupting your wardrobe, but amuses and serves good purpose. BTW, if you’d like a sound track, here’s what I played on my turntable in 1974, over and over and over. Yearning Wr’ Us.

A Romantic Topper

The other day British company Poetry’s catalog arrived in the mail, unsolicited of course, and this viscose and silk velvet coat caught my eye.

Poetry Velvet Coat

You could wear it with impunity over last year’s skinny jeans and pointy flats, or boyfriend jeans and ankle boots. Or as a layer under your oversized camel coat. Subtle, but indicative. Poetry’s got a good returns policy, which is critical when buying internationally.

A Peasant Blouse

Aack! Peasant blouses! Our collective past! But, think about it, easy on the midriff, easy to pull on, might not be crazy. Besides, Tish Jett of Forever Chic and A Femme d’un Certain Age, concurs. (100% cotton and on sale.)

A Fringed Bag

A simple, relatively inexpensive cross-body bag with fringe? Cute. Even my uniform of New Balance sneakers, black tee, and boyfriends might benefit from a little handbag frivolity.

NMV2KSL_mk

Or you could go all in. Because YSL made the high-end 70s. With some help from Halston, I suppose. There’s a book that concurs.

An Opinionated Patterned Tee

And, if you really preferred the glitter 70s to the grunge, remember the NikNik shirts that some guys wore? Pretty obnoxious. But a wildly patterned tee might be kind of fun. NikNik 2.0.

Pashma Silk and Cashmere Paisley Top

Via Halsbrook, in silk and cashmere for winter. It comes in other colors too.

One final note. Fie on those who say if you wore it the first time don’t wear it the next. Impunity, my friends, impunity and a good haircut. OK, impunity, a good haircut, and a love of adventure.

UPDATED:

Thérèse Nielsen, AKA @nyreader, has given me permission to post this tweet about her beloved hand-tooled leather bag. Thus proving, in case any doubt remained, the 70s were real.

Thérèse, I thank you from the bottom of my blue suede lace-up shoe wearing heart.

 

 

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52 Responses

  1. Hello Lisa…I’ve popped across from Sandra’s blog to say ‘hi’ I knew of the other ladies in her post but hadn’t met you :)
    I love the viscose and silk velvet coat…a stunning piece you could have in your wardrobe for years, or at least I would!
    If you have time pop across to my blog @
    catherinerobinsoncashmere.com/blog
    it would be lovely to hear from you.

  2. Peace, love and rock n roll. Yes, I remember that era. Love peasant blouses. Who knew they came back?

  3. I was born in 1970 so the decade doesn’t hold much allure for me, and of course no surprise I was not a boho child, my grade two school picture has me in a red skirt suit wearing a red and white striped blow blouse (those blouses, back in a big way, do still have a hold on me and I own one in black silk from Tory Burch, that’s as 70’s as it gets in my wardrobe).
    Love your picks though, they are perfectly evocative of the 70’s in just the right way. XO

    1. @DaniBP, And if I remember correctly, those bow blouses hit really big in the 80s, which might explain your fondness. I had to chuckle at the idea of young Boho Dani:).

    2. Dani, you were born the year I graduated from high school! Let me tell you–the 1960s and early 70s were quite wonderful!

  4. Sadly, my wardrobe hasn’t changed much from the 70s. Funny, though, since I went from 8 to 18 during that time!

  5. Oh, that fringed bag – what memories – I adored them! The 70s seemed so much more stylish than the 80s and 90s in hindsight. I still love bell bottoms, or at least boot cut the noughties take on them.

    1. @Chronica Domus,

      I still love bootcuts too. Been wearing them since the ’70’s & growing up riding horses. (Bootcuts being a staple in Western stores, I’ve always been able to find them there when they haven’t been a fashion trend.)

  6. I loved Stones,even now when young people in my beach coffee shop want to make me happy,they play it! Nice young people,no?
    We were young and beautiful….still are :-)
    Remember every piece of my clothes ,we had to go to Trieste ,Italy to buy them (if we were lucky)! Embroidery blouse from Munich,Lewis bought by friend of mine in US, boots to die for,….you people can’t imagine it
    Never heard of Poetry but this coat is so beautiful,and familiar as an old friend
    Thank you for the memory
    Dottoressa

  7. Hah .. if I eliminated everything that I’ve already worn once before, what would be left?????
    A 20’s flapper dress!
    Nah … must repeat on some things!

    1. @Gayle, My rule used to be that I wouldn’t wear a trend twice.
      Now that I’m over 60 my rule is three times.
      I think I’ll stick to that (but I reserve the right to change my mind when I’m 80).

  8. Just attended my 40 year HS reunion; many old photos came to my attention. If I could figure it out, I would share a photo of the hand-tooled leather bag I was so captivated by at the time. It’s probably for the best I cannot figure out how to post it, you would then see what I had done to my eyebrows…

    1. @nyreader, You could put it on Twitter and then post the tweet’s link:). Just saying…Or send it to me via email and I’ll put it in the post. See, there’s almost always a way;). I would beg you, but I’m going to try and behave myself.

  9. The silk and velvet coat is nice, but even during that decade I wasn’t entranced with the clothing, on me anyway. I do like some of the St. Laurent nods to the 70’s, but only in small bits.

    1. @Kathy, I’d have to do any of it in small bits – the tomboy thing is too dear to my heart now to add a whole lot of extra stuff.

  10. I’m glad I had another look at this post & got to see @nyreader’s prized handtooled leather bag! I had a similar one. And I’ve always been a Stones fan & played that album a lot on my turntable too.

  11. Money was short in the 70’s. I had a suede wrap around mini skirt, a pair of jeans, and a denim “jumper” – remember those? Worn with a turtleneck, patterned tights and the MOST 70’s (after bell bottoms with ribbon hems) CLOGS. But I lusted after a pair of Frye boots which all the cool female professors wore.

    1. @Loretta, Clogs & Frye boots! I never wore either back in the 70’s, but I started wearing Dansko clogs & Frye harness boots about 10 yrs. ago for their comfort & practicality. Now, I have a pair of tooled leather Dansko Professional clogs that remind me of those 70’s hand-tooled bags & I wear Frye boots from Cabela’s–I don’t wear mine as farm boots doing chores, but some folks do. I had a denim jumper back then too, & still wear lots of denim, but I haven’t been temped to re-visit that one!

    1. @Marie, Thanks, we were all together, again, at the reunion and I think we look better now (and sideburns have morphed into a beard for only one of us!)

  12. Unfortunately during the 70’s I was wearing the southern sorority girl look. So now that I am retired this more casual style actually fits into my wardrobe. Bring on the embroidered tunics! They are awesome with yoga leggings. Well, that and the swagger a great haircut brings…..

  13. Ahh, fond sartorial memories. I’ve been eyeing that top at Holbrook, setting it aside, and coming back. I’m still not sure there I’m there now, but it still appeals.

  14. Hip hugger cords. Peasant shirts from Mexico-I had an extensive Mexican wardrobe. But more than the clothes, I would like to have that 70s body back. A flat stomach that went on for days….and boobs that never needed (or wore) a bra. Can those come back???

    1. Hip hugger cords and Mexican blouses, check. The rest? Ah, youth, as they say, is wasted on the young;).

  15. I wore a Gunne Sax dress to my homecoming dance and thought I was the belle of the ball. As I look back I realize that I looked more like Laura from Little House on the Prairie!

    1. Aw:). I still remember the Gunne Sax I had freshman year in high school. Gray, with flowers. Sigh. I bet you looked beautiful.

  16. Memories…I had the same bag as Therese…who didn’t, right? Great photograph!
    I’m really wanting a pair of flare jeans, but I’m not sure weather to go for it, or just settle for boot cuts. Truthfully, flares are most likely a fad, and fads are not for me. I may purchase the peasant top, though…they ALWAYS speak to me.

    1. I think a boot cut is just as 70s-relevant as a flare – and looks way better on most people:). I’m really tempted by the peasant blouse myself.

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