Regretable 1970’s Fashion Trends – Mary’s Top 5

The 1970's was all about excess. That is all too apparent in the pattern overload of most fashions. All the fashion disasters were magnified ten fold by the overwhelming use of bold patterns. The worst offenders were amplified by the simple fact that the patter was on polyester fabric.

More times than not, it wouldn't be just one item of an outfit bearing a rancid pattern. Oh no...every piece of the outfit, shirt, vest, and pants had to have the same pattern!

No wonder so many people who lived in the 70's ended up wearing glasses.

Nothing says hot fashion like the doilies on your grandmother's end tables. Crocheting might be fine for slippers or baby blankets or even scarves, but the seventies took this past time to a new high. EVERYTHING was crocheted...bikinis, dresses, vests, even shorts. Not only were these fashion statements reminiscent of grandma's doilies, I can imagine they were quite itchy.

There is probably no other fashion trend more simply 70's than the leisure suit. A leisure suit was fashion's answer to the mullet. A jet setting man about town couldn't call his wardrobe complete without a poly-blend leisure suit in at least two colors. This is in no part without thanks to John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever. He was the model for everyman as they walked their walk in their leisure suit be it for business or pleasure.

A leisure suit wouldn't be complete without a polyester shirt with a big collar, and the bigger the better. It didn't matter the collar was left undone and the top two or heaven forbid third buttons were left open or closed with the biggest knotted tie big was best. Some of the collars that I remember looked so starched that they looked as if they could cause bodily harm.

We loved our denim in the seventies. And what's not to love? Easy to care for and can be great dressed up or down. But, whole suits made of denim with bell bottoms? Yeah nothing says classy like a suit of denim. Remember denim patchwork sport coats? Yeah, those were terrible.

I am so glad these are not in fashion anymore. In my opinion, one piece clothing should be reserved for infants and toddlers that look adorable in anything. Yet, with Elvis' help these simple fashion disasters were an easy fix for anyone looking to boggy in comfort.