With each new generation, new trends and fashions emerge. Though each style is distinct and memorable, not all hold up equally well over time. (Here, for instance, are some iconic fashion brands that no longer exist.)
Some people enjoyed the poodle-skirt-and-Bermuda-shorts aesthetic of the 1950s, while others still love the over-the-top colors, patterns, and hairstyles that were all the rage in the 1980s. Yet for many people, the style of the 1970s simply cannot be beat.
Fashion in the 1970s went so much farther than bell bottoms. Ruffled blouses, long flowing maxi dresses, and tye-dye characterized the decade. Menswear from the era typically featured wide lapels, bright colors, and previously uncommon materials like corduroy and velvet. were also all the rage. Men and women alike wore floral patterns.
To find 60 photos that prove the 1970s had the best fashion, 24/7 Tempo chose a selection of images of fashion models, celebrities, and everyday people in the ‘70s, dressed for various contexts, from Getty Images. A majority of the people depicted are British, a reflection of the fact that the U.K. was an incubator for many fashion trends, beginning in the 1960s and continuing through the following decade.
It’s too soon to say if the 1970s fashion sensibilities will make a comeback, but there are some indications that the styles of an earlier time can still spark interest. Some young people with a nostalgic flair, for instance, have turned back the clock to the 1990s to find their outfits. Scrunchies, satin dresses, and straight leg jeans that first became en vogue 30 years ago are now fashionable with Gen Z. Who can say that the ‘70s won’t be next? (These are the fashion trends only 90s kids will remember)
A model previews a maxi dress for 1970
> Year: 1969
A model previews a satin dress for 1970
> Year: 1969
Two British male models in ’70s-style velvet suits
> Year: 1969
A glam rocker in a shiny jacket
> Year: circa 1970
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English pop singer Adam Faith and his wife
> Year: circa 1970
Twiggy (center) and two other models
> Year: circa 1970
The Pointer Sisters at the MIDEM festival in Cannes
> Year: circa 1970
Model Lucienne poses as a glamorous secretary
> Year: 1970
Three women having tea
> Year: 1970s
English Sports commentator John Bromley
> Year: 1970
Scottish soccer player Peter Marinello
> Year: 1970
An Yves Saint Laurent shirt-dress
> Year: 1970
Model Pip Billington in a mink coat
> Year: 1970
A women modeling ’70s fashions
> Year: circa 1970
An English model in white coat and gogo boots
> Year: 1970
Teenage debutantes at a charity event at London’s Berkeley Hotel
> Year: 1970
Modeling fur at London’s benefit Berkeley Debutante Dress Show
> Year: 1970
Burberry Coats in London’s Trafalgar Square
> Year: 1970
An English model in a pleated dress with bishop sleeves
> Year: 1970
Model Edina Ronay wearing a floral dress
> Year: 1970
Rolling Stones Mick Taylor, Mick Jagger, and Charlie Watts pose in Paris
> Year: 1970
A model in London in culottes and a bolero top
> Year: 1970
Actress Melita Clarke
> Year: 1970
Uniforms designed for functionaries at the 1972 Munich Olympics
> Year: 1971
An English male model in a velvet suit
> Year: 1971
An English male model in striped blazer and fedora
> Year: 1971
British stars of the play “Born Yesterday” pose in a pub
> Year: 1971
James Brown in a leather duster
> Year: 1971
An English model in a sleeveless jerkin and patterned shirt
> Year: 1971
Expectant mothers model pregnancy fashions
> Year: 1971
Editors of the English underground magazine on their way to court
> Year: 1971
Feline-fur coats modeled on a London street
> Year: 1971
Photo of the band Chic
> Year: circa 1972
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Maurice, Barry, and Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees
> Year: circa 1973
Dancers at Rodney Bingenheimer’s English Disco, Los Angeles
> Year: 1973
British glam-rock group The Sweet at Heathrow Airport
> Year: 1973
Cool styles in Los Angeles
> Year: 1973
Hanging out at Rodney Bingenheimer’s English Disco, Los Angeles
> Year: circa 1973
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A stylish couple in autumn fashions
> Year: 1974
Rod Stewart with The Faces at Heathrow Airport
> Year: 1974
70’s Disco Trio Limmie and the Family Cooking
> Year: 1974
Backstage at The Whisky A Go Go, West Hollywood
> Year: 1975
On the dancefloor at the Whisky A Go Go, West Hollywood
> Year: 1975
Rock group the Bay City Rollers
> Year: circa 1975
Models in summer dresses and sun hats
> Year: 1975
Two women at a party
> Year: 1975
The R&B group The Dells in an office
> Year: 1975
Dancing at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood
> Year: 1975
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Groupie Lori Mattix (second from right) and friends at the Whisky A Go Go
> Year: 1975
Actor Richard Burton with then-wife Suzy Miller at Heathrow Airport
> Year: 1977
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