Category: 1970-1979

Overview

1970-1979

1970-1979, 20th century, decade overview

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1977 – Vivienne Westwood/Malcom McLaren/Jamie Reid, “God Save the Queen” T- shirt

1970-1979, 20th century, garment analysis

Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren’s “God Save the Queen” T-shirt is a white, long-sleeve shirt with distressed elements and a bold graphic by Jamie Reid featuring lyrics to the Sex Pistols song. It has become an iconic representation of early British Punk style.

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1970 – Rudi Gernreich, Caftan

1970-1979, 20th century, garment analysis, LGBTQ+

Rudi Gernreich’s 1970 caftan reflects the designer’s politics and his tireless effort toward creating genderless clothing. The piece features his characteristic loose silhouette as well as his technique of using patterns to de-accentuate the assumed gender of the wearer.

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1948-1987 – Willi Smith

1970-1979, 1980-1989, BIPOC, designer profile, LGBTQ+

Willi Smith was the popularly renowned designer behind Williwear, a womenswear line that opened in 1976. He was known for his innovative blend of the newly-emerging concept of streetwear with high fashion.

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1943-Present – Stephen Burrows

1970-1979, 2000-2009, BIPOC, designer profile

Stephen Burrows is celebrated for his graphic color blocking and innovative use of matte jersey fabric at the height of the disco era. He became one of the first Black fashion designers to achieve international acclaim.

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1973 – Stephen Burrows, Evening Dress

1970-1979, 20th century, BIPOC, garment analysis

This color-blocked 1973 chiffon evening dress represents American designer Stephen Burrows’ original contributions to fashion as well as to the ground-breaking Battle of Versailles.

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1973 – Bill Blass, Evening ensemble

1970-1979, 20th century, garment analysis, LGBTQ+

The 1970s were marked by a progression towards casual comfort while retaining an aura of chic, a trend Bill Blass embodies in this 1973 evening ensemble that radiates classy comfort.

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David Bowie Is

1970-1979, 1980-1989, 1990-1999, 20th century, 21st century, blog

An exhibition about the internationally acclaimed artist David Bowie (1947-2016) faces its final curtain call at the Brooklyn Museum.

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1973 – Rafael, Denim Leisure Suit

1970-1979, 20th century, garment analysis

Bill Kaiserman (Rafael) was a retail salesman turned hat maker who influenced that fashion world by introducing the leisure aesthetic to the American fashion market in the early 1970s.

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Counter-Couture: Handmade Fashion in an American Counterculture

1970-1979, 20th century, blog

Today’s idea of political support is buying a t-shirt and promoting a specific candidate. However in the 1960s and 1970s, the idea that many clothes were handmade was a political statement on its own.

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The Christian Dior 1948 Eugénie ball gown drew on

The Christian Dior 1948 Eugénie ball gown drew on the 19th-century Empress Eugénie de Montijo, wife of Napoléon III of France, for inspiration, premiering as part of the fall/winter collection entitled ‘Zig Zag’. The dress is made from blush-pink nylon and features a tiered bell-shaped skirt silhouette with a hem that lengths in the back, referred to as the ailée line. Layers of tulle were used by Dior in order to create a cascading effect. Additionally, the dress features a fitted sleeveless bodice with boning and a sweetheart neckline kept in place with wire stays. The late 40s look makes use of a heavy-duty understructure in order to support his ultra-feminine and sharp silhouette. The release of the dress coincides with Dior’s contribution to the revival of haute couture within France following World War II. The Eugénie gown reflects Dior’s technique of using extravagant amounts of fabric, a practice set aside due to rationing during the war. The ‘New Look’ by which the silhouette of the dress takes inspiration, was released in 1947 and featured wide feminine skirts with nipped in waists, a style that proved to be popular during the decade of the 50s. The New Look itself took inspiration from crinoline styles of the mid-nineteenth century. Interestingly, Eugénie was one of the most influential patrons of French couture during the 1850s, supporting the work of Charles Frederick Worth, often said to be the father of haute couture. Dior was clearly also inspired by Franz Winterhalter’s romantic paintings of the Empress’s court, and from there attached her name to the gown. Read more at the link in the bio!

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Aniline dyes, invented in the 19th century, produc

Aniline dyes, invented in the 19th century, produced extremely bright and gaudy colors which became especially popular for women’s fashion. In 1856, chemist William Perkin discovered the artificial color by accident, and learned the dyes could be extracted from coal tar. These colors were much more intense than any other traditional natural dyes, and included bright hues such as yellow, purple, magenta, blue, and pink. Perkin’s discovery led to a revolution in synthetic color, especially for the fashion industry. Textile manufacturers were quick to copy Perkin, and the resulting fabrics were characterized by an unprecedented brilliance that delighted the consumer. To make them seem even more attractive, each dye had an evocative name such as “acid magenta”, aldehyde green”, and “Martius yellow”. Mauveine, a purple dye, became extremely popular because before this purple was hard to reproduce and faded easily. Therefore, it was reserved for royalty and anybody who could afford it. However, this new aniline dye proved fade-resistant and cost-effective, reshaping the societal notions of purple. Read more about the history of aniline dyes at the link in the bio!

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Throughout the 2010s, people were able to engage m

Throughout the 2010s, people were able to engage more with fashion due to new advances in technology and social media. A professional feminine look became very popular in the beginning of the decade reminiscent of a 1950s silhouette. A defined waist was favored, and emphasized with an oversized belt. In some cases, this look created a peplum effect which was popular in this period. Besides the popularity for the professional look, many women were inspired by the off-duty looks of models such as Kendall Jenner and Gigi Hadid. This style became known as athleisure which consisted of wearing workout gear with no intention of working out. These clothes were typically hyper stylized made from higher quality fabrics, vibrant colors, and graphic patterns. Eventually, athleisure spilled from the streets onto the runway. For instance, at Chanel’s Autumn/Winter 2014 show, models wore distressed leggings, matching crop tops, and sneakers topped with oversized tweed coats. Celebrities made their mark on the trend as well with Rihanna doing a Fenty x Puma collab in 2016. In 2010, Instagram saw mass popularity, allowing ordinary fashion enthusiasts to share their looks leading to a huge rise in social media influencers. Fashion bloggers gained large followings with the story being mostly about what spectators wore to runway shows instead of the actual models. While social media helped more ordinary people be exposed to fashion, it also helped to reveal many scandals and problematic aspects of the industry. Many brands were exposed for the poor and unsafe treatment of their workers. In addition, for many people, their eyes opened about the harmful effects of fast fashion. This caused many brands to make gestures about sustainability; however, most didn’t act upon what they had said. Overall, during these years, fashion became more accessible than ever with the rise of social media, and also uncovered many malpractices within the industry. Read more at the link in the bio!

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Rudi Gernreich was an avant-garde designer whose w

The Ballets Russes, a ground-breaking dance compan

The Ballets Russes, a ground-breaking dance company at the beginning of the 20th century, oftentimes took inspiration from ancient art and sculpture of Greek, Roman, and Egyptian societies. Drawing from references in the form of painted pottery, friezes, and reliefs; the choreographers and designers of the troupe were able to develop their own interpretations of ancient dance. The company benefited from fantastic art and design talent, including artist and designer Léon Bakst (1866-1924), the iconic dancer of the early 20th century Isadora Duncan (1877-1927), and artist Sonia Delaunay (1885-1979). The exhibition “Hymn to Apollo: The Ancient World and the Ballets Russes”, on view at the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World at New York University in 2019, explored how ancient art and mythology revolutionized both dance and costume design. Ancient ideals of dance as an art form and religious ritual were incorporated with Grecian, Roman, and Egyptian style costumes in the work of the Ballets Russes. The first section of the exhibition displayed artworks that possibly influenced the astounding performance of ‘The Afternoon of a Faun’ (1912) with costumes by Léon Bakst. Bakst created his loose, sensuous Ancient-inspired costumes off of his research at both the Hermitage and Louvre museums and on his travels to Greece and Crete. It was not only Bakst who adopted this silhouette as Isadora Duncan, an American dancer and choreographer, also enjoyed performing in Greek-inspired, loose-fitting costumes. “Hymn to Apollo: The Ancient World and the Ballets Russes,” examined how dancers, artists, and designers looked to the ancient world not to reproduce exactly what was, but to recreate and build on an aesthetic that was relevant. Read more at the link in the bio!

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Throughout the 90s, actresses Mary-Kate and Ashley

Throughout the 90s, actresses Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen rose to be prominent fashion icons for childrenswear. During this time, kids' fashion drew heavy inspiration from popular movie and tv stars. In the beginning of the decade, the twins often dressed in matching or coordinating outfits, which helped to heighten their appeal as many other young girls looked towards them for the latest trends. They wore a lot of the popular casual styles of the decade such as overalls, flannels, and jeans. As they grew older, both girls and their characters began to wear more distinctive outfits. May-Kate preferred pants and “tomboy” styles, while Ashley liked dresses and more feminine styles. These distinctions helped the twins appeal to a wide range of personalities. By the end of the decade they were firmly established as fashion icons. The girls typically wore their characters’ styles off-screen, which made many young girls want to emulate their style. Towards the end of the 90s, they even had a clothing line at Walmart, which demonstrates their influence on fashion trends of the day. Click the link at the bio to learn more about 90s trends!

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This 1859 ensemble has a gold, two-tiered skirt an

This 1859 ensemble has a gold, two-tiered skirt and pagoda sleeves, both of which are edged in a red, green, and peach floral brocade pattern. It has a round-necked bodice with a frayed v-shaped seam above the bust and frayed edges. The edges of the pagoda sleeves are also frayed, and there are two tiers of the large, round cage crinoline-shaped skirt. The bust-level tier of the bodice, as well as the tiers of the sleeves, have a two-inch-wide green and red floral brocade pattern, while both tiers of the skirt are adorned with a similar pattern. The patterning also creates the illusion of additional tiers on the skirt by depicting what appear to be frayed, scalloped edges. Gold buttons start at the center top of the bodice and extend beneath the bodice tier down the center of the pointed bodice. The silhouette of the pagoda sleeves, high round collar, and two-tier skirt, was one that was often reproduced in fashion plates, suggesting that this was fashionable in its year. Read more at the link in bio!

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This ensemble was created by Nicola Bowery, wife o

This ensemble was created by Nicola Bowery, wife of Leigh Bowery, for John Joseph Lyndon to wear to the first Lobe Ball AIDS benefit in 1989, an event characterized by the fantastical fashions worn by many of the guests. Before this ensemble, Bowery had assisted in creating other garments, but nothing specifically recorded. It is made entirely from repurposed garments, including a Gap jacket and blue denim Levis that were embellished with pailettes and beads. Nicola and Leigh were associated with the New Romantics, a movement about gender blurring by confronting gender and sexuality. This allowed for the application of sequins, that were previously associated with womenswear to this masculine denim ensemble. The ensemble has been displayed during The Museum at FIT’s exhibit “Denim: Fashion’s Frontier.” Read more at the link in bio!

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Berthe Morisot’s portrait of teenager Marguerite

Berthe Morisot’s portrait of teenager Marguerite Carré features a light pink ruffled day dress paired with black velvet and lace accessories, embodying the fashionable trends of 1870s Paris. At only 23 years old Morisot made her first appearance at the Paris Salon art exhibition and although the first Impressionist exhibition wasn’t until 1874, Morisot had been experimenting with the style for many years prior. Well-to-do teenager Carré was most likely around sixteen years old when she posed for the painter. Along with her sister Valentine, Marguerite was one of Morisot’s earliest models. ‘The Pink Dress’ was created in Carré’s home, the Villa Fodor, located in an elegant neighborhood west of Paris. For the painting, Carré wears a light pink high-collared dress with riddles along the center front and cuffs. The dress features narrow sleeves that end midway down the sitter's forearm where they then flare out into larger cuffs. Likely, the pink dress is made of silk taffeta or cotton voile. The sitter's dress features the period’s popular elements including a waistline placed slightly above the natural waist. The high neckline and longer sleeves of the dress signify that this is a daytime outfit since low necklines in combination with shorter sleeves were reserved for evening gowns during the nineteenth century. Although it is difficult to identify details on Carré’s pink skirt, we do see the tell-tale edge of an apron front, equally ruffled, and we can assume that her skirt has volume in the back. Carré’s dress is paired with an either satin or velvet black ribbon with a circular gold pendant tied around her neck, on top of the white collar of the dress. The painting, which depicts a young and fashionable upper-class woman, is typical of the work of Morisot. Read more about the work at the link in the bio!

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