70’s Disco Fashion Bell bottoms, polyester, platform shoes, jumpsuits, halter dresses, hot pants, colourful leisure suits, loud patterns, sequins and glitter. In the 1970s, fashion reached new levels of creative expression and, some might say, ostentation for men and women. It was an era when women, no longer limited to strict fashion industry dictates, could choose a variety of hemlines, wear pants in nearly all situations, and discard the restrictive undergarments of the past.

The heyday of disco fashion blossomed from the music played at gay underground New York clubs such as the Loft, Tenth Floor,and 12 West in the early 1970s. Studio 54 became the place to be seen in disco clothing such as boob-tubes, platform shoes, flared trousers and body-conscious shapes dressed in lurex, glitter and crazy patterns or colours. Studio 54 played an essential role creating the nightclub scene that is still with us today – a place where people dress to be noticed and in the latest fashion. The successful movie Saturday Night Fever ensured that disco hung around for a few years.

Disco fashions are very popular by the mid-1970s. Discotheque-goers of New York are wearing expensive and extravagant fashions for nights out: slinky, wrap dresses by Diane von Furstenberg; flowing Halston dresses for women and polyester, patterned Qiana shirts for men with pointy collars, preferably open at the chest. The leisure suit becomes popular with double- knit polyester shirt jackets and matching trousers. Men become peacocks displaying bright colours, flamboyant patterns and showy jewellery. For women, 1970s fashion began with a continuation of the mini skirts and bell- bottoms. These styles become part of popular culture until everyone and their grandma is wearing them. Some of the must-have items that have come to define the disco era of the 1970s are, Hot pants , they were popular among young women since 1971. These shorts were very tight and very short Originally designed to be worn with thick opaque tights, the anything-goes attitude meant that hot pants would get worn any way possible – tights or no tights, Platform shoes, appearing in fashion in 1971 platform-soled shoes elevated both men and women at least 2-4 inches from the ground, Flared trouser, Trousers were fast becoming a more popular choice for women in the early 70s. Labels became important as a fashion status symbol with Vanderbilt and Fiorucci jeans becoming must-have items. Trousers are practical and freeing for the liberated working woman. The styles were high-waisted and tight-fitting around the hips and thighs, flaring out to cover those lofty platform shoes. Flared trousers lost their fashion edge in the mid 1970s, however, and skin-tight trousers became a necessity for every woman, Three piece suit, Popularised by John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever, the white polyester suit with matching waistcoat was a new style choice for men. It was often teamed with costume jewellery such as an identity bracelet or medallion pendant worn under an open-to-the-navel shirt. Wide lapels, wide legs and high waists were required and suits could also come in various bright colours to suit the dance floor hues. White also looked great under the ultra-violet lighting that became popular in discos, Wrap dress, The simple stretch-jersey polyester wrap dress was introduced by Diane von Furstenberg in 1972. It was worn with slingback sandals or knee-high boots with chunky heels. It could be worn to the office by day in a plain colour and transformed into a sexy shape by night, Glitter, It was the decade known for introducing glam and glitter to the masses. Metallic threads, satin-look, sequins, anything with sparkle and shine was great. Glitter also appeared in the make-up, with girls spreading a glitter gel on their cheeks, lips, eyes. Lip gloss was essential, Boob Tube, Often sequined, the boob-tube was a stretchy strapless tube worn around the chest and torso, or baring the midriff. Halter neck tops were also a fashion staple at the disco, Leotard, became a popular fashion item for the discotheque. Body-conscious silhouettes and a sign that you are serious about disco-dancing and learning the latest moves. You could dress it up with a scarf wrapped around your hips or layer it up with contrasting colours. Its flexibility was useful for rigourous moves and hot nights on the dance floor, Accessories, Feather boas, slinky scarfs, turbans. Hair: think afro, shaggy and feathered layered looks and that’s just the men! Hair was easy going and loose or tight and curly with just some tonging, hairspray or gel and maybe some glitter gel for the girls. Influenced by the popularity of aviator sunglasses in disco many wore glasses in the shape of aviators but with clear prescription lenses.

Flirty, feminine, swirly skirts and wrap dresses in cuts and fabrics that flowed with the dancer’s movements and shimmered under the disco lights were very popular looks for women as were blouses and pants worn billowy, flared, or skin-tight. Body wear, which featured pieces made of spandex and Lycra that emphasised a woman’s figure—from leotards under wrap skirts to colourful catsuits---was also popular. Many women further completed their outfits with high heels and make-up that included bold colours, glitter, even feathers.

But above all, disco fashion was about wearing clothes that complemented the glamour and drama of disco dancing. These memorable looks of the recent past came to mark the decade of the 1970s.