Bell Bottoms

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey, they're fashioning nisas and groovy dudes. Welcome to the
far Out Threads of Podcasts, where we dive into the
fabulous world of nineteen seventies fashion, one of my favorite
decades and one that keeps coming back over and over
and over again in so many ways. A decade of

(00:22):
daring looks, wild colors, and hairstyles so big they could
block traffic. We're gonna talk about the hippie vibes to
disco dreams, platform shoes, to gold chains, and of course,
the iconic bell bottoms that practically screamed, look at me, baby.
So dust off your fringe vests, crank up the bee gees,

(00:44):
and let's take a far out trip back in time.
All right, let's start with the ladies, because honestly, the
nineteen seventies was their runway. Decade. Women's fashion went from
hippie chic to disco glam with every lie in between.
Think loose and flowy peasant blouses, maxi dresses, and anything

(01:08):
crochete that would be hippie style. It was like Coachella
but real life. Popular fabrics that were used in the
hippie style would be natural materials like cotton, suede and leather.
Think leather fringe and leather boots and leather ties around

(01:29):
the hair. Bonus points if it was patched together or
tie dive. Let's talk about hippie style jewelry, chunky wooden beads,
peace signed necklaces, and hoop earrings big enough to double
as bracelets, and oftentimes they did. In a stark contrast
to hippie style was disco fever mid to late seventies,

(01:52):
so maybe a little bit later, when disco hit fashion
went from earthy to electric. Think sequins, satin and metallics.
They were everywhere because nothing says I'm ready to boogie
like a dress that blinds people under a disco ball.
And how about how it keeps coming back. I was

(02:13):
just at a holiday party and every woman had sequins on.
It was unbelievable. I didn't understand. It was just like
a disco ball walking around in the party. Outfits included
wrap dresses by Diane von Furstenberg, which is an absolute
classic and never goes out of style. They were all

(02:34):
the rage, along with jumpsuits that again have come back
and are all the rage again. That made you feel
like a glamorous space explorer and the shoes platforms baby
the taller, the better bonus points if they had glitter
and shined. And of course let's talk about seventies hair.

(02:58):
Big hair was the law of the land, and feathered
layers think fara faucet, a la fara faucet or the
ultimate goal. And let's not forget the occasional scarf or
flower crown for that boho touch. Popular colors for women
included earthy tones like mustard yellow, burnt orange, and avocado

(03:20):
green in the hippy era. So my parents got married
in nineteen sixty seven, and I remember pictures of my
mother's going away dress, and I'm saying that in air
quotes because I don't think we have things called going
away dresses anymore. But maybe it was a coat, but

(03:42):
it was mustard yellow, burnt orange, and avocado green with
a little bit of brown mixed in. And I'm telling
you it was so chic, and I wish she still
had it to this day because I could put it
on down the street and people would think that I
was just the coolest. But anyway, then there was the

(04:06):
neon pink, the electric blue, and the shiny silver for
the disco queens. So start contrast between the hippie chicks
and the disco queens. All right, let's transition into men's fashion.
Bold and bode delicious, bottlicious. Sorry, all right, guys, let's
talk about your style. In the nineteen seventies, men's fashion

(04:29):
was about confidence. I love it. If you weren't wearing
something slightly ridiculous, were you even trying? Let's talk shirts.
Men's shirts were all about patterns, Paisley, floral, geometric, you
name it, bonus points if it was unbuttoned halfway down
your chest to show off some manly chest hair. I

(04:53):
think we've gotten away from the manly chest hair. I
hope we've gotten away from the manly chest hair, but
who knows. Let's talk disco vibes. Satin shirts ruled the
dance floor. If it didn't shine or cling to your torso,
you weren't doing it right. And then the pants bell

(05:14):
bottoms were king. Whether they were denim, corduroy, or velvet,
they flared out so wide they doubled as portable parachutes.
Let's not forget the super tight polyester plants that showed
everything you ew ew like, sir, we know what you're
working with. And then the suits. The leisure suits were

(05:41):
the MVP of men's fashion, especially in pastel shades. They
were like pajamas you could wear to the club. Oh
and the collars on the leisure suits, the big, wide,
pointy collars. Oh, they were amazing. And of course, platform
shoes they weren't just for women. Men rock them too,

(06:04):
often paired with flared pants that completely hid the shoe,
so it looked like you were gliding across the floor.
Men's hair had two moods, the long and shaggy rock
star or the slick and shiny disco king. Bonus points
for mustaches thick enough to double as a broom. Ugh,

(06:26):
not a mustache. Girl, shave that thing off. Mm mm
mm mmm unless you're magnum pi no hair above the lip.
Popular colors for men brown, beige and tan for the daytime,
shiny gold, royal blue, and bright red for nighttime. Because
if you weren't turning heads, what even was the point.

(06:50):
Let's dive a little bit more into the bell bottoms,
the icon of the decade. Let's take a moment to
celebrate the true envy of the seventies, the bell bottom.
These pants were so iconic they've made a comeback at
least three times since the seventies. Oh, come on, it's
a lot more than that originally worn by sailors, Yes, sailors.

(07:15):
Bell bottoms found their way into mainstream fashion thanks to
the hippie movement. Denim bell bottoms were a staple for everyone,
but if you wanted to be extra, velvet or brightly
patterned bell bottoms were the way to go. I actually
think I have a pair of mustard yellow velvet bell bottoms.

(07:37):
I do, and they're awesome. Fun pat excuse me, fun
fact you could smuggle snacks or even small pets in
those massive flares. Truly a fashion innovation. Jewelry, The bigger,
the better. Now let's talk accessories, because no seventies outfit

(07:57):
was complete without bling. Women, chokers, oversized hoop ear rings,
and layered necklaces were all the rage. If it jangled
when you walked, you were doing it right. Mood rings
became a thing too, so you could let the world
know you were totally chill or weirdly anxious without saying

(08:18):
a word. For men, gold chains were mandatory for disco kings.
Bonus points if it had a medallion or an initial
on it. Basically, the more it sparkled, the better. So
who were the designers and the models behind this fashion?
Of course, we can't talk seventies fashions without mentioning the

(08:40):
icons who made it happen. Diane von Furstenburg, Halston, Eve,
Saint Laurent. Diane von Furstenburg. She invented the rap dress
that every woman wanted and still does. Halston, the king
of minimalistic disco glam. Is that a thing, minimalistic disco glam? Hmm?

(09:04):
If you were anybody in the seventies, you were Halston
to Studio fifty four and Eve's Saint Laurent. He brought
the whole la smoking suit for women because ladies in
tuxedos were just too cool to handle and the famous
models Twiggy was still hanging around. But the seventies also

(09:25):
brought us Jerry Hall and Beverly Johnson, the first African
American model to appear on the cover of Vogue. What
we can learn from seventies fashion? So what can we
take from seventies fashion? Number One? Confidence is key. Whether
your rockin' bell bottoms or a glitter jumpsuit, you've got

(09:45):
to own it more is more. The seventies didn't do
subtle sequins, patterns and bowl colors. With the name of
the game fashion is fun. Don't take it too seriously
because nothing says I'm fabulous like dancing in a polyester
leisure suit. And there you have it, folks. The nineteen

(10:09):
seventies a decade of bold choices, groovy vibes, and outfits
that left absolutely nothing to the imagination, whether you were
a hippie and a fringe or a disco quinine sequence.
The seventies taught us that to have fun with fashion
and maybe to keep a lint roller handy for your
bell bottoms. And it keeps coming back, time after time

(10:33):
after time.