Disco fashions may be the first choice for 70s fancy dress costumes. Certainly, the fashion of the second half of the 1970s was heavily influenced by the Disco craze. For men, it was the era of white pants suits with bell bottoms and butterfly collars, epitomized by John Travolta in “Saturday Night Fever.” For women, it was big hair, platform shoes and fluid dresses in hot colours, exemplified by the Queen of Disco, Donna Summer.
Disco also heralded the Village People onto the music scene. The Village People were as well known for their costumes – glamourised portrayals of American cultural stereotypes – as they were known for their catchy pop tunes. For Village People 70s fancy dress costumes, start with costumes depicting cowboys, Native Americans, construction workers, bikers, policemen and sailors, then unbutton the shirts to the waist. Complete the look by adding handlebar mustaches all around.
The 70s wasn’t all about Disco. The early years of the decade reflected the tastes and sensibilities of the 60s, as the fashion world caught up with the counterculture of that era. Joni Mitchell the singer owned the hippie look, with her natural hair and flowing dresses. Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac added mystery to the organic, relaxed look of the 60s, with shawls and ruffled skirts.
Fashion of the early 70s was also heavily influenced by the popular films and television shows of the time. Pam Grier the actress wore the funk fashion of the black exploitation movies, widening the widths of bell-bottomed pants and making them into exaggerated flares, adding wilder prints and colours to dresses, popularizing halter tops and taking the Afro haircut to a new level of “big hair.” Liza Minnelli took the glamourous fashion and theatrical makeup from her 1972 Academy Award winning role in “Cabaret” and created the signature look that she is still known by today.
The television show “Charlie’s Angels” brought Farrah Fawcett to the fore, creating the first “must have” celebrity hair style, the “Farrah Flip.” For a trio of Charlie Angels 70s fancy dress costumes, include buttoned-down shirts and high waisted pants for Farrah’s look, a more feminine, understated look for Jaclyn Smith’s character, and a casual sports look for the role Kate Jackson played.
Perhaps no other celebrity reflects the changes in 70s fashion better than does singer and songwriter David Bowie. In 1972 Bowie redefined the fashion of the emerging “glam rock” music with his androgynous alter ego, Ziggy Stardust. While this transformation was short-lived, the message to the fashion world was clear: never take fashion too seriously. Bowie gave legitimacy to continual reinvention. Perhaps the most striking 70s fancy dress costumes are those that reflect the diversity of the era.
