1970s

Women began to revolt in the 1970’s. They wanted to be treated equal to men and empowered themselves by becoming self-sufficient, and stepped out of the kitchen and into the work-place. They had already started burning their bras (late 60’s) and wearing pants. This to rebel against their role as a sexual object and prove that “she” could be one of the boys (…or better).  As the era of the housewife was coming to an end, the motherly curves was out, and the cinema icon was no more. Instead, it was replaced by the free-spirited new ideal, of the independent, youthful and naturally skinny woman with a tan and rosy cheeks. After the cinched waists of the 50s and the super-slim models of the 60s forever changed the way women viewed their bodies, by the 1970s, the thinking-thin phenomenon was in full force.  The silhouette was slim and flared, and the androgynous hippie look was worn by both women and men.Clothing became sexier as the disco-style became the “it” thing. The classic look with lady-like dresses and classic suits became more loosely fitted. The glamour look became more revealing, paired with wilder hair and lots of accessories, such as bangles, pearls and fur. Most women aspired to imitate the ultra-glam ‘Studio 54′ look popularized by Bianca Jagger. Another big icon of the 70’s was the fresh-faced Farrah Fawcett. Her blown-out waves and natural makeup, demonstrated a mixture of the hippie ideals of beauty and the early disco trends. The bronzed skin, glossy lips, and layered, feathered haircut, revolutionized women’s beauty and became the look that every woman wanted to have.  This decade marked the beginning of the bronzed beach look and with it, the popular tanning booth trend. Women also began relying on bronzers and self-tanners to get that Charlie’s Angels look.Typical for this era was lots of wrap-style dresses, oversized sunglasses, very close fitting high-waisted jeans, bell-bottom pants, shirts with long pointy collars, frilly and flowy dresses, Mexican peasant blouses, platform shoes, shiny materials, sequins, tie-dye, batik fabrics, paisley and psychedelic prints. Strong or natural colors, highlighter colors, mismatched patterns, and colors such as brown, orange, yellow and red was very popular.  The standards of beauty reflected the values and commotion of the 70’s revolution, and natural beauty became the new look. Hair became a symbol of the era, as a powerful aid for projecting an image or making a statement. For most of the decade, men and women of all ethnicities wore their hair long, natural and above all free. Other new and typical hairstyles of the 70’s were, Olympic figure skater Dorothy Hamill’s short and sassy wedge cut. Men adapted Farrah’s “wingback” style into the center-parted, “feathered” hairstyle. The “rebellious” afro hairstyle remained popular and was also adopted by many mainstream men and women. Toward the end of the decade the punk movement arose in opposition to the hippie-influenced values of the era. Punks created a deliberately shocking, provocative look that included spiked hairdos dyed bright fluorescent colors, shaved and tattooed scalps, facial piercings and spectacular makeup. Although the 70’s played a big part in the history of the thinner ideal, it also spawned a revival of a more casual and natural look. Which in it’s own way has paved the way for the focus on diversity and that healthy body image that we are so conscious about today. Another important message from the androgynous 70’s (other than peace and love), is that fashion and clothing can be a powerful tool in the development of a more generous ideal and gender equality. The objectification of the female body, and the predetermined roles and virtuous of what a man or a woman should be, has often been enforced through mainstream fashion. The lesson that the 1970’s started to teach us, is that you shouldn’t have to erase or reinforce your gender-identity to demand the respect you deserve, or look or dress a certain way to be “woman/man enough”.As the 70’s icon, Iggy Pop recently said  -“I’m not ashamed to dress “like a woman”, because I don’t think it’s shameful to be a woman.” Just think about it….  SOME FASHION ICONS OF THE 70sFarrah Fawcett, Bo Derek, Jacqueline Bisset, Brooke Shields, Dorothy Hamill, Bianca Jagger, Angelica Huston, Olivia Newton John, Marie Helvin, Liza Minnelli, Cher, Patti Hansen, Debbie Harry (Blondie), Faye Dunaway, Jerry Hall, Ali Macgraw, Iman, Beverly Johnson, Janice Dickinson, Christie Brinkley Original article : 12/2/2014 – http://www.idealiststyle.com/blog/beauty-ideal-over-the-decades-part-6-the-70s