The 3 piece suit. 70s semi formal wear.

I miss the three piece suit.  Dress slacks, vest and blazer/suit coat. Worn usually with an open polyester blouse.  I had mine a light grey polyester three piece suit made from the label called Tomboy.  I wore it with a Huck-a-Poo blouse and clogs I felt like Farrah Fawcett on Charlie's Angels.  My three piece suite was bought on a sale rack. the blazer fitting perfectly, the vest and pants were two sizes too big and I sewed them in to fit.  It came out alright and nobody knew. The clogs were my one pair of dress shoes, beige to go with any color.  The shoes were covered up by the flare of the pant leg so it didn't matter.  I was so happy to have one as it was the ultimate business in school outfit. The open shirt provided an ease, the collar added confidence and the light color, contrast.  Each piece is not overdone, over fitted, when you wore your three piece outfit, you had a different proportion, with the blazer, open collar, and flare on the slacks. You had some kind of heeled shoe, not too high and you walked like you owned your own business.  WE never really said it out loud but with Mary Tyler Moore and then Charlie's Angels, TV shows were beginning to shoe a trend of women in the workplace, looking good and holding roles of the decision maker..

 

 

 

This was the beginning of menswear being worn by a women as sexy right before Diane Keaton developed the entire menswear look on the set of Annie Hall. She challenged the proportions, and taboos, and made loose clothing the norm.  We also covered ourselves up for a good part of the 70s into the 80s with the preppy turtlenecks and layered clothing. 

 

 

The three piece suit was a style statement for men in the any event that needed dressing up. After Saturday Night Fever with John Travolta in a three piece suit reinvented for the club in bright with and a dark shirt brought a new confidence and ease to the moves of the Bee Gees. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We knew what we were doing.  We had the care to dress up more often, wear clothes that fit our style and the occasion. The three piece suit of the seventies added fun and ease to an otherwise formal statement.  Men started to wear suit jackets without ties.  Jeans would soon incorporate themselves into this casual yet dressy style of dressing. Long hair was not forbidden but it was not raggy either.  It had simplicity and ease unlike todays suits, too fitted to a point where they crease everywhere.  You are bonded both in clothing and shoes that are not meant for standing never mind walking with a swing in your stride. The three piece suit started the whole trend of menswear, women's business wear, high heels with dress pants, beautiful fabrics, silk, rayon, georgette, wool, and velvet for men and women alike..

 

You could also wear the velvet version of the vest and maybe matching pants. We loved wearing the velvet version with a blouse underneath and wool slacks.

 

 

Here Kate Jackson wears the dress version of the 3 piece suit. Farrah in a blazer and flared slack.  Jaclyn Smith is in some type of "cruise "wear however she looks fantastic in white pants

 

 

There's something to be said about dressing up for semi formal events, parties, business or friends and family.  I do like the idea of dressing up a bit without always relaying on jeans and high heels to do the entire job for you. It's a look a effort of respect for the party or the restaurant or the event. 

 

 In all fairness Mary Tyler Moore had so much to do with this movement of her show being centered around women back in the workplace, making decisions, and looking professional. She made it OK to be a single professional women who was not subjected to the role of a secretary. 

 

 

Here is Kate Jackson's version of Mary Tyler Moore. She was always just a slight bit harsh with menswear, her straight short hair, tight expression and a thousand turtlenecks.  However, many girls did want her no-nonsense confidence in style and in profession.

 

 

So bring back the three pieces suit, dress pants, blazer, women's wear interpretation without the crazy price tag, quality, cut , and fit.  We need to walk upright and with confidence. adjusting for our sense of style without having to be bonded into someone's else brand, careless cut, too tight muffin top pants.  What happened to the slick wool dress pants with a blouse that floats away from your back as you walk into a room?  Why are they so hard to find?  I miss how we used to talk about what we were wearing to which event, getting out the iron if necessary and most importantly feeling as good in our dress clothes as we did in our jeans.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Charlie's Angels Which angel did you want to be?

 

Charlie's Angels was the first television show to watch where you could now choose to look as close to one of 3 distinct fashion idols.  Farrah Fawcett my favorite for here tomboy style mixed with ultra confidence and the most amazing smile. Her hair style was the most requested style and each girl in high school had her curling iron out at 5 AM to try and look like her or at least just have her hair in tight sideways curls down each side of her face. Jaclyn Smith was your classic, quiet beauty, and Kate Jackson, like her name was your beautiful brains and classic, no cleavage, dare the have short hair, smart girl.  Each one had their own space.  In looking at this photo, they were the first in the same dress different cut, different expressions.  Each of us wanting to be one of them and would watch "our girl" every week to see what she wore, her hair and how well her clothes fit.  Plot?  What was that?  We didn't care id they caught the villain we were getting clues on how to dress, style our hair, and be a Charlie's Angel wannabe if only in high school.

 

Are you confused as to which angel you are trying to model yourself after?  Then here's a clue. This fashion photo has no coordination of color or style of clothes.  This is not your typical fashion, get together, rather a testimony as to which personality that went with which angel.

 

 

Notice that none of them are wearing super high heels and they are confident enough to wear sneakers.  Nowadays, one or all of them would be wearing super high heels whether it was appropriate or not.

 

Yes, Farrah, was the tomboy who didn't have to try hard.  Here she depicts, sports and then there is the ever famous skateboard photo of her in jeans.  Don't be fooled however, because whenever she wore a gown, or a blouse she had the most plunging neckline of the three and she almost always went braless.... successfully.

 

Jaclyn was the little classic bikini girl here.  You would think Farrah would be such the girl but no.  Jaclyn has a little hussy side to her when you least expect it.

 

Kate, well, what can I say.  I never wanted to be her and she was kind of like the androgynous, conservative girlfriend willing to put sexual allure aside.  She stood next to the other ones had so they looked better in comparison. She wasn't ugly but that bowl haircut compared to the shiny bouncy curls.  This outfit alone says: "Don't even think about it." Really...her hands are even covered and the outfit couldn't be more butch, the pants always fit her terribly.  Today, they would find a pair of jeans to push her flesh into some curves but in this time, for the show, it was OK to let her flatten out.   The girls in high school who wanted to be "Sabrina" had frizzy uncontrollable hair and were simply hoping for some fine limp shiny hair to wear and style.  I mean every other picture had her in a turtleneck.

 

Overall, though you couldn't go wrong.  Which angel you liked did say something about how you were trying to come across.  Confident and flirty? (Farrah); Trying to be more grown up than you really were? (Jaclyn);  Look but don't touch, I'm trying to have a career (Kate)   All of them were polished and fit.   We all were fit in those days and we could go around in waist high jeans with no muffin tops because we didn't try to squeeze into jeans two sizes too small.  Some bag to a pair of jeans was not a mortal sin.  We put on a pair we liked. And we also looked great without having to wear super high heel shoes every time we dressed up.  Sorry high heel wearer, with bunion feet too soon, but these chunky super high heels DO NOT make your legs look longer.  It looks like you stepped into wet cement.  It also shortens your stride now wary instead of confident.  

 

We didn't have to read about what Farrah Fawcett ate to keep trim.  And look at Jaclyn!  No bubbles of fat anywhere, and here in this photo, there is no room for error.  She's not too muscular either, just fit.  This made all of their various coordinating outfits look like they had ease in their style.  The clothes fit their fit bodies so well without having to grab too tight on anything.  There was a proportion to their outfits that had nothing to do with expensive name brands, overpriced purses, and too tight silhouettes showing off their 8 hour days in the gym. It's refreshing.  Now we have to only show certain name brands, and its confining. Now we have to buy exactly this or exactly that instead of trying out a version of a style we like and making it our own.

 

Rainbows...not just for kids. Rainbows in the 70s.

Panasonic radios, tape player, and 8 track player.

We loved the use of rainbow colors in the seventies.  So full of hope and happiness.  Each item of clothing would demand attention and had to be worn with confidence.  We pulled in rainbow stripes within our casual style or color block clothing.  You were happy when you wore such clothing, carried an item of a bold bright color.

 It was in our magazine ads, it was in the happiness of our music, it was in the new "groovy" modern art.  Bright, bold, animated, art now moved into album covers and it moved into our teenage years .  Peter Max led the way with his interpretation of the Beatles, as original, timeless, and great as their music.

 

 

 

He also painted artwork for us to simply love.

 

 Or a butterfly like you've never seen.  My art teacher tells me never to bore your viewer, help them to fall into your painting just like a good book or movie transports you into another world.  Peter Max had an art all his own and we always remarked it was "cool."  The use of bold color was genius and allowed us to dream in  color.

 

 

 

 

The statue of liberty looking good without the typical expected black and white or  red, white, and blue,  His interpretation put the air of the 70s into classic images.

 

The art itself depicted people dressed as we could also dress it we wanted to, rainbow colors, bell bottoms, large stars, big daisies. I loved dressing this way because it was so helplessly happy.  We were never taught about the turmoil in Vietnam.  Right or wrong we were only shown happy, colorful images walking around in super bright rainbow colors. I wonder to keep us from even asking about the Vietnam war going on so very far away.  A war seldom mentioned if at all, and hardly as colorful as we dressed.  Looking closer to the art of Peter Max, most faces were stoic in contrast to the saccharin mix of bright colors.  His rainbow art makes you think, maybe in some way alerting us to be more knowledgeable and not too daffy happy. A call to color with some thought behind it.

 

 

Rainbows ended up everywhere.  Let's start with the feet.

 

Rainbow toe socks.  These were fun and I ended up getting a pair and wore them once.  Too bothersome to have material between each toe. They looked better than they felt.



 

 Then there was the rainbow "thong."  Yes, we called flip flops "thongs" as at that time the underwear thong was not yet invented and named.  Once "thong" underwear made the scene the sandals had to keep their innocence, move aside and were forced to assume their new moniker...flip flops.

 

 If you were lucky and could afford Famolare sandals, with the rubber wavy bottoms, you could wear these and not worry because with all the colors, they would go with every outfit.  I like how the high heeled sandals of the seventies came with some kind of comfort with cushioning the bottom.

 

  

Summertime had color blocked one piece swim suits.  The popular speedo swimsuit was for women more but because we looked good in them we didn't get the brunt of speedo swimsuit jokes.

 

 

 

 

 

In the winter down was making an appearance and being as casual and fun as a sneaker with jeans the colors popped and they were a staple of weekend wear. The down vest.

 

 

 The down jacket.

 

 

 

 

 

  

But what if you couldn't decide?  Well you could then buy this little number and when it was cold you could wear it as a jacket.  When you decided it should be a vest, well then, just zip off the sleeves. 

 

 

 

Now wearing it as a vest, you could show off your rainbow "ski sweater."  A ski sweater was very pricey and made of a tight knit material that practically stood up by itself.  We loved them.  One friend would buy it and we would share it.

 

 

 Men could wear these manly sweaters but rainbow was accepted so seeing a grown man in a rainbow striped sweater was perfectly acceptable.

 

Who remembers these colorful yarn hair ties?

 

 

 

The rainbows even made it to our hair.  In the seventies a thick, colorful, twisted yarn hair tie was added to any ponytail, large or small, pick tails a la Cindy Brady.  they made her wear that hairstyle through the entire series, the poor thing.  They always matched her outfit as we also would rifle through the hair tie box to get matching yarn ties to match our outfits.

Mork from Mork and Mindy solidified the rainbow suspender trend.  To be worn with t-shirts and jeans.

 

 

 

 

If you were lucky to get anyone to knit or crochet, rainbow yarn colors were the popular ones to chose.

 

 

Any rainbow t-shirt, sweater, was complemented.  They were fun to wear.

 

 

 I save the best for last.  Rainbow stitched jeans.  The best of both worlds!

 

 

Couples would wear matching outfits as it was fun to do. especially if you were going to appear on American Bandstand. Click on this photo to hear "American Bandstand" sung by Barry Manilow. 

 Yep, the men wore them also with just such a face to go with the confidence needed to wear such an outfit.  Yes, we waltzed down the street being oh so cool in such outfits.

 

 

By far and away, the very best rainbow was the rainbow stitched jeans popular in the mid to late seventies.  What could be better then putting the rainbow right on the very jeans that would be worn with them anyways.  Rainbow stitched jeans did not have any pocket, the material was a bit thin, the fit was OK at best, there was no room for error, these jeans showed every flaw, and they shrunk to floodwater, flares,.  In the seventies, you NEVER wore pants too short or the moniker "floodwater "would follow you all day. Floodwater pants were the fashion don't.  However, with these they were so different it they floated up a little you got way with it. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So hail to the rainbow and all the happiness it bought to our casual wear.  The ability of such a style statement to help us match any color as all the colors were available. I do not see many adults were the collective bright colors as we did in the seventies and there is something that is to be missed.

 

A Pause for Softness in the Seventies



Betsey Clark

Who remembers Betsey Clark Hallmark cards? I loved them, the quiet simplicity.  Betsey Clark had her own style lifting us into the prairie look with her simple drawings.  It's important to note she was "kicked out" of many art classes before venturing our on her own.  Everyone else was gaga over Hollie Hobbie but I loved Betsey Clark.  The pastel little figurines neither really smiling or sad.  It was better than Hollie Hobbie who hardly ever showed her face due to her calico prairie bonnet.  It was the beginning of the Little House on the Prairie series on TV.  I read all the Laura Ingalls books in sequence during a tough year at school.  My worst yet.

Laura Ingalls could bring you back in time and with Garth Williams as her illustrator did justice to the quality and simplicity of her amazing journey about life on the prairie as cover wagons traversed across our country in the 1800s..  It was my personal soap opera in a book series.  Thank you Laura Ingalls for taking the time to write your story and let us share your thoughts, your feelings, and your way of life so many years later.  The series is like a movie so good you think about it the next day.




Hollie Hobbie

 

We loved this simple prairie look and long before Christian LaCroix added rough boots to lace we began this trend in the 70s.  Again, this was reinterpreted by our Stevie Nicks who added more edge to the style mixing for leather and strength to it as she pushed Fleetwood Mac to amazing heights with her song writing. Who didn't want to be Stevie Nicks? She did it all with originality, confidence, and style both in fashion and music and she made it OK for a women to have a name a man's name.  Her style pulled the prairie look into cyberspace as she adder leather with lace, feathers, draping sleeves, feathers a top hat perfectly placed.  She always knew the balance of pushing the envelope and knowing when to pull back. We wanted to be her or at least look like her. In a way, she was a trailblazer for Lady GaGa who also mixes original style with original music.

 

Stevie Nicks, the cool chick with an original voice and original song writing. 

Click on this photo to hear her song "Leather and Lace."

This was the beginning of the prairie invasion to go with the innocent Sweet Honesty perfume. Maybe wearing these softer pastel lace, satin trim, pearl buttons, and voile outfits we would be able to reveal our softer side. John Denver reinforced this country look with his cross over of country into pop music. We had never heard of "country" music before we heard "Sunshine on my Shoulders, Makes me Happy"which went to #1 in both the USA and Canada.  Yes it was played on all the major stations on the radio and it was OK to write a song about sunshine on your shoulders. His music was not country as we had known it, it was classy and a style all it's own. without the large ornate dress wear of singers on Hee Haw.  Hee Haw a popular show on Sunday nights next to Lawrence Welk.  It was funny and the singers were good on that show but always it was more funny than serious and it had nothing to do with this refined 70s prairie look.John Denver gave a classy take on country and he was a trailblazer merging the two music genres.

 

Click on this photo of John Denver to hear "Sunshine on my Shoulders" His #1 debut on both the USA and Canadian pop charts.  It was a song like no other we had ever heard and we loved it instantly.  Thank you John Denver for all of your original songs.

 

 

Let's not forget our trailblazer of folk music in not a hokey sense but a classy voice, guitar playing, all to add ease to our radio station.  James Taylor, who came into our lives in the 70s with his original sound carving his way into popular radio stations making folk music and singing stylish and popular.

 

 

James Taylor settled our souls with the voice of an angel. Click on this photo to hear "You've Got a Friend" his debut into #1 status. To this day people hear this song and intently listen as if he was singing to them directly.

 

 

James would not have his #1 hit "You've Got a Friend" without Carole King writing and composing it.  Her album Tapestry is the only one you need.  Every song is original.  "You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Women" popular by Aretha Franklin was a Carole King original.  All songs on Tapestry were written by her with some help from Gerry Goffin.  James Taylor also makes a few appearances. The photo taken naturally, from a staff photographer without an entourage with all new clothes and professional lighting, overdone hair and make up.Who needs one when you are highly creative.   This photo like her voice allowed women to be strong contenders in the 70s classy hippy movement.  Look at the jeans with bare feet, the first hippychick album photo before we invented a moniker for a personal style she already had.

 

 

 

Carole King a trailblazer making our natural feel classy without having to over please anyone. Click on this photo to hear the entire  album "Tapestry" the longest #1 album ever written by a woman. Every song is classic perfection flavored by the era of the seventies.

 

 

 

 

 

Cat Stevens singer/songwriter also created an original sound with his folk songs.  He wrote about love, peace, children, growing up, relationships.  Who writes any such songs nowadays?

 

 

Tea for the Tillerman. Songs written and sung by Cat Stevens, album cover also designed by him showed that creativity when listened to keeps spilling from performing arts to visual arts.  Who else could draw the Tillerman created first in a song?  Click on this album cover to hear the entire album.

Joni Mitchell Singer/songwriter BBC concert 1970

 

Joni Mitchell singer/songwriter/artist here at the BBC concert 1970.  She sings all her own songs. plays three different instruments, flawlessly.  Here she is in all her wonder and talent, in a simple dress, no make-up, hair simply combed playing music that still leaves us in awe today. Click on this photo of her to listen to the entire BBC concert. 

Just like the Gunne Sax maxi dresses were not the kind we wore in the 60s.  This look was different than the hippie maxi skirts a reinterpretation of seventies, more quality more subdued, a definite look with styled hair and Frye boots. Here is a typical Frye boot ad.  We could only dream of owning a pair as they were pricey but to this day are the best boots for your money and they last for years.  When you had a chance to wear them you felt amazing and people could hear you walking confidently down the school hall by the sound of a solid heel owning the floor in front of it.  It was the sound of quality and confidence, you can never get this same gait of ease and confidence with these overly high heels.  The added bonus was they permitted a tomboy feel an approachability and quality that we meant business with this prairie look...even though we didn't have a horse. We did not yet add the hole in the jeans although a knee hole was perfectly acceptable.  That hole in the jeans was ripped with wear as opposed to putting holes in jeans intentionally.  BTW when wearing Frye boots in the 70s we ALWAYS tucked our jeans in the boot to show them off. Why Frye?   Why NOT Frye?

 

 

The entering of name brands into our interpretation of country or prairie. Gunne Sax would move in with beautiful voile and satin ribbon blouses, vests, quilted blazers, long dresses to settle us all down from the bright contrasting colors of typical 70s wear.  I loved this time, this whole look.  Gunne Sax led the way with 70s inspired prairie wear, still popular today in vintage shops.  The sleeves have 10 buttons on the cuff bringing in a billowing sleeve. To bring attention to this softer style the movie "The Great Gatsby" starring my favorite Robert Redford paired with Mia Farrow illustrated how beautiful the soft sheer style looked when the sunlight caught it just right.  If we dressed like that would Robert Redford look at me the way he did with Mia Farrow?

 

 

I loved this pause for softness in the seventies and I am hoping it makes it to our way once again.,  I would buy every Gunne Sax anything I could find.  These pieces, now vintage, are also timeless and well made.  A statement in softness.

Now I would love to post all the beautiful Gunne Sax I could find.  Look at the detail, the softness of color or contrast, the fullness of the skirts.