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.