FASHION MAGAZINES - 1970s

During the 1970s, Prêt-à-porter labels gained immense popularity. Influenced by the economic difficulties of the decade, including the energy crisis, global recession, high unemployment rates, and inflation, people sought more practical and everyday clothing options, leading to a general shift towards casual attire.

Fashion trends of the 1970s include pants in all styles and shapes, ranging from daringly short hot pants to wide-flared bell bottoms, separates and coordinates, knitwear, jersey fabrics, denim, and sportswear. Opulent furs set a contrast to all of this understatement. Towards the end of the decade, the fashion scene witnessed the contrasting styles of punk dressing, reflecting the youth's resignation with a "no future" attitude, and flashy disco dressing embraced by hedonistic partygoers. In contrast to the strongly fitted styles of the first half of the decade, the second half of the 1970s was marked by a shift toward looser silhouettes and anticipated the power dressing of the 1980s with the emergence of shoulder pads. In terms of beauty, women embraced a natural look with a fit and healthy body, along with a sun-kissed complexion and long, flowing hair.

Pat Cleveland, Bianca Jagger, Jerry Hall, and Grace Jones were influential figures in the fashion scene, contributing to the era's trends and aesthetics. Major designers of the 1970s who left a lasting impact on the history of fashion include Karl Lagerfeld, Yves Saint Laurent, Diane von Fürstenberg, and Halston. The 1970s also saw the foundation of fashion empires by designers such as Kenzo Takada, Issey Miyake, Rei Kawakubo, and Yohji Yamamoto from Japan, Roberto Cavalli,
Giorgio Armani, and Gianni Versace from Italy, as well as Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein from the United States. French Claude Montana, Thierry Mugler and Jean Paul Gaultier also took their first steps in fashion. Vivienne Westwood pioneered punk fashion, while Sonia Rykiel made significant contributions with her distinctive knitwear styles.