The history of fashion 1970s

World Wide Customs . The History of Fashion 

1970s: The Crop Top

While crop tops and tummy tops are popular today, they have to be credited back to the '40s. Female celebrities dared to be different and sported these tiny tops but they never seemed to catch on. Finally, in the '70s, Catherine Bach played Daisy Duke in the ever-so-popular film Dukes of Hazzard and wowed the world with her sexy cut off denim shorts and a plaid cropped top. At the time, she was one of the first women to ever show her stomach on television! In the decade of social change and freedom, people saw something that they had never seen before and wanted to be part of it. Thus, the crop top was born.

1970s: Wide-Brimmed Hats

It should come as no surprise that the wide-brimmed hat came out of the '70s--a decade charged by youth going against the grain. Bombshell Brigitte Bardot was photographed many times wearing these hats, on set and in leisure. 

1980s: Shoulder Pads

The 1980s was a decade of self-indulgence. Women looked for fashion inspiration from television shows, movies, and music videos and the fashions were over the top. Women were now becoming a large part of the workplace and were told that they needed to look the part. The "power suit" emerged as a woman’s go-to outfit for the corporate world, complete with immensely padded shoulders and a straight jacket cut. The thought was that the wider the shoulders were, the smaller the waist looked. 

1990s: Floral Dresses

As the over-the-top style of the '80s faded, the '90s welcomed a much more laid-back look. This was the first time in history that people were going to work in something other than a suit--people were more interested in comfort. People began boycotting brands and there was a decline in upscale clothing. Instead, women wore unfitted floral dresses and paired them with big hair, jean jackets, Keds, and ankle socks.