This season’s biggest 70s trends and how to wear them

The 70s has, again, made a revival – albeit with a few modern tweaks. Groovy flairs cropped at the ankle, oversized revere collard shirts, wide lapel suits, billowing bellbottoms, go-fast racing stripes, tightly-fit tops, psychedelic prints, corduroy, a saturated palette of mustard, right-now pink and red and brown leather… in fact, brown everything.

The 70s was an era of self-discovery and liberation: from Nicaraguan socialite Bianca Jagger riding into Studio 54 on horseback in an off-the-shoulder gown to Grace Jones’ grotesque and fanciful over-the-top headwear, sharp tailoring, and one-pieces. It was a jovial and triumphant time when form and figure were celebrated with tight-fitting knits, short hemlines and embellishments of every shape and colour.

This season’s AW18 catwalk designs have brought with them the distinctive spirit of that decade. Faustine Steinmetz’s re-worked denim is the modern, sophisticated update you didn’t know your denim needed, while Chloé’s collection resonated perfectly with the funky 70s zeitgeist, with its kaleidoscopic prints and bursts of tailoring.

Faustine Steinmetz, AW18. Photograph: Jason Lloyd Evans

Chloé, AW18. Photograph: Jason Lloyd Evans

And don’t forget funky accessories like beaded bags, faux fur and fabulous demi-couture earrings. Though this is the first time many millennial shoppers will experience this trend, it somehow feels familiar – perhaps it’s those stories told by our mothers and grandmothers about their fashion faux pas’ with flares and fringing. Did the 70s ever really go out of fashion? If you’re saving up to shop this decade next month, read below to discover five wardrobe staples that are fundamental to the 70s revival this AW18.

The corduroy jacket

Tommy corduroy jacket, €608.57 at landofdistraction.com

New Los Angeles label Land Of Distraction re-creates this decade’s greatest hits. This traditional corduroy blazer in mustard is a gender-bending staple of the 70s era. With a slightly dropped shoulder, relaxed fit and wide wale Italian corduroy, which is tough, durable, yet soft and smooth to touch, it can be worn as a separate or together with the matching corduroy bottoms.

The collared shirt

Point-collar floral-jacquard shirt by Alexa Chung, €126 at matchesfashion.com

The floral-jacquard on this bubblegum-pink Alexa Chung shirt adds a feminine flourish to the 1970s silhouette. It’s crafted from satin with a slightly exaggerated point collar and gathers at the shoulder seams and cuffs. Tuck it into high-rise trousers for an on-brand look that is tinted with nostalgia.

The boot

Maryse ankle boots, €419 at ganni.com

Though Texas boots are a fundamental signature and symbol of ‘western’ culture, cowgirls will not be the only ones to stomp in them this forthcoming season. They look just right with a Seventies-style dress (just like Rosie Huntington-Whiteley perfectly executes, below) or a sleek trench coat. Pair these new-season Ganni boots with outfits that are dominated by rich earth tones like dusty rose, teal, browns, and mustard.

Rosie Huntington-Whitley. Photo: Getty

The printed shirt

Printed silk-blend satin blouse by Emilio Pucci, €490 at net-a-porter.com

Emilio Pucci’s psychedelic motifs have been a label signature since the early 1950s and have just gotten better and better with time. This blouse is cut from a languid silk-blend satin and decorated with vivid swirls in shades of turquoise, purple and petrol blue. Ribbed, high-neck tops are a dominant feature of any 70s maven’s wardrobe. In the 70s, there wasn’t as much of an emphasis on showing skin as there is today, but rather highlighting a healthy silhouette. This is why ribbed, tight tops were often worn with low-rise kick flares and bellbottoms. Wear this long-sleeved top with tonal pants and gold jewellery.

The bag

Phoebe Bis in sand and amber, coming soon at danselente.com

 Danse Lente (which means “slow dance” in French) is not your average It-bag brand. Headed by Youngwon Kim, this London-based brand brings together experimental features and classic shapes, making for thoroughly modern accessories with a fresh and new aesthetic. But there’s a hint of nostalgia to the brand’s aesthetic, too. This coming season’s saturated palette of brown, bister, ocre and aquamarine perfectly complement the 70s trend in a chic, high-fashion way.