70s Costumes

There is such a variety of fashion styles during the 70s it makes a fantastic theme for your costume party. The decade starts with the mini or maxi skirt debate, I think it depended on how good your legs were to which camp you supported! Hippy fashion was still popular in the early 70s with Glam Rock and Punk popular from the mid 1970s, punk styles continued to be fashionable into the 80s. Many people will create just a 70s look as opposed to choosing a specific character to dress up as. There is a great choice of various styles of 70s costumes on the market to suit all budgets and sizes.

During the 1970s, music was probably the greatest influence on fashion, with many followers of particular groups wanting to dress in similar outfits. The decade saw the rise of 'Glam Rock' with artists such as Slade, Roy Wood & Wizzard, Marc Bolan & T Rex, Elton John and David Bowie all creating their own unique styles. Aside from costumes, make-up also became extremely popular during the early seventies, particularly those male stars wishing to develop a striking image. For the 'teeny bopper' generation, groups such as The Osmonds (white suits with black shirts) and Bay City Rollers (bell bottom stage suits with tartan trim) were much copied.

In the mid- 1970's a return to the Edwardian era took place, with Laura Ashley prints and Edwardian high-neck blouses making a comeback for the ladies. This look was all about a natural, floaty, feminine look and was worn with little or no make-up. The Teddy Boy jacket (originally named after Edward VII) made another appearance but this time using brightly coloured and glittery fabrics. Bands such as Showaddywaddy and Mud took this look on as their own.

Punk became popular in the late 1970s and remained popular right into the 1980s. Punk is a great theme choice in its own right. Punk started as an anti establishment movement in America and became the 'must wear' fashion for the young. Due to low employment and wages, many punk outfits originated from charity shops. Generally the look was of torn trousers, ripped tops, chains and safety pins. Punk remains a popular costume choice becasue it is possible to put a costume together fairly easily. Punk accessories such as studded collars, braclets and gloves are available to purchase. No punk outfit is complete with punk hair. The most famous punk hair style is the Mohawk. Wigs are available in different colours or you can even spray your own hair with coloured hairspray, using the new 'hard' hair-sprays and products to spike the hair into other punk styles. Make-up is extreme with heavy black lining and solid blocks of colour around the eyes - Siouxsie Sue's look is a good example.

Although not strictly punk in the true sense, Suzy Quatro and Alvin Stardust used to wear black leather jackets and trousers.

Pimp costumes are very popular for the 1970s theme. Although they are not strictly a form of 70s fashion they have been adopted and used for 1970s costume parties. Dressing up as a Pimp is so much easier nowadays. Plenty of pimp costumes are available on the market to buy and the range of medallions, rings, wigs, pimp sticks and other accessories are growing weekly.

Ladies can also dress as a Pimp - see right, or can dress as a 'Hoe' or tart. Again, there is plenty of costume choice available in a good range of sizes.

There is a large choice of pimp 'bling' jewellery available to purchase. These accessories will really complete your outfit. The range includes:

* Rings
* Chains
* Medallions
* Gold Teeth
* Bracelets

*Saturday Night Fever
*Austin Powers (Films 2 & 3 are both set in the 70s)
*Star Wars
*Jaws
*Close Encounters of The Third Kind
*The Godfather
*Cabaret

*Top Cat
*Scooby-Doo
*Wacky Races
*The Pink Panther
*Charlie's Angels
*Starsky & Hutch
*Dukes of Hazard
*The Sweeney
*The Muppet show

*Simon & Garfunkel - Bridge Over Troubled Water
*Norman Greenbaum - Spirit In the Sky
*Elvis Presley - The wonder Of You
*Rod Stewart - Maggie May, You Wear It Well,
*New Seekers - I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing, You Won't find Another Fool Like Me
*Mud - Tiger Feet
*Donny Osmond - Puppy Love
*Wizzard - See My Baby Jive
*Gary Glitter - I am The Leader Of The Gang (I am)
*Abba - Waterloo
* Carl Douglas - Kung Fu Fighting
*David Cassidy - Daydreamer
*Slade - Merry Christmas Everybody

You May Find Yourself a Costume On eBay