The '70s Is Our Ultimate Summer Style Inspo, Here's Why
When Anderson Paak and Bruno Mars headed on stage to receive a total of four awards at the 2022 Grammy awards in April it was not only a win for their band Silk Sonic but also for 70s dress.
What started as an obscure trend spearheaded by Gucci's Allesandro Michele and Harry Styles has become so ingrained in popular culture that nobody blinked an eye at the fact they were practically wearing 70s fancy dress. Both sporting suede-textured suits with oversized lapels, large tinted sunglasses, and flared trousers, Mars had a white ruffled shirt on while Paak took things one step further with a shoulder-length silky wig.
Their band Silk Sonic has based its image on a 70s-inspired look, joining a host of famous faces and designers that have made the 70s enter mainstream consciousness.
The decade's all-year-round relevancy comes by way of pieces like flared pants — an item often feared, but one that definitely shouldn't be — and big collar shirts. See Travis Scott showing some extended ankle and Lakeith Stanfield at the Oscars in a standout, wide-lapel shirt below.
Big pants and big collar suits are a full-on 70s statement, but more casual trends that we have been obsessing over such as sweater vests and short shorts can add a subtle splash of 70s inspiration to your wardrobe. Also, they are more suited to Spring's increasingly hot weather.
From big sunglasses to '70s-inspired sneakers, we've put together a shoppable list of evidence on why 1970s style works best when the weather is hot.
Scroll to shop 1970s style for this spring and summer.
Big Sunglasses
When it came to dressing, the 1970s was a time for statement-making. A time when the lingering conservatism of the previous decade was questioned more and more. Bold clothing and accessories were everywhere you looked. Quite literally too, as the style literati of the time made big sunglasses a big thing. Starting at the top of this summer's essentials, frames of the oversized kind are back on the scene, thanks to the likes of '70s-pusher Gucci and Port Tanger.
Polo Shirts
A polo shirt has been a staple throughout practically every style era, and the type that dominated in the 70s was tightly knit, often including a thick ribbing at the bottom. Recent years have seen everyone from skate brands Palace and Supreme to Prada and Gucci focus their polo shirt output on this era.
Statement Shirts
That Lakeith Stanfield Oscars fit had everyone talking. The Saint Laurent jumpsuit was perfect, but it wouldn't have been the show-stopping look that it was without the wide lapel shirt that sat underneath it. Shirts like this were the most powerful weapon in the nighttime arsenal of 1970s style, whether in crisp white iterations to add subtle contrast or all-over floral prints for those that hadn't shaken off the '60s aesthetic yet.
Short Shorts
The inseam debate continues to rage on Instagram, Tik Tok, Twitter, and in the Highsnobiety office. However, if this was the 1970s, then we might not be arguing over short lengths at all. Why? Because everybody in that decade seemed to be vehemently against anything longer than the 5-incher.
Iconic Sneakers
You can usually measure how good the style of a certain decade was by the rate at which it's still referenced today. You only have to look to the current sneakers market, particularly the much-loved staple silhouettes, to see that 1970s style is going absolutely nowhere. In particular, Wales Bonner and adidas has been perfecting 70s-inspired sneakers through their collaborations, so much so that we had to include two pairs.
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