Throughout fashion’s history, everyone will agree that the 70s were the most iconic era. Between the ten years, there were so many different and unique styles of fashions created, which even till now, many designers follow and try to recreate. In the United Kingdom, 70’s Men’s Fashion is always something from which designers get their inspiration. Also, for common people, the many 70s trends are still in fashion. So let’s look into the journey of 70s clothing style men used to follow.
14 trendy Men styles of the 70s era
Satin and Silk Shirt
Satin or silk shirts were the fixed party attire for the men. Whether at a disco or gathering with friends in a fancy restaurant, in the 70s, men never forgot to wear a stylish silk shirt as part of their attire. Men used to wear a somewhat loose satin or silk shirt with slim-fitted trousers, and then, if it was something more fancy, they wore it with a velvet or leather jacket.
Men wear silk or satin shirts because they’re stylish and comfortable. But in men’s 70’s style, silk or satin shirts still give the attire a stylish yet rich look, which is what the people used to look for. Through this kind of attire at a party, men used to get attention from many people. Silk shirts during the 70s were full of unique patterns and designs, but men with good clothing ideas liked to wear black, cream, navy, or any other color of silk or satin shirts with simple designs.
Roll Neck or Turtleneck
In men’s 70’s style, the turtleneck was the most famous and top attire that men used to wear. Turtleneck clothing could easily be paired with any attire 70s men wanted; it can be Denim pants, flared trousers, leather jackets, corduroy jackets, etc. For the UK weather, roll neck or turtleneck clothing was the best choice for most people.
Turtleneck sweaters were elegant, comfortable, warm, and mostly plain in design, but many people liked colorful and designed turtleneck sweaters as well. However, during summer, it was pretty uncomfortable to wear turtleneck sweaters; hence, that was the time of different 70s fashion trends.
Knitwear
Men would love to wear knitwear for regular to college wear during the 70s. This kind of clothing was comfortable and warm. Throughout the year in the 70s, many men used to wear colorful or striped design knitted sweaters. Also, the men’s knitwear had geometrical, floral, or designs of different patterns.
Then, as a part of 70s fashion, men used to pair knitted sweaters with plain flared trousers, and many times, people liked to pair them with jeans as well. And then, if the weather was cold, the men wore a corduroy jacket or a waist-length woolen sweater.
Because of the soft and comfortable fabric, it became a regular attire for men for many years. And this trend was at its peak throughout the 70s for both men and women.
Pattern Shirt
In the 70s, if anything totally out of trend, that would be plain shirts. In the UK during the 70s, people always liked to wear patterned or textured shirts for themselves. Then, many different styles of striped shirt designs became available. It was a go-to clothing with flared pants, wide-leg trousers, or denim. Also, the striped or patterned clothing was mostly bright in color. This is how people used to like it.
Besides that, patterned clothing was not only a people’s favorite for shirts; it was also famous for bottom wear. With bright shirts, some people like to wear similar subtle colored pants or trousers with unique patterns or plain stripes. Those pants were not straight. Most of the time, siped trousers were mostly flared or wide-legged designs.
Wide Leg Trousers
Many bottom wears were in trend during the 70s, but as a regular attire, wide-leg trousers were at the top. Wide-leg trousers were comfortable and easy to move. As formal attire, men used to wear wide-leg trousers with a shirt and a blazer or jacket. Those who used to wear it regularly like to wear wide-leg pants with a floral design or patterned shirt, and during hot summer weather, the wide-leg Trousers are perfect with fitted T-shirts.
There was one particular thing about the Wide-leg trousers: they used to have a clear pleat at the front. In most cases during the 70s, men wore plain design wide-leg pants, but in some cases, designed wide-leg trousers were also in fashion.
Flared pants
It didn’t matter whether it was a College, disco, or an office; the attire was complete without Flared Pants. The Flared pants used to be pretty much fitted to the knee area. After the knee portion, the flared trousers started to get loose or flared. The Flared design of the trousers mostly depends on the person’s preference; hence, as per preference, the tailor used to design the clothing.
As it was a pretty famous seventies fashion for guys, this trend continued even in the 1980s. Men used to wear Flared pants with designer shirts. As formal attire with the flared pants, the men used to wear plain shirts and the same color blazer with the flared trousers. Not only that, but based on preference, the men wore flared trousers and even denim the way they wanted.
Denim
During the 70s era, to achieve a casual look, the most common bottom wear that men used to wear was Denim pants. It’s not like men used to wear slim-fit Denim pants; it was mostly loose-fitted or wide-leg denim that men used to wear. The denim pants could go with anything, including a shirt, knitwear, turtleneck top, t-shirt, etc. Denim was a must-have attire for all men.
And what makes the denim bottom most stylish is the leather and denim jacket. During the seven days there, Rockstar clothing was highly in fashion, so Denim pants with black leather jackets became a fixed attire of its own. Besides that, wide-leg or flared denim pants were perfectly styled with a denim jacket for a stylish look.
Corduroy
Nothing can describe the beginning of the 1970s better than Corduroy clothing. This clothing was something that added some classy texture to their attire. People of the 70s liked the field of fabric so much that most men had at least one Corduroy jacket in their wardrobe. Also, Corduroy clothing was as common as cotton, satin pants, shirts, vests, etc.
In the 70s, Corduroy clothing was one of people’s most sober clothing choices, which could be worn for both formal and casual reasons. And despite so many fashion trends, Corduroy clothing was always on trend. That’s mostly because of the Corduroy jacket or blazer; the fabric was a little thicker than other clothing fabrics, so people always kept a Corduroy jacket or blazer to protect from the cold breeze.
Velvet
Velvet was the prime clothing fabric in 70’s Men’s Fashion for a sophisticated look. From the 70s to now, good quality velvet clothing has always been more expensive than any other fabric. And back then, in the 70s, good jobs and money would occasionally happen.
In high-standard get-togethers and parties, men liked to wear formal velvet blazers, and in some cases, they paired the blazer with velvet pants as well, but that was not that common. Not only that, but for fancy wedding occasions, velvet clothing is in fashion for the bloom, and it used to be tailored perfectly with sharp shoulder and bodycon fittings. This velvet clothing was so much in trend that it continued in the years of 1980s as well.
Hippie
There were many fashion trends throughout the seventies, but we can say that the hippie fashion phase was one of the most successful and tried. In the United Kingdom, not everyone likes to dress up fashionably all the time. For many men, comfort was always the priority, especially during Summer, and that’s when the hippie fashion trend came to light.
The Hippie clothing was the pure definition of simplicity and comfort attire. At that time, men used to wear loose-fitted or flared pants or denim. And with those ways, wear some colorful printed or simple shirt or t-shirt. Besides that, to complete the people’s look, men used to grow long hair, keep a mustache, and add some accessories like chain bracelets or sunglasses. But many people didn’t like the hippie look; hence, they only stick to the clothing.
Leather jacket
It’s very hard to beat a leather jacket. It doesn’t matter what it is, but a leather jacket will always be fashionable. During the 70’s Men’s Fashion played a huge role; whether it was a party or concert, there were always people with leather jackets. And those wearing Michael Jackson fans follow a leather jacket routine for their daily attire.
Leather jackets were stylish throughout the year; those who were really into leather jackets had at least one black and brown leather jacket, and some would also have red-colored ones. Men liked to wear them with simple or designer shirts, and as a bottom wear, they were mostly denim pants, but people also wore them with trousers. When it comes to fashion in the United Kingdom, people always love to experiment with it.
Suede jacket
During the seventies, the Suede jackets were in fashion because of the celebrities. The Suede jackets looked nice. However, people do not like anything about suede jackets. The Suede jackets were heavy, and they were also not water resistant. It was good to wear only during summer. As the jackets were so thick and comfortable, people had no choice but to wear them in winter.
Even though the Suede jacket wasn’t that comfortable, it doesn’t mean men during the seventies didn’t wear it. In the UK, the suede jacket was trendy clothing, and people knew that if they purchased the jacket, it would most probably get damaged within two years, but still, a trend is a trend no matter the era it is.
White boots
Looking at 70s fashion men, you will notice they were really into white boots. It could be white Bostonian ankle-length zip boots, leather boots, loafers, etc., but the white color was always something most men wear. For a formal get-together or party, white or cream shoes are fixed if men wear light-colored attire. In the seventies, white footwear was an elegant and sophisticated choice for men. Of which it wasn’t an all-time footwear.
Men didn’t really wear white boots with Denim pants, mostly with loose trousers, white or light-coloured shirts, and a blazer. Young adults also like to wear white shoes with light-shaded simple t-shirts or knitwear. So many people cherish the white boots, but it was a bit difficult
to style them; hence, even though it was a trend, some people avoided it.
Platform shoes
During the 70s, the footwear men wore shoes with a ½ to 1 1⁄2 size platform heel. At the time, even loafers or Oxford shoes were designed with platform heels. This way, the footwear will elevate the height of the person, and they can easily showcase their shoes beneath The Flared trousers. It was a must-have footwear in the men’s shoe collection.
In the 70s, men’s clothing styles were always a little more unique than they are at present. As a result, there were so many unique styles in fashion. For the perfect party look, platform shoes, and common shoes are options men used to go for. But if anyone is already quite tall, in that case, they generally wear regular Oxford or loafers with slightly short-length flared or wide-leg trousers.
Conclusion
After reading the article, it’s not that hard to understand that most of the 70s fashion trains in the United Kingdom were pretty iconic. They were bold, unique, and full of interesting designs. Not only that, but some of the trends were so classic that they are still in fashion in the present years. So, if you are a fashion design student or a regular person interested in fashion, it’s pretty fun to find out about the 70s fashion of men