THE 1970'S MANTRA

  The anything goes mantra of the 70’s, was exactly that, “Anything Goes.” If you didn’t live in the 70’s, you might remember hearing about 70’s fashion including the hairstyles. How could you forget about the image left in your mind when you were told that the “Afro” was in style? I am talking about the “Afro” as a style trend, meaning people actually wanted to leave their hair untamed. Your hair looked like it was running away from your face or that you stuck your finger in a light socket. How about that for fashion. Good thing today’s hair styles are a little bit more manageable.

  What about the “midi” and “maxi” length dresses of the 1970’s? They couldn’t make up their mind, so the styles of this decade included a little bit of everything. The midi dresses were dresses that would fall anywhere from calf to ankle. Now I don’t have a problem with this length like they did back in the 1800’s, it was controversial and provocative to even show your ankle. Look at the styles today; it’s a good thing the same rules don’t apply today, or we would be stuck wearing “granny dresses,” which consists of a high neck called a stand neck. Imagine how hot you would look in that outfit. Hey, you may get a senior citizens discount, but don’t try getting a date, you may be mistaken for, well, a granny.

  Popular was also the “Maxi” length dress, which was gown length, to the floor or at least to the top of the shoe. You have to be careful with this trend. With the maximum length that these dresses provided, you wouldn’t want to trip over your dress, go flying, and land on your face. These dresses should come with a hazard warning. You should hope these things are not flammable, forbid that you trip while you’re at your neighbor’s bon fire and you go up in flames like flaming cheese, what do they call it, OPA?

  Do you remember hearing about the 60’s long hair being popular into the early 1970’s? People don’t think that just because a style is in, doesn’t mean it could pose a hazard to your health. What about the people who shut their hair in the car door and ripped out their hair? What kind of pain do you think that person is in? I wonder how long it took before their hair would grow back? What about when people with long hair would do their gardening and got their hair wrapped around one of those picker bushes? Ouch! I know you remember the 1960’s hot pants, because this style has been recycled over and over again. What is so cool about someone’s butt cheeks hanging out of their shorts? Please just avoid this trend at all costs! Please spare us the embarrassment on your behalf. We don’t want to see your thong, butt cheeks, cellulite or whatever else may be hanging out of your shorts, thanks!

  Men’s polyester leisure suits with pointed collars and open shirts were another popular trend of the 1970’s. Do you remember the "disco look", complete with the three-piece suits for men? If you remember the film “Saturday Night Fever,” with John Travolta this style has been forever immortalized in your brain. What was it that made the ladies swoon over john Travolta? Is it the clothes that makes the man, or does the man make the clothes? I just have a feeling it was not the polyester leisure suit with shoulder pads, that just looked ridiculous complete with a pointed collar shirt that could poke your eye out. Don’t forget about the image of the men’s opened shirts that let out the grizzly bear chest hair. Oh, before I forget I will mention the 2-4 inch heeled platform shoes. Those shoes could be used as weapons, if you needed them to be.

  When selecting clothing to become a trend, remember that there could be repercussions for your actions. There are certain hair and fashion styles that could be hazardous to your health. Just remember, that just because a certain style is in fashion doesn’t necessarily mean it is a good thing.