So many women love a retro look, but there is a fine line between putting on a dated costumey look, and upgrading your retro look to reflect the times we live in. Let's be real here, no matter how you wear your hair, or some pattern, or an exact dress you thrifted from that era, you can't go backwards, so bring your love of the retro into this century with these updated fabrics and looks while still sharing your love of retro.
1. Tie Front Blouse
Then:
This 70's staple, gave women of the era a professional look as they started to move into the office more and more. The tie front blouse was the bigger, softer, more feminine bow detail to a man's suit shirt and tie, and made in a multitude of colors.
Now:
Stream line the big old poofy bow and puffy sleeves of yesteryear for a more subdued version for this century in a lighter more breathable fabric like cotton and with a skinner tie. A little can go a long way.
2. The Sherpa/Fur Coat
Then:
This style is often one in costume that in modern times, has became somewhat synonymous with pimps of that era. The coat was a staple, usually made in longer cuts that went mid thigh or all the way to the ankle with fur detail or an actual solid real fur coat.
Now:
Look less like an actual animal or 70's relic by shortening the coat and wearing it with a modern cut and fabric pant like the one below. Also ditch the real fur, for the faux stuff.
3. The Dashiki Dress
Then:
A symbol of black power and the overall willingness for this decade to embrace patterns, colors, and designs from across cultures, the Dashiki dress stood out with it's bold pattern.
Now:
Rock this look in a more modern way by utilizing outfits where the fabric has been fashioned into modern dress/pant styles that are more form fitting and less drapey or squared off then their predecessors.
4. The Jumpsuit/Catsuit
Then:
Popularized in the last half of the decade, the jumpsuits formally used by the military and in sports, were transformed into a look synonymous with celebrities of the day and the Disco era and it's Disco clubs. They also took on a more futuristic look influenced by SyFy programming of the day in shiny metallic fabrics.
Now:
Go for a jumpsuit that can take you out on the town with a bit of class with more modern cuts and subdued fabrics with pant styles like slim or straight leg, or just a tiny hint of a flare.
5. Tie Dye
Then:
Often thought of as being a 60's fashion statement, tie dye shirts were popular for the 70's youth crowd along with peace symbol shirts which protested the Vietnam war. Unlike most styles, the wearer could easily make any white clothing into whatever style of tie dye they wanted or buy them out right, off the racks.
Now:
Tie dye is out, ombre is in. Found all over Pinterest boards, this is the new way to DIY dye a dress or shirt or jeans or buy it off the rack. The idea is for one color to fade into the next to create a gradient of color.
6. Long Paisley/Patterned Dress
Then:
Maxi dresses or floor length dresses, before the late half of the 70s, were typically worn only at evening events or formal events, but the 70s made them popular any time of day in all sorts of nauseating patterns and styles.
Now:
Rock a patterned dress look now in a more eclipsed shortened version which is less all consuming, and with one pattern at a time. You can also tie in another 60s/70s staple in a thigh high boot.
7. Gauchos
Then:
The 70's gauchos, so named for the South American cowboys who wore them long before they became a popular women's style, the 70s versions were longer and meant to serve as a more formal, workplace-friendly alternative to skirts and slacks.
Now:
This look made a brief resurgence in the early 2000's, but you can wear the look now if it suits your taste. Instead of stiff polyester or wool suit fabric, wear a jean version or one in a looser chiffon, rayon, or cotton and pair it with a less clunky shoe, crop top, your fav t, or dress it up with a suit coat in a lighter weight fabric.
8. Bell Bottoms
Then:
Popping up late in the 60's but carrying over into the 70s in spades, EVERYONE wore them in this decade and the general consensus, was the wider the better. They typically had a nice low waist and were cut straight to the knees and then flared from the knee to the ankle.
Now:
In the early 2000's, bell bottoms and their newer counterpart, the less bell shaped, "boot cut" jean made a major appearance on the fashion scene. Though the style can still be found in certain stores, the much more popular skinny jean has dominated the fashion scene in this decade, making it nearly the complete opposite of the bell bottom style.
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