The whole idea of “fashion trends” began in the 1970s. It was a decade of fads, fun, and experimentation with personal style. Laura Ashley’s prairie aesthetic was popular at the same time as Vivienne Westwood’s era-defining punk style. The disco scene at Studio 54 was buzzing alongside the laid-back all-American blue jeans look. A lot happened in the ’70s – including Halston‘s slinky, minimal dresses from the Battle of Versailles – and we’re zoning in on 6 iconic fashion trends that will add instant (and easy) ’70s glam to your summer outfits.

When many of us think of defining fashion moments of the ’70s, we quickly go to wide-leg trousers, platforms shoes, and the TikTok revival of Farrah Fawcett‘s famous feathered hair. But the ’70s was a vibrant and colourful decade that saw diversity in fashion for the very first time. In the 1970s, Black models became regulars on international catwalks and the covers of Vogue, while the glam rock subculture encouraged a new, androgynous approach to style where men wore makeup, and women emulated woman characters who dressed in menswear like Annie Hall. The 1970s was an expansive era where many popular fashion trends of today – like psychedelic floral prints, crop tops, co-ordinated sets, jumpsuits, wide-leg trousers, crochet, and oversized sunglasses – came into style and never left.

Keep reading for some of the most iconic fashion trends of the 1970s, and how to recreate the look for summer 2021.