The style of the 1970s reflected the psychedelic era from the one-of-a-kind music to the political aspects. With the bell bottom pants and the platform sandals, the fashion was simply iconic. At San Luis Obispo High School, students can be seen wearing clothing that has been influenced by the groovy 1970s.
“The 1970s was definitely an era that people could explore and take a risk in their fashion more by experimenting with different clothing. I see today with what we wear, it’s similar to what teenagers did in the 1970s with the experimentation,” said junior Olivia Boyne.
Among Boyne and other students at SLOHS, the style has been inspired by not just the 1970s, but earlier decades as well.
“You can see a lot of people taking inspiration from the 1970s with the trendier bell bottom pants and the tops, from Woodstock 1969 and the rest of the late 1960s. I took a lot of inspiration from people in the 1970s from Robert Plant and Jimmy Page. All the fashion from the movie ‘Dazed and Confused’ is also super inspirational to me,” said sophomore Carmen Silver.
Silver’s inspiration from the 1970s can be traced back to the musical scene of this era, with Robert Plant and Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin. Not only are these two exceptional musicians, but their fashion also influenced the world, along with Led Zeppelin’s music. Students at SLOHS can be seen wearing t-shirts representing their favorite bands today, along with bands from the 1970s.
Boyne’s interpretation of 1970s fashion also ties into Silver’s fashion. Boyne explains how fashion was experimental. Silver demonstrates this by taking inspiration from men’s style. Men also started to take on a more feminine look, with musicians like David Bowie and later Prince, by experimenting with cosmetics. Men can be seen wearing cosmetics today as well.
Experimenting with masculine and feminine styles has dated back earlier than the 1970s, but nonetheless, the experimentation has been influencing fashion for many decades. However, music was not the only thing influencing the fashion of the 1970s.
The protests from the Vietnam War had also impacted fashion. With John Lennon’s emphasis on protesting the Vietnam War by growing out your hair, and the emphasis of peace signs on clothing had all contributed to the inspiring fashion of the 1970s. Today, political opinions have had an impact on clothing, such as wearing Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, or Bernie Sanders campaign t-shirts.
Music and political beliefs have affected fashion in 2019. SLOHS students can be seen wearing fashion representing many different things. This confidence in fashion will influence the next generations, just like the 1970s.
