One of my favorite things about 70s fashions is that designers weren’t afraid to take risks when it came to patterns and color. Bold was considered a neutral and plaids ruled. I remember my dad’s professional wardrobe being full of double-knit polyester plaid sports coats, ties and trousers. This was not a decade to be a wallflower.
Let’s start with this green confection. Here we have a plaid coat paired with plaid pants. Pretty bold on its own, but it needs a little punch. I know! Let’s add a bright yellow shirt, green vest and bold red tie. Done! What a handsome looking man, and not a single natural fiber on him.
Sexy. Now let’s explore something a little more bold because, after all, this suit is really a tad muted. What about something with some high contrast? Black and white should do the trick. Not a fan? Take a cue from the handsome fellow on the left who prefers a red/yellow/navy/white jacket. These suits are all wool so you know they’ll last for years. A terrific wardrobe investment!
Sassy. When I worked in television we used to have a tip sheet on what not to wear on air. Plaids and busy patterns were at the top of the list as they became “hot” on camera. Tell that to Johnny Carson. The king of late night television wasn’t about to sacrifice style just for the sake of tv. He was so passionate about his fashions that he had his own line of apparel.
Stylin’. Not only is he proud to wear his loud plaid sports coat, he takes it up a notch with a patterned tie. No wonder America loved him. Tune in next week as I look at the world of DIY, sewing styles of the 70s.
Pretty Pretty Bang Bang 