retro style: fab fashions from the 60s and 70s

September 9, 2007 6:15 AM

From hair styles and hotpants to bellbottoms and boots, this site has amassed a massive fashion photo collection of groovy celebrities and swingin' stars from the '60s and '70s.
posted by madamjujujive (26 comments total)

James Brown looks super cool even when he's wearing bell bottoms. Can't say the same for Bowie.

Awesome find, madamjujujive. Love it!
posted by psmealey at 6:20 AM on September 9, 2007

hurfdurf fadmonkeys.
posted by jonmc at 6:30 AM on September 9, 2007

This site pretty much sums up everything that I aspire to be, fashion-wise. Awesome.
posted by Brittanie at 6:59 AM on September 9, 2007

I found this last weekend. It is truly an amazing collection (dense of images and poor of words). Under almost every picture are links, too. Links to more photos, links to videos, lots of great links. Thanks, madamjujujive!
posted by carsonb at 7:24 AM on September 9, 2007

Four galleries of mini-skirts and you link to hairstyles and boots!! Heh.
Some things never change. Thanks mjj.
posted by peacay at 7:28 AM on September 9, 2007

And yet some things change dramatically
. .

Check this out:
In the 1970's the Southwest Airline stewardesses wore hotpants. (You have to scroll down a bit, the site doesn't allow linking to images)

And now, thirty years later, Southwest Airlines is refusing to allow *passengers* to wear outfits like this.

Is this progress, people?!!!
We demand hotpants!
posted by jeremias at 7:44 AM on September 9, 2007 [1 favorite]

Thanks madamjujujive, now I've seen Brigitte Bardot's gusset!
posted by furtive at 7:58 AM on September 9, 2007

High-waisted bell bottoms have got to be the most uncomfortable pants in the universe (thank goodness when bells/flares came "back" in the late 90s/early 2000s, they were lower-waisted). Every woman and girl in the 70s had a perpetual camel-toe and/or wedgie, but I remember how cool I thought I was in my favorite pair of bell bottoms. They were red plaid and I wore them to the skating rink every Friday night of my 4th grade life. With a red striped shirt. And pink and red pom-pons tied to my skates. Groovy, baby.
posted by amyms at 8:19 AM on September 9, 2007

mmmm.... hotpants.....
posted by growabrain at 8:48 AM on September 9, 2007

oh wow. I TOTALLY enjoyed that! Way to go mjjj! Cool find!

What a way to start an Indian Summer Sunday, sipping morning coffee and poring over those images with a huge grin on my face. Sunglasses too. guido_53 has some silly photoshopped images he did as well.

Yeah jeremias, isn't that bizarre about Southwest Airlines? Will they be supplying burqas for their female passengers next? yikes.

Am I projecting or do those clothes and styles seem fun? Loved my bell bottoms too, had a pair like his blue ones from The Different Drummer store here in NYC that I wore the summer of Woodstock. There's a sensuality that comes through that I miss in so many of today's images. Real sex, not plastic.

Oh, that beautiful photograph of Joni Mitchell hugging Leonard Cohen, such joy on her face (scroll down 65% of the page on the right side).

Thanks for charging my joie de vivre battery.
posted by nickyskye at 9:03 AM on September 9, 2007

ps, how could I forget to mention how great the videos and additional photos are?! And I didn't say how hilarious that first photo in the first link was, a sock in the eye with gigantor helmet head but beautiful in its strange, futuristic retro way.
posted by nickyskye at 9:07 AM on September 9, 2007

[this is awesome]

It's pretty frightening how, 40 years ago, Cher looked... exactly the same. Cryogenics these days.

Also, Edwige Fenech is amazing.
posted by blacklite at 9:27 AM on September 9, 2007

Reminds me of the material I first used to... erm, stimulate myself with as an adolescent discovering the pleasures of self abuse.
posted by A189Nut at 10:12 AM on September 9, 2007

(thank goodness when bells/flares came "back" in the late 90s/early 2000s, they were lower-waisted).

That's the subject of some debate. No question that some of the clothes from that era were uncomfortable (double-knits? egads), but the higher-waisted flares were a least much more flattering to a broader range of physiques than the lower waisted ones.

When the hip-hugger look came back during the late 90s, they should have come with instructions that they weren't for everyone. They only really look passable on people that are severely underweight. The muffin top look doesn't do anyone any good.
posted by psmealey at 11:10 AM on September 9, 2007

There is definitely something between the seventies-style up-to-yr-neck waist and the nineties-style, better-get-a-wax-before-you-put-those-on "waist." And while I am not generally a giant Old Navy fan, I have found them there. I hope this variety of rises trend continues.

(And nice link.)
posted by dame at 1:05 PM on September 9, 2007

Oh, that beautiful photograph of Joni Mitchell hugging Leonard Cohen, such joy on her face (scroll down 65% of the page on the right side).

You said it, sister. I need a huge poster of that shot. Great site, mjjj -- I haven't had a style nostalgia attack this bad since the last time I watched The Rockford Files.
posted by FelliniBlank at 1:43 PM on September 9, 2007

Thirding the lurrrve for that Joni 'n' Leonard shot. Also gotta give a shoutout to the cheeky ad for Jesus Jeans (almost at the bottom of the page).
posted by GrammarMoses at 1:55 PM on September 9, 2007

Psmealey, are you mad? The muffin top is sexier than décolletage.
posted by Human Flesh at 2:11 PM on September 9, 2007

It always strikes me, in retrospect, how un-athletic and soft models looked in the 60s and 70s, even the skinny ones; no muscle tone at all, except in dancers. Visible muscles were strictly for men. A toned body really didn't become the popular for women till after the aerobics craze of the early 80s, now it's de rigueur for models and actresses.
posted by tula at 3:24 PM on September 9, 2007

OK, nickyskye, if we are going to get into favorite outfits like those striped bellbottoms, mine had to be a black fake fur maxi coat over a micro mini and white leather go-go boots. That was hawt. Then there was that paisley halter-top jump suit with the bell-bottom pants. More hawtness ;-)

dame, I seem to recall more hip huggers than I am seeing in those pics, but generally not the really low riders of today.

tula, good observation about the "softness" thing. These women seem positively rubenesque compared to many of today's celebs. Twiggy triggered the anorexic waif thing.
posted by madamjujujive at 4:38 PM on September 9, 2007

These women seem positively rubenesque compared to many of today's celebs.

Not to mention much better looking than today's models/celebs.
posted by psmealey at 4:45 PM on September 9, 2007

mjjj is metahawt
posted by matteo at 5:35 PM on September 9, 2007 [1 favorite]

I loved this!

Well, except for one thing. Get Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep out of my head NOW, please. Thank you.
posted by miss lynnster at 5:47 PM on September 9, 2007

Fun stuff! Great find! Cheers!
posted by flapjax at midnite at 5:58 PM on September 9, 2007

Interview with joni as well as a swell clip of Canadian beatniks.
posted by hortense at 11:53 PM on September 9, 2007 [1 favorite]

Great interview, hortense - and the entire page of clips looks fun! Thanks for posting.
posted by madamjujujive at 3:37 AM on September 10, 2007