When I was a kid, the ‘70s represented a lifestyle that I couldn’t condone. I perceived a decade lost in a thick fog of weed, stinky armpits and an unkempt aesthetic. I rolled my eyes when peers came to decade day donning artificial Afros and shirts. How could they empathize with a generation asserted as lazy and stoned?
But people like this Fashionista have changed that perception for me. Here she is shown wearing a flowy white dress. You can get a similar one here
The ‘70s coming back into favor represents that we are seeking change in not only our fashion identities but also our willingness to be a part of the change—or at least I can hope so. The ’70s happened a long time ago, yet we still have so many of the same social injustices. They just go by different names. Gloria Steinem’s feminist ideals still feed initiatives like HeForShe by Emma Watson for the United Nations. The Black Panthers state of mind has become #BlackLivesMatter. Woodstock has become Bonaroo.
Maybe the’70s did, in fact, represent more than a lethargic style of life. It was an illumination and amplification of the notion that the status quo was no longer cutting it. The button-down mentality of the ‘50s and ‘60s was no longer applicable when so much was happening in our country. The ‘70s coming back into favor is bigger than just bell bottoms. It’s making change for ourselves. After this trend runs its course, let’s be able to say that it inspired us all to be the change. Let’s be able to buy our kids their first Go-Go boots in good conscious. Let’s not let the ’70s be another arbitrary trend, but a catalyst for real change and inspiration.
What is your STYLE ADVICE OF THE WEEK? “Fashion has always been my creative outlet. I’m not really good at any other art forms. I love encouraging other ladies to do what they want with their clothing choices. You wanna wear a crop top? You wanna wear a short skirt? You do you, boo. It’s so important that we’re encouraging girls (and guys) to love themselves. I think that’s one reason I was, and still am, so obsessed with the ’70s. Everyone was all about loving themselves and each other. Everyone seemed to exude this amazing confidence.”
