70s Hippie

70s Hippie costumes are often seen in dressing up shops like this one from fancydress.com. However looks similar to the one above have been dragged out of the dressing up box and onto the catwalk and now they are in the shops and waiting to be put into our wardrobes. Their journey has almost been as long and enduring as the forty years from the 70s to today. A lot of things have happened in the past forty one years. In 1970 The Beatles broke up which was a sad time for many millions of people. However, arguably sadder times were to come as Elvis Presley was found dead in 1977 and John Lennon was assassinated in 1980. But it wasn't all bad for the music industry. In 1982 Michael Jackson released his global success Thriller. The film industry has had a lot of successes too with Star Wars being released in 1977 and E.T. coming out in 1982. The past forty one years have, surprisingly had a lot of ships involved. What with the The Mary Rose ship raised in 1982 and the wreck of the Titanic found in 1985. The Titanic film was later released and it became the most successful movie ever in 1998. There was significant rise in technology throughout the 70s as computer floppy disks were introduced in 1970, VCRs came into existence in 1971, pocket calculators were introduced in 1972, Microsoft was founded in 1975, the first test-tube baby was born in 1978 and Sony introduced the walkman in 1979. However, 1993 was the year when the use of the internet grew the most and it became a part of nearly everyone's lives. In previous years both women and black people had fought for equal rights and the time from the 70s to today has really seen that come into action. In 1973 abortion was legalised in the US, in 1975 Arthur Ashe was the first black man to win Wimbledon, in 1979 Margaret Thatcher became the first female Prime Minister of Britain, in 1981 the first woman was appointed to the US supreme court, in 1983 Sally Ride became the first American woman in Space, Nelson Mandela was freed in 1990 and in 1994 he was elected President of South Africa. The last forty years have experienced a rise in terrorism, particularly from an extremist group known as Al Quaeda who were responsible for both the 9/11 and the 7/7 in which thousands died in. However, it is breaking news that the group's leader Osama Bin Laden was shot today by American troops.
The journey of fashion has surely seen just as many changes as any other part of the world's modern history. The 1970s brought in the afro hairstyle, wide, pointy collars, crocheted bags, mega-wide bell-bottom flares and funky (if not a little quirky) T-shirts. The 1980 then made the side ponytail, patterned jumper, drainpipe jeans, legwarmers and lacy, fingerless gloves fashionable. The 1990s was all about laid back, tomboy chic with long, straight, un-styled hair, t-shirts with motifs, grunge-y t-shirts and army boots. 
The word hippie actually means "the one who is aware." Some early hippies created their own social groups and communities, listened to rock music, embraced the sexual revolution, and used drugs such as marijuana, LSD, and magic mushrooms to explore alternative states of consciousness. The term and the behaviour associated with that term originated in the 1960s but is still around today and is also an ongoing fashion statement.

The Laidback Hippie Look

This is my personal favourite as I love maxi skirts and gladiator sandals. The above maxi skirt is £32 from Dorothy Perkins and the sandals are from nordstrom.com. The rucksack is from Topshop, the top is £32 from Jane Norman and the necklace is £15 from Dorothy Perkins. I love this outfit as it is comfortable and worn with no added accessories it can look effortlessly stylish. This look is for style savvy fashionistas who like to experiment with different styles.

The Bohemian Chick

This look looks great on anyone, regardless of their size or body shape. It is very plain other than the necklaces but that is how it is supposed to look. This look is perfect for festivals although you might want to trade the flip flops for wellies. This hat is from urbanexcess.com and is £10. The necklace is from nordstrom.com, the dress is £55 from Miss Selfridge and the flip flops are £3.99 from hm.com. This look is for those who keep up to date with the trends and want to make sure that they look good.

The Ditsy Hippie

The different prints mean that this look is quite adventurous so try it out if you want to take a trip out of your comfort zone. The batwing sleeve top is from rue21.com. The flared trousers are from shopnastygal.com and the bag is £22 from Miss Selfridge. The water bottle is just an extra as this look is for girls who like to exercise their style which can be thirsty work!

The 70s Disco

The style on the left is very similar to what teenage girls wear today so it is a look for part girls under 25 to wear. The centre look is very casual but stylish so it is suited for those who do not like to dress up. The dress on the right is very sweet so petite girls would pull it off best. The top on the left is from delias.com, the skirt is from 25park.com, the shoes on the left are £93 from attitudeclothing.co.uk, the top in the middle is £30 from Jane Norman, the jeans are from piperlime.gap.com, the dress is from jades24.com and the orange shoes are from ebay but sadly the bid for them ended last month. 
Fashion History from the 70s
1970- The Body Shop is founded. Claudia Schiffer is born.
1971- Coco Chanel dies (sob.)
1972- Nike shoes began production.
1977- Yves Saint Laurent launch their perfume, Opium.
1983- Karl Lagerfield becomes a designer for Chanel.
1985- Bernard Arnault bought Dior and took the company out of bankruptcy court.
1987- LVMH, a fashion and luxury goods group is created. Its initials stand for Louis Vuitton, Moet (champagne) and Hennessy (cognac.)
1995- Maurizio Gucci was shot to death in Milan. He was the last family member to have held shares in the Gucci fashion company. In 1997 police arrested his former wife, a psychic, a doorman, and two hitmen for their roles in the murder. In 1998 Patrizia Reggiani Martinelli was convicted and sentenced to 29 years in prison. The psychic got 25, the doorman got 26, the driver got 29 and the gunman got life.
1997- Gianni Versace, Italian fashion designer, was shot to death outside his home in Miami Beach. Suspected serial killer Andrew Phillip Cunanan, was found dead eight days later. More than 2,000 people gathered in Milan for a memorial Mass for Gianni Versace; the mourners included Princess Diana and singer-songwriter Elton John.
2000- India opened its first fashion show in Mumbai.
2004- It was reported that US teen fashions had veered away from grunge and hip-hop looks toward a more preppy attire and that Axe, a deodorant body spray, was becoming popular among young boys. Hair stylist began providing crystal extensions dubbed “hair bling.” Bling was a hip-hop term for flashy dressing and accessories.
2005- North Korea’s government urged its women to refrain from wearing trousers, saying Western clothing dampen the revolutionary spirit and blur national pride.
2008- Yves Saint Laurent died.
2009- French President Nicolas Sarkozy declared that the Islamic burqa is not welcome in France, branding the face-covering, body-length gown as a symbol that hides women's identities and turns women into prisoners. In southern California fashion designer Anand Jon Alexander was sentenced to 59 years to life in prison for sexually assaulting aspiring models he lured to Los Angeles. Iranian police warned shop owners against displaying female mannequins wearing underwear or showing off their curves as part of a government campaign against Western influence. Brazil’s private Bandeirante University in Sao Bernardo do Campo, outside Sao Paulo, expelled Geisy Arruda  for wearing a short, pink dress to class. Arruda made headlines after the incident, in which she had to be escorted away by police after wearing the mini-dress to class. The dean of the private college in suburban Sao Paulo released the next day announcing a decision to reinstate her.In France South Korean model Daul Kim (20), a fashion week regular in New York, Milan and Paris, was been found hanged in her Paris apartment. In Sudan Silva Kashif was arrested, convicted and lashed 50 times after a Khartoum judge ruled her knee-length skirt was indecent. Her mother later said she planned to sue the police who made the arrest and the judge who imposed the sentence, as her daughter was underage and a Christian.
In the last forty years there has been a lot of controversy about "indecent" clothing which has caused friction between eastern and western countries. There have also been a great number of deaths of models, photographers and designers alike. I did not mention them all but I would like to ask you to now take a minute or two to think about the deceased and the influence that they had on the fashion industry and on your wardrobe.