Special Report

50 Photos That Prove the ‘70s Had the Best Style

Keystone / Hulton Archive via Getty Images

With each new generation, new trends and fashions emerge. Though each style is distinct and memorable, not all hold up equally well over time. (Here, for instance, are some iconic fashion brands that no longer exist.)

Some people enjoyed the poodle-skirt-and-Bermuda-shorts aesthetic of the 1950s, while others still love the over-the-top colors, patterns, and hairstyles that were all the rage in the 1980s. Yet for many people, the style of the 1970s simply cannot be beat.

Fashion in the 1970s went so much farther than bell bottoms. Ruffled blouses, long flowing maxi dresses, and tye-dye characterized the decade. Menswear from the era typically featured wide lapels, bright colors, and previously uncommon materials like corduroy and velvet.  were also all the rage. Men and women alike wore floral patterns.

To find 60 photos that prove the 1970s had the best fashion, 24/7 Tempo chose a selection of images of fashion models, celebrities, and everyday people in the ‘70s, dressed for various contexts, from Getty Images. A majority of the people depicted are British, a reflection of the fact that the U.K. was an incubator for many fashion trends, beginning in the 1960s and continuing through the following decade. 

Click here for a look at 60 photos that prove the ‘70s had the best style

It’s too soon to say if the 1970s fashion sensibilities will make a comeback, but there are some indications that the styles of an earlier time can still spark interest. Some young people with a nostalgic flair, for instance, have turned back the clock to the 1990s to find their outfits. Scrunchies, satin dresses, and straight leg jeans that first became en vogue 30 years ago are now fashionable with Gen Z. Who can say that the ‘70s won’t be next? (These are the fashion trends only 90s kids will remember)

Evening Standard / Hulton Archive via Getty Images

A model previews a maxi dress for 1970
> Year: 1969

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Evening Standard / Hulton Archive via Getty Images

A model previews a satin dress for 1970
> Year: 1969

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Two British male models in ’70s-style velvet suits
> Year: 1969

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A glam rocker in a shiny jacket
> Year: circa 1970

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English pop singer Adam Faith and his wife
> Year: circa 1970

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Twiggy (center) and two other models
> Year: circa 1970

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Keystone / Hulton Archive via Getty Images

The Pointer Sisters at the MIDEM festival in Cannes
> Year: circa 1970

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Model Lucienne poses as a glamorous secretary
> Year: 1970

FPG / Archive Photos via Getty Images

Three women having tea
> Year: 1970s

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English Sports commentator John Bromley
> Year: 1970

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Scottish soccer player Peter Marinello
> Year: 1970

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An Yves Saint Laurent shirt-dress
> Year: 1970

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Model Pip Billington in a mink coat
> Year: 1970

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A women modeling ’70s fashions
> Year: circa 1970

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An English model in white coat and gogo boots
> Year: 1970

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Teenage debutantes at a charity event at London’s Berkeley Hotel
> Year: 1970

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Modeling fur at London’s benefit Berkeley Debutante Dress Show
> Year: 1970

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Burberry Coats in London’s Trafalgar Square
> Year: 1970

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An English model in a pleated dress with bishop sleeves
> Year: 1970

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Model Edina Ronay wearing a floral dress
> Year: 1970

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Rolling Stones Mick Taylor, Mick Jagger, and Charlie Watts pose in Paris
> Year: 1970

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Reg Lancaster / Hulton Archive via Getty Images

A model in London in culottes and a bolero top
> Year: 1970

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Actress Melita Clarke
> Year: 1970

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Uniforms designed for functionaries at the 1972 Munich Olympics
> Year: 1971

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Evening Standard / Hulton Archive via Getty Images

An English male model in a velvet suit
> Year: 1971

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An English male model in striped blazer and fedora
> Year: 1971

Dove / Hulton Archive via Getty Images

British stars of the play “Born Yesterday” pose in a pub
> Year: 1971

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James Brown in a leather duster
> Year: 1971

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An English model in a sleeveless jerkin and patterned shirt
> Year: 1971

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Expectant mothers model pregnancy fashions
> Year: 1971

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Editors of the English underground magazine on their way to court
> Year: 1971

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Feline-fur coats modeled on a London street
> Year: 1971

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Photo of the band Chic
> Year: circa 1972

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Maurice, Barry, and Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees
> Year: circa 1973

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Dancers at Rodney Bingenheimer’s English Disco, Los Angeles
> Year: 1973

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British glam-rock group The Sweet at Heathrow Airport
> Year: 1973

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Cool styles in Los Angeles
> Year: 1973

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Hanging out at Rodney Bingenheimer’s English Disco, Los Angeles
> Year: circa 1973

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A stylish couple in autumn fashions
> Year: 1974

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Rod Stewart with The Faces at Heathrow Airport
> Year: 1974

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70’s Disco Trio Limmie and the Family Cooking
> Year: 1974

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Backstage at The Whisky A Go Go, West Hollywood
> Year: 1975

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On the dancefloor at the Whisky A Go Go, West Hollywood
> Year: 1975

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Rock group the Bay City Rollers
> Year: circa 1975

Express / Hulton Archive via Getty Images

Models in summer dresses and sun hats
> Year: 1975

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Two women at a party
> Year: 1975

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The R&B group The Dells in an office
> Year: 1975

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Michael Ochs Archives / Michael Ochs Archives via Getty Images

Dancing at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood
> Year: 1975

Michael Ochs Archives / Michael Ochs Archives via Getty Images

Groupie Lori Mattix (second from right) and friends at the Whisky A Go Go
> Year: 1975

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Fox Photos / Hulton Archive via Getty Images

Actor Richard Burton with then-wife Suzy Miller at Heathrow Airport
> Year: 1977

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