70s Costume Ideas

This hub is designed to give you lots of 1970s costume ideas, so whether you are arranging a 70's themed party or you have been invited to a costume party you should be able to see the sort of costumes that are available to purchase online. I want to make it as easy as possible for you to have a fantastic party, so take a look at this hub for costume suggestions and party tips.

Props n Frocks have been established since 1998 & we offer a fantastic service both to our shop customers and our on line customers. Our reputation is very important to us and we aim to give you as much good quality costume advice as we can.

If you have got any questions regarding this or any other costume theme, just pop your question into the 'comments box' at the bottom of this page and I will get back to you - Adele

Quite often a 70s themed party will be linked with either the 60s or the 80s. There is particularly a fashion overlap with the 60s at the beginning of the decade. If you are attending a 60s/70s party, take a look at this page for loads of 60s 70s costumes & theming ideas

For the purpose of these pages each decade will be looked at separately but I will provide links to my other pages so you can cross reference.

Hopefully, this page will show you how diverse the 70s decade actually was in the way of fashion. A 70s fancy dress party, does not need to be boring, read this hub and get some great costume inspiration...

Bell Bottomed (or flared trousers) were only worn by sailors until the late 60s and then became very popular during the 1970s. The Oxford English Dictionary first mentions Flares in 1964. Flares were worn by both male and females, with many people decorating their own. Take a look here if you'd like to make your own flares.

Flares can be purchased separately (see images on the right) or as part of a costume. The costumes that are shown here are all fully washable (and can even be tumbled dried). They come in 4 sizes, small, medium, large and extra large for both men and women.

In the 70s, flares were worn shorter than they are today. In fact the flare would often stop at the ankle, showing off the footwear.

Although mainly thought of as a 60s fashion style, hippies were still popular in the early 70s. There are lots of benefits to choosing to wear a hippy costume.

• They tend to be very comfortable to wear and are not too hot.
• They do not show off any flesh you'd rather not have on display.
• They are suitable for both men and women
• Many styles available to suit all different figures. At one time, it was difficult to purchase a fancy dress costume if you were a larger size. I am pleased to say that suppliers have at long last realised this fact and larger sizes are now widely available. Top Tip - Still be careful and double check with the website to make sure.
• There are fantastic accessories that can be purchased such as wigs, giant spliffs, peace medallions and wacky weed.

Think Glam Rock and you will immediately think of the 70s. Tight lycra jumpsuits, sequins and platforms. Glam Rock first started about 1973 and had reached its peak by 1975 and was taken over by the punk movement in 1977. Glam Rock allowed both men and women to wear outlandish colours, sequins and make up. The pop stars of the day Marc Bolan, David Bowie & Mick Jagger realised that 'sex sells' and exploited it to the full.

Jumpsuits are a risk to purchase without being able to try them on. If your body is too long, you will find that what is on show is more than you bargained for! Many suppliers are now selling two piece items that are far more flexible.

Also, bear in mind that lycra is designed to fit fairly snugly. So be honest with yourself, do you have the body that this style will suit? Look at the model in the picture, even if the costume states it is suitable for a size 18, the model may only be a size 10. Will the design still suit your particular body shape?

Do not worry if maybe lycra is not your thing. Ladies can still wear A line dresses. Many are available for all sizes, just stay away from black and white designs that are more 60s. Men can wear a pair of flares and a frilled shirt and have a great 70s look.

Pimp costumes are very popular choice for a 70s themed party. Available in many various styles, most fabrics tend to be velvet or fur print. Pimps are not strictly a 70s phenomenon and have evolved from exaggerated film characters. Even so, pimps are one of the most popular 1970s costumes for men.

Pimp costumes are available in many sizes and to suit various budgets. The ones shown to the right are completely washable (and can even be tumble dried) are at the top end of the quality scale. The version shown below is a budget version, but still suitable for a few wears. Budget costumes may be more difficult to wash and this will need to be considered if you aim to wear the item more than once.

Pimp costumes are just great to accessorise. There is just so much choice from wigs, moustaches, sideburns, rings, medallions, pimp sticks, hats etc... If you love a bit of bling, then the pimp costume is for you!

So, if the men are going as pimps, what can the ladies wear? Well, there are lady pimp suits on the market or you can go as the pimp's 'hoe' or tart! There is plenty of choice on the market in a variety of styles. Add a wig, some knee high, platform boots and eyelashes and you are ready to party the night away!

1970s Fancy dress suits are also available and tend to be in more subtle colours than the pimp costumes. Frilled shirts are available to buy separately. Do take care when buying a cheaper shirt as we have found that they come apart at the seams very easily. I would recommend spending a little more money on a shirt so that it is wearable. You should be able to send a faulty shirt back, but that is no good if you need to use it tonight. The shirt shown here is available in about 12 different colour options and four sizes. It is also completely washable and can be tumble dried.

Take a look at this small selection of costumes that are available to purchase. Any questions regarding these costumes or party themes? Just pop it into the comment box below and I will come back to you.

This dress is very popular in our shop. Made from a printed, stretchy velour fabric with a front 'peephole' and matching cap. Available in 4 sizes.

We stock such a huge range of 1970s costumes, to see our fantastic range, take a look at our main website, you will be amazed with our costume choices for all your family.

Punk hit the world in the mid 70s and things were never going to be the same. Punk was based on anti government and political views and anarchy, basically anything anti-authoritarian. Vivien Westwood & Malcom Maclaren are generally thought to be the punk pioneers.

There are many punk accessories available on the market that you can purchase to compliment a purchased outfit, or one that you've put together at home.

It is very easy to put your own punk outfit together at home. All you need is some ripped jeans, old tops, some safety pins, scrap pieces of tartan (not essential) and maybe some light chains.

• Rip the jeans even more! Sew pieces of tartan, on the inside to cover some of the holes, so that when you turn them the right way, you can see tartan where the hole is.
• Leave some holes, as holes. You may want to attach some safety pins to each side of the hole.
• Link some chain from some safety pins to others.
• Do exactly the same with your tops.
• Basically, you can do whatever you want with this fashion statement.

Take a look at some of these 1970s films - we appreciate that there are far more great 70s films, but we have chosen these for their costume potential. Hopefully, this list will give you some costume inspiration, even if it is to look at more 1970s films...

• Cabaret (1972)
• The Godfather (1972 & 1974)
• Jaws (1975)
• M*A*S*H (1975)
• Rocky (1976)
• Saturday Night Fever (1977)
• Star Wars (1977)
• Diamonds Are Forever (1971)
• Grease (1978)
• Quadrophenia (1979)
• Revenge Of The Pink Panther (1978)
• Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
• Star Trek (1979)
• The Spy who Loved Me (1977)
• Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

You may also want to check out eBay to find yourself a costume...