A comment on the Mad Men thread inspired this thread. What are your thoughts on fashion past/present. What did you like, not like. Anything you wish would come back or go away for that matter. I'll start with a couple examples.

For me, 60s/70s styles stand out most. The first thing that comes to mind of fashion past is the Bell bottoms. OMG, the wider the bell, the cooler it was. Problem was, for me anyway, that I am so short, I'd have to have mine hemmed considerably, cutting of the largest part of the bell.

I use to love (and still do, tho I don't get so dressed up anymore that often) are the shoes with the thick high heel (I think we called them clogs). Again, because I am short, I love that they give me height(powerful feeling LOL). I am glad that they are still in style without much of a change IMHO.

When I was a kid or young girl only older people (moms) wore what we called "pedal pushers". I'd never be seen dead in them back in the day. NOW they have capris which are basically the same thing and they are perfect when it's not too hot but to warm to wear jeans.

Ok, so maybe men won't care for this thread so much. But anyone feel free to chime in.

TIS

Bell bottoms and pedal pushers. I had the former, but I am remember the pushers.

For the guys, remember Leisure Suits? Lime green to be specific. A lot of men wore them.

One year my MIL got each of her sons and one son-in-law a Leisure Suit for Christmas. Thankfully my husband didn't care for them even then, and exchanged it.




TIS

Madonne! Yes, I remember them. Thank God I never wore one.

Oli,

Lime Green and a baby blue are the only two colors I remember. It is funny but a lot of men wore them. I know there's women's styles that I look back on and laugh. At this moment I can't think of any but I'm sure someone will.




TIS

When I was about ten, my back-to-school clothing one year somehow included a Nehru jacket. I was the only 10-year old in an Irish-Italian neighborhhod who could be confued with Sammy Davis, Jr.

Ha ha ha! How cute. I remember the Beatles as starting the fad but Sammy Davis Jr. does come to mind as well.


TIS

The first outfit I bought for my wife was a pants suit with a Nehru collar. My mother in law said I had good taste.

When I was in middle school in 1977, I was part of the school's musical show where I played a sax duet (Old Man River), and then a solo (Yesterday). For the performance my mother took me out to buy a powdered blue leisure suit, which I wore with a floral shirt of some type. That summer I remember wearing the leisure suit to a family reunion. Unfortunately there are photographs from both events.

She had to say you had good taste. you were dating her daughter.

Thank god I never wore a leisure suit! I do admit to having polyester flare pants and a shirt with a long collar (like the guy in the Brady Bunch)in the '70s, but I think all photographic evidence of this is destroyed.

Over the years I have learned one thing: Always buy first rate ties because they will last forever, and the thing with men's ties is they get wide, and wider, and then thin and thinner. If you have a collection of them over several decades, you can always find one that is in style.

Remember the paisley shirts and hats? Or stripped/printed men's pants? LOL Was that the 70s or 60s LOL.

Btw, another aspect of fashion I'm reminded of because I have a couple of my late mother's watches. One of them is a "sunburst". Do you guys remember that? They had fancy wall clocks also. I remember because my MIL had one. It was popular in the 70's I think.



TIS

I remember these in the 70s. I was 5 in 1969 and the third boy, so all of my clothing consisted of hand-me-downs. But I'm guessing striped pants in the 60s existed.

I remember paisley ties being popular throughout the 80s. Ties were hilariously flashy and wide in the 70s and became severely narrow after the Reagan election. I also remeber that when I was graduating law school, the yellow power tie was a ubiquitous must in every lawyer's wardrobe.

Funny you should say that. My fathers friend Matt- years ago- would tell us: You should always raise your price when a guy comes in with a power tie on. He will always try and "jew" ( his term so don't throw me crap for it) you down after you give him a good price or he will not pay you when the job is done and you will have to sue him to get your money.

There is a good chance that he is a flunky lawyer and he will defend himself while you have to pay out your ass for your lawyer. Then he will offer you pennies on the dollar to settle or give you a run around and around till you take what he offers just to get something.

That just hit me after reading about your yellow tie.

I had them TIS. I had the bell bottom plaid of red, blue, white and maybe a few other colors. As wild as that sounds, they were definitely in style. Also, I have a picture with my wife and kids wherein I am wearing a long-sleeve paisley shirt, blue on white. Groovy man!

Oli, you missed my incorrect spelling. "Stripped" pants?? Yikes!! I meant "striped."


TIS

No. I caught it. But, like, ya know, you're like in California, like, ya know. For sure.

Totally!! (I'm getting lax since I retired.)


TIS

I am embarrased to say that i am still wearing the same sort of clothes that i was wearing back in the 70's and 80's. T-shirts, jeans and trainers, shorts in the summer (when we have one)

Yogi,

Trainers??? What are those?




TIS

Sorry TIS, trans Atlantic language confusion

Sneakers!!

I loved the fashion of the 80s and 90s, mostly because I have big hair naturally, so I fit right in. I also loved those women's suits with the giant shoulder pads, which made your waist look oh so tiny. And that Miami Vice look for men? Yum.

That whole polyester disco look was just gross, and the sooner we forget that whole era, the better. I have my brother's school picture from that era (he was the young, hip teacher) and he's wearing a blue leisure suit with a mauve floral shirt, and he had a goatee and a 'fro.

Of all the fashion eras, though, I love the postwar 40s, when Dior's New Look was introduced. The clothes were so glamorous and feminine. I even love the poodle skirts and dresses from the 50s. So pretty.