The 70's Mode

Fashion in the 70's was filled with influence from music and film - the silhouettes for men and women were quite slim and androgynous - emphasis was more on the shape of the garment, and not on the body. Bell-bottomed jeans and trousers flared out at the bottom of the body; Pop music duo Sonny & Cher popularised the look with the Sonny & Cher show - Cher, one of the most well known musicians of the time due to her extraordinarily low voice and individualistic values, was a style icon for many and one of her signature looks was the hugely flaring bell-bottomed trousers.

(Source: thirdage.com) Cher and Sonny at the beginning of the 70's

(Source: strangecosmos.com) The bell-bottoms complete the look and work so well with the fringing

Bell bottomed trousers are tightly fitted from the waist/hip to the knee; it then forms a bell shape at the bottom of the leg by dramatically flaring out. I think they're so distinctive and whilst not in style now, they could be re imagined and made into something really new and innovative.

(Source: s-aika.com)

However the flared look wasn't just Cher's doing; it had carried over from the 60's hippy movement, and other trends had spilled over into the early 70's - miniskirts were still a big deal in the early 70's, and as time progressed and women began to realise they could do and wear what they wanted to, trousers became a staple in womenswear. Both sexes wore bell-bottoms, and to accessorise, turtle-necks were extremely popular.