Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, March 21, 1993 TAG: 9303180283
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: KATHLEEN WILSON STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
IT'S A '70S INVASION
FROM Greek togas to Gatsby-era flappers, the endpapers of Fairchild's Dictionary of Fashion lead you through a whirlwind crash course in clothing, with 56 drawings in all.In this century, there's that Joan Crawford look of the '40s, Donna Reed circa 1955, a "Mod Squad" Peggy Lipton-type in a mini skirt and boots labeled '69, and a guy in a jogging suit that looks a lot like Tom Selleck as the poster child of the me-decade '80s.
It seems fairly all-inclusive, right?
Wrong. Fairchild, the publishing house responsible for Women's Wear Daily (perhaps the world's leading authority on who wears what when and why), chose to skip the '70s entirely.
But if you remember that decade, aren't you still trying to forget it, too?
The '70s not only brought us Watergate, Charles Manson and "Love Story," but also platform shoes, clogs and puka shell necklaces. Bell-bottoms, hip huggers and halter tops.
Do Betsey Johnson and Norma Kamali ring a bell? And those outfits that once looked so cool on Carol Burnett and Mary Tyler Moore are a scream in reruns.
But one look at what's filling the racks of local shops seems proof positive that designers simply raided the wardrobe vaults of "The Brady Bunch" and "The Partridge Family."
Perhaps we can blame this on Bill Clinton, who danced his way into the White House to the tune of Fleetwood Mac's anthem "Don't Stop (Thinking about Tomorrow)."
For now, this '70s invasion of the '90s seems restricted to women's fashion. (I doubt you'll find Calvin Klein, Giorgio Armani and Gianni Versace in a battle to the death to revive the polyester double-knit leisure suit.)
But forget about unpacking those novelties you stored away in mothballs. Somehow, the fashion industry has managed to take a minimalist approach, refining some of the '70s basics and injecting some sophistication.
Take the platform shoe - please!
Funky divas En Vogue wore them on the Grammys; 10,000 Maniacs' Natalie Merchant skipped around in them on the Arsenio show recently, and Raquel Welch went for the entire package - black platforms, hip-hugger bell-bottoms and a halter top - when she chatted with David Letterman.
But the platforms you find now (you can blame Yves Saint Laurent for bringing them back in the '70s) are more reminiscent of the '40s, with open-toe designs and ankle straps and laces in any color you can imagine made of everything from suede to straw.
Hip-hugging bell-bottoms are paired with tight midriff-baring tops and soft, feminine and decidedly untailored tunics.
Paired with the dreaded platforms, the look is surprisingly elegant - long, lean and body-conscious. And pantsuits are all the rage for career and evening dressing.
This season even Chanel launched bell-bottom (the more haute the couture, the more likely they're called "flares") pants punctuated with the late designer's signature gold buttons.
Those short swingy A-line mini dresses Goldie Hawn wore on "Laugh In" are back. And so is flower power, and big, bold daisies in particular. The tackier they look, the more fashionable they seem to be.
Can't picture yourself dressing as a nouvelle Marcia Brady, so who's going to buy this stuff?
Local retailers say you will.