HudsonHawk
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Why did everything look so....crappy? in the 1970s
- Thread starter FedoraFan112390
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I was born in 1984.
Could it be, that these 70s were the whole beginning of "cheaper" fashion, because of upcoming globalized industrial mass-market-mainstream-products?
Could it be, that these 70s were the whole beginning of "cheaper" fashion, because of upcoming globalized industrial mass-market-mainstream-products?
Stanley Doble
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"cheap" fashions date back to the twenties or earlier. But they were made to resemble their more expensive originals as closely as possible.
"mod" fashions from the sixties were something different. They were meant to be eye catching and gaudy, and to be out of style and discarded after 6 months or so. They were never made to last. They were never meant to be real clothes, they were for parties and showing off.
This was the origin of the crappy polyester suits and plastic shoes and jackets of the disco era.
(In England in the sixties, for the first time young people had money. They had jobs and no responsibilities, no family to support, they lived at home and had money to spend on clothes, parties, records, whatever they wanted. For a few brief years between the time they left school and the time they got married and set up households of their own they could live it up. Mod fashions were designed for them. They were not meant for a broader, mainstream market. Then the Boys From Marketing as Lizzie calls them, got the idea they could make a lot of money by selling cheesy clothes to everybody, change the fashions every year and force everyone to buy new clothes all the time. This was the origin of things like Beatle jackets, Nehru jackets, polyester leisure suits with turtlenecks, platform shoes and so on.
They were so sharp they cut their own heads off. The result of their "anything goes" policy is what you see to day where "casual fridays" at the office are every day, people treat pyjamas and numbered football shirts as clothes, and a man in a suit tie and hat stands out like a giraffe.
And all the clothing stores that were supposed to rake it in selling cheap disposable clothes, went broke.)
"mod" fashions from the sixties were something different. They were meant to be eye catching and gaudy, and to be out of style and discarded after 6 months or so. They were never made to last. They were never meant to be real clothes, they were for parties and showing off.
This was the origin of the crappy polyester suits and plastic shoes and jackets of the disco era.
(In England in the sixties, for the first time young people had money. They had jobs and no responsibilities, no family to support, they lived at home and had money to spend on clothes, parties, records, whatever they wanted. For a few brief years between the time they left school and the time they got married and set up households of their own they could live it up. Mod fashions were designed for them. They were not meant for a broader, mainstream market. Then the Boys From Marketing as Lizzie calls them, got the idea they could make a lot of money by selling cheesy clothes to everybody, change the fashions every year and force everyone to buy new clothes all the time. This was the origin of things like Beatle jackets, Nehru jackets, polyester leisure suits with turtlenecks, platform shoes and so on.
They were so sharp they cut their own heads off. The result of their "anything goes" policy is what you see to day where "casual fridays" at the office are every day, people treat pyjamas and numbered football shirts as clothes, and a man in a suit tie and hat stands out like a giraffe.
And all the clothing stores that were supposed to rake it in selling cheap disposable clothes, went broke.)
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Stanley Doble
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As for the music, Frank Zappa had an interesting take on this as he did on a lot of things. He said when he started in the music business in the late 50s there were a lot of good records. There was a lot of rubbish but there was a lot of good music too.
The music business was dominated by old guys with cigars who would put out anything they thought would sell, 20,000 or 30,000 records was enough to make a profit. They would give practically anything a shot, even if they didn't like it or understand it.
They were replaced in the late sixties by a new, hip young generation of record executives whose motto was " I know what the kids want". After that, nothing good stood a chance.
The music business was dominated by old guys with cigars who would put out anything they thought would sell, 20,000 or 30,000 records was enough to make a profit. They would give practically anything a shot, even if they didn't like it or understand it.
They were replaced in the late sixties by a new, hip young generation of record executives whose motto was " I know what the kids want". After that, nothing good stood a chance.
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As much as I hated it at the time, I actually enjoy some of the "disco" tunes now. At least the funkier, horn-based stuff like Kool & the Gang, etc.
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nick123
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Cocaine. May be some truth in it!
Bob Roberts
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Ok. I'll admit it... I did like KC and the Sunshine Band.
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I didn't then, but I do now.
Bob Roberts
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Stanley Doble
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Yeah the drugs had a lot to do with the crappy movies and music.
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Roxy Music. 
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