What to Wear to a 70s Party

The 1970s was a time for hippie chic and disco dancing. The decade offers a plethora of iconic looks. If you're going to a '70s party, find out the theme so you can figure out what to wear. You can opt for the natural look of the mainstream hippie, don flashy disco apparel or get into splendid extremes of full-out funk. You can also mix-and-match looks.

The hippie look became socially acceptable during the 1970s. Rooted in the 1960s, the '70s saw a tamer version of the '60s psychedelic hippie. Flared pants and platform shoes were major fashion items of the '70s. People opted for what looked and felt natural. Cotton, wool and silk were the fabrics of choice. Fashion gravitated to a gentler palette of soft patterns, folk and ethnic prints (Seeling). Mini skirts brought rising hemlines for women (Fashion Era).

Silver suits and flared pants were a common disco staple in the '70s for both men and women. In contrast to the earthy, natural hippie look, disco fashion included polyester in loud colors and patterns, hot pants, glitter and leotards. John Travolta in "Saturday Night Fever" was a prime example of '70s male disco attire. Travolta was outfitted in a full white suit with a white vest and a black button-up with just the collar peeking out from underneath.

The iconic funk look included an afro, so find a wig. This outfit included ruffled tops, Italian silk, leather coats and black turtlenecks. Fabrics were multicolored and included snakeskin.

Both looks included flared pants and platform shoes between 2 and 6 inches in height for both men and women (Seeling).