When thinking of 1970’s fashion, most people will hark back to videos of Swedish superstars Abba in silk bell bottom catsuits, blue eye shadow and hot pants.

In reality though, as clichéd as it may seem, these really are the styles that emanate from the decade and the ‘glam rock’ trend is one that completely sums and characterises the seventies perfectly.

Disco was becoming huge and, similarly to the mod and rockers scene in the sixties, created a lifestyle along with a look. Men wore tight, low cut shirts with a chain of some sort paired with a suit that consisted of flared trousers and oversized collars.

Pop stars such as Elton John ran away with the craze of larger, quirky glasses that injected even more unconventional oddity into the already out there trends of glam rock.

However, it is the women’s trends that have carried through and generate a real call for vintage fundamentals in today’s times. The likes of the mini skirt, which originated in the sixties but really hit its highest peak of popularity in the seventies, hot pants, platform shoes and leotards are all still very much a part of the market and very rarely aren’t featured in fashion showcases season upon season.

Although vintage is automatically linked with earlier decades, the seventies are a major player in the industry, especially for those who want a quirky piece that still runs hand in hand with the current season’s staples.

The patterned shirts of the past are making a comeback and once again there is a mandate for some for the man who wishes to add a little twist to his outfit, and doesn’t want to succumb to the feminine styles employed by many men today.

Jumpsuits galore, minus the bright coloured satin, can be found adorning the racks of vintage stores and create a womanly shape especially when pulled in at the waist. Predictably, miniskirts and hot pants, a must of today’s modern woman can be found in abundance for those women are brave enough to flash their pins in this country’s climate.

The seventies was an era where controversy in the fashion world wasn’t a part of the climate, and fashion was there to be played with, to be fun and not taken too seriously. There wasn’t a plethora of different style changes like the sixties, it wasn’t trying to prove a point, it just was what it was.

In the vintage world of today, the principle crazes will still sell and go on to prove that not every era is caked in fads. Although the silk, ridiculous glasses and dodgy dance moves are totally optional.