1975 Fashion

Layering, the art of piling garmet upon garmet, and also aided a rich look.  Layering savvy consisted of double blouses, multiple sweaters of varying lengths, pants under tunic dresses, jumpers over dresses, double coats (a paper thin rain shell over a warm wool knit, or fur version), hoods under hats, and shawls over everything.  The triangular scarf was the ultimate layer.

Neutral colors from nature--beige, sage, and blush--in one-color combinations played up the luxurious textures.  The most vital color was charcoal gray and pale gray, with ovetones of violet and blue.  Also prominent were charcoal navy, loden green, wine red, winter red, and clear scarlet.  Squishy hats, crushed boots, pouch bags.

Ombre-shaded sunglasses, and polished wood, silver, and gold jewelry completed the picture.

Lingerie evening dresses in peach, pink, ivory, or cafe au lait struck a note of pampered, indolent femininity of bygone days.  Melon pink silk robes and floating pajamas in shades of the Jazz Age slinked out of the bourdoir to attend parties.

Old clothes--myticulously made castoff finery--once the special domain of eccentrics, became the rage.  Young people flocked to the spate of antique-vestments boutiques that sprang up everywhere, swooping up hand me downs, evening bags, Art Deco jewelry, smudgy-pink georgette dresses, and the wispy undergarments of the 1930s.

Along with the quest for quality ran a total rejection of it.  A craze for khaki, olive-drab and workman's clothes threatened to knock out jeans and t-shirts as America's favorite uniform.

Exploring furthur into the exotica of the East was American designer Mary McFadden with opulent coats batiked in java, hand-painted tunics, and pajamas and jackets that say of Persia, India and Tibet.

By year's end, the fantasy mood of designers shifted from the hills of China to other, wilder shores of fashion influence.  Paris packed a playful batch of resort-bound looks into the October, ready-to-wear collections.  Saint Laurent echoed the languid cotton shirts of Marakech.  Kenzo Takada longed for Africa with hip-sashed skirts, slit-happy dresses and bare-shoulder tops.