fashion favorite: early 70s sears catalogs

i do believe early 70s fashion is my favorite. i do like bits from other eras, but early 70s is just so cute and bold and girlish! aren't those girls above sweet? i think i would wear every one of those dresses. check out all that ric rac on the left! and all the hair in pigtails or 'bunches' if you will. i'm rockin' some bunches right now, but alas, no cute sandals or big collars. all the images in this post come from a book published by schiffer, called 'fashionable clothing from the sears catalogs: early 1970s' by tina skinner. the books (there are also 60's and 80's editions in the series) contain a price guide and are just crammed with fab photos. its really amusing seeing how catalog modeling and styling has changed.

oh no! don't step on the tiny lady between your legs! middle girl probably can't see past that ENORMOUS collar. i bet being crushed to death by a clog was the leading cause of death in the early 70s. my favourite here is the floral dress on the left. what a perfectly proportioned, crisp, collar. i'm really not sure what the point of the tiny pixie lady...

more clogs and some maxi dresses! i think the girl on the right wants the girl in the middle to join her for a key party... left side girl is just thinking about how virginal she is. she won't be knocking clogs with anyone anytime soon! she's heading straight home after this shoot to brush her hair 100 times before sliding into bed in a maxi nightie.

embarrasing! you show up to a shoot and you're both wearing an autumnal toned 'waves' ensembles! what to do!? pose nonchalantly? or plot to destroy your tunic wearing twin? if you answered (b) you're the model on the left and you're currently serving out your remaining 50yr jail term in a high security facility. if you answered (a) congratulations! you were the tunic wearer, and you spent a few more years modeling before settling down to start a family, working part time in the school office and furthering your interest in creative writing and embezzeling. oh, sorry i meant bedazzeling.

i think i just died of a frock love attack! please can someone provide me with a time machine so i can go back and get that dress with the daisies and cherries/apples? i promise i will bring back original star wars merch that you can ebay for mega bucks! however if you already have a spare time machine lying around i'm guessing money probably isn't a worry for you. in conclusion: buy me that dress!

and last but not least: its that uniform you were always promised you'd get to wear in the dystopian future!! all the comfort of dacron, with none of the personality or breathability of those other ridiculous fabrics from the 'olden days'. the good news is if you catch fire, your suit will just melt down into a handy plastic container you can store leftover soylent green in! i'm pretty sure the mother is just about to tell us how much she loves The Leader. apologies for mixing my futuristic concepts.