Susan Miller from 'Swingtown'

June 11, 2008 7:53 AM

Too bad we missed the '70s. Free love and short shorts are totally up our alley. Then again, we're glad we missed the social unrest, the energy crisis and the staggering economic woes. Hey, wait a minute ... . But after watching a few minutes of Susan Miller parading around in polyester on the new series Swingtown, airing Thursdays on CBS, you forget that the fashion world was pretty screwed up back then, too.

With unabashed sexual freedom, the clothing options for women in the 1970s offered them -- for the first time -- an unfettered approach to dressing. Sex was in, and your clothing could be as loose or as tight as you wanted it to be. And though, thankfully, technology has given us new fabrics that are far improved from the high-bulk polyester of the day, the styles of the decade have been hot for some time. Halter-neck catsuits in bold prints and patterns were -- and are -- stylish in that Charlie's Angels sort of way.

Although you can go to numerous vintage and consignment shops around the country or Web sites such as Ballyhoo Vintage and find pieces from the '70s, anything you buy will look old. So take them to a tailor and get them fitted. Trust us, while certain looks come back around -- and the '70s have -- designers constantly update old looks to keep even the most traditional look fresh.

For example, Norma Kamali's Goddess one-shoulder dress looks like it would be right at home at Studio 54. It can be worn with or without a coordinating sash, which transforms the floaty dress -- featuring ruching at the shoulder -- from toga to tunic without effort. Kamali is definitely one designer working the bygone-era angle, which isn't surprising when you figure she hit her stride in the 1970s. She even sells stuff through the Spiegel catalog, for crying out loud.

And once women started burning their bras, halter tops found their footing. A great updated version from the Me Decade is Free People's Tribal Mountains double-strap halter top with an elasticized Empire waist, ethnic-inspired print and plunging V-neck. The thin double straps serve double duty as one set ties at the nape while the other crisscrosses at the center of the open back. It's '70s sexy at its best.

And how can you complete that '70s look without a pair of white bell-bottom sailor paints? Eight14 has a perfect pair featuring embossed buttons on the front placket and retro creasing down the front and back, which helps elongate the wide-leg appeal. Bell-sleeved tops from Trina Turk and embroidered tunics and caftans from Anne Klein make you want to throw a fondue party and watch some Love Boat.

Now if we could only find you a terry-cloth tube top.

E-mail