On the copy of this missive that I sent to the three-dozen Texas community newspapers that bless me by printing this piece, I applied a headline that might or might not mechanically fit this paper’s format. So I will reiterate it for you here: 1970s fashions recalled and regurgitated.

That is so appropriate for seventies fashions. For those of you who were not around then, I’ll attempt to describe those rather ‘unique’ styles and maybe you’ll understand the double meaning that could be applied to “regurgitated.” And, I describe this as best I can in the hopes that the precise men’s apparel of those days is NEVER regurgitated, especially in that word’s worst context.

I think seventies men’s clothing fashions, male hairstyles and facial hair choices were attempts to tone down some of the less conventional fashion ideas of the tumultuous 1960s.

Young people of the sixties were in rebellion against The Establishment, Convention, The Man, The Bath and whatever else raised its ugly, objectionable head. 

Since I am a product of the fifties and was already in the workaday world of editing and publishing community newspapers, I missed out on The Rebellion. I was a fashion mannequin of my era, and had to be molded to fit in the Jumpin’ ’seventies style. 

Guys in early ’seventies business and the professions were wearing suits or sports coats and slacks, dress shirts (with broad diversification in colors and patterns), ties (with widths changing frequently in order to line haberdashers already silken pockets) and silk handkerchiefs, stuffed deliberately to look haphazard as they “erupted” from the coat’s breast pocket. 

I considered myself to be “with it” in terms of where ’seventies business and professional men were fashion-wise, thus it was a continuation of the forever prominent “business” or “Sunday” suit, starched-and-ironed shirt, silk tie and wing-tip shoes. Oh, and socks that extended up over the calf and blended with the suit pants. Smooth. Slick. Conservative. And, looking the same as everyone else. 

Well, I thought I was suave and debonair. Today, I laughingly pronounce that  “swave” and “de-boner.”

Of course, the sixties had branded The Suit as “establishment” and so seventies junior business execs began to be a bit daring and maintain some connection to the rebellious times that spawned them. 

So, the yen for “different” and for relaxed took hold of the younger men in business. Of course, the true core of the professions – attorneys, bankers and the like – stuck to the same-ol’-same-ol’ of earlier times. 

Here came the ’seventies fashions: Ta da!

No ties. Casual shirts with big wild patterns. Leisure suits. White shoes. White belt. Hair trimmed from the hippie-down-the-back look to just touching the collar of the coat and/or shirt and shortened on the sides with big but trimmed sideburns. Hair could cover your ears or not, your choice. If you chose to have facial hair, either a neatly groomed mustache or an equally neatly trimmed beard, probably Van Gogh, were the norms. Obviously there was a lot of leeway. 

Self expression. Strutting self-indulgence. 

My first leisure suit was tan with epaulets that were tan with maroon, forest green and tan trim. Jacket pockets maintained that color combo. A stretch belt picked up that entire color theme. Shoes were tan Hush Puppies. Tan socks but occasional fashion daring brought on forest green, maroon or (gasp!) an argyle combo of, yep, maroon, forest green and tan. I looked like an Algerian army officer, minus beret.  

Suit no. 2 was a mint green worn with a white belt, white shoes and a slick-looking shirt that was a white base with a big forest green floral design and of course a huge collar that was turned down over the collar/neck of the mint green leisure coat. Oh, and tan and/or mint green socks. No, not white. Not even for David Letterman.

There were even “baby blue” leisure suits. There were also black, dark green, brown and I even saw a red one (Whoa!). 

Music was disco and disco clubs, playing a lot of Bee Gees falsetto harmony, or same-sounding copycats, in a disco dance beat (read slow jitterbug, the push, the whip or whatever step lit your fire). You were, of course, wearing your best fashion-leading leisure suit. 

Now, we’ve recalled 1970s men’s fashions. 

All together: R-E-G-U-R-G-I-T-A-T-E. 

Willis Webb is a retired community newspaper editor-publisher of more than 50 years experience. 

wwebb@att.net.