Remembering the 1970s

I went to a 1970s theme birthday party at the weekend. The birthday girl was born in that decade (in the latter half) hence the theme.

I naively thought a stripey shirt and possibly flairs would suffice.

Imagine my feelings then when I was met by the birthday girl's husband in a John Travolta outfit and a friend in a large afro wig !

A procession of almost clown like suits, sequinned shirts and mirror sunglasses followed !

I felt suitably humbled standing there in my shirt and trousers. I tried to forget my "conservative" appearance drawing occassional comfort from a small band of fellow "70s realists" who hadn't appreciated the full sterotype of what that decade was really about.

Anyway suffice to say I didn't let my clothes bother me and had a good time all the same.

However it did raise the question of exactly where did the stereotype of afro wigs, multicoloured suits and outrageous flairs come from ? I guess they all happened somewhere at some time but certainly not in the town I was born. I can hardly remember the 70s but the family photos from middle England do not reveal anything too exotic from the 1970s.

Makes me wonder how the next generation will be stereotyping the "noughties" in 30 years time. It all seems so "normal" right now, that I fail to see how anyone could make a theme out of 2006. However maybe that's what they thought in 1976 ! "Normal" is a relative concept I guess- at least when it comes to clothes and fashion.