Sunday, June 6, 2010

70's Teens: Shants are a Tool of the Patriarchy

















I really love photos of 70's teenagers hanging out, looking surly. I love how 70's everyday teen fashion was so simple and androgynous; everyone wore tight, leanly fitting clothes and had long hair; it is such a comfortable and cool uniform. It really is more egalitarian to dress like this.

Lately I've been thinking a lot lately about how BS it is that men's clothing got so oversized in the past 20 years and how men can excuse themselves from fashion and it's "okay." It's such bullshit how men can look like slobs because it's fruity to dress well in clothes that fit. Fuck that! I hate how even artsy, pretentious guys think dressing well is womanly and worthless. It's like, if you are interested in aesthetics, why don't you start with not wearing basketball shorts? Speaking of which, modern basketball attire is another fucking crime! Could this 70's look be any more hot/ awesome versus the modern look of baggy, shiny shorts hanging down to mid-calf? Maybe I would be interested to watch a basketball game, were these the uniforms.


Back then, it seems like it was cool to be foxy and a little femme to be a guy, to blow dry your hair or shape your afro and primp. I always think of the great scene in The Virgin Suicides (whatever to the movie itself) where Josh Hartnett saunters down the high school hallway in slow motion to the sound of Magic Man by Heart.

That left a real impression on me.

If only everyone had just one or two pairs of tight-ass bellbottoms and a striped t-shirt and cars were huge and sleek and beautiful (I love old cars; they have a lot in common with clothes) and you rode around them and turned on the radio and Kiss and Alice Cooper and Fleetwood Mac were playing. I wish shants had never been invented. And also 99% of the styles of clothing we now wear were never invented.

7 comments:

  1. I recently learned you have several fans in my facebook friends circle- you should start a page there so we can all "like" you or whatever.

    This post heavily reminded me of Dazed and Confused, do you like that movie?

    PS I had to google "shants" even after following your explanatory link and was like, oh, ok I get it now. Sadly my husband has a pair of shants that he wears sporadically. He is a caveman shorty that cares little for fashion- the man wears neon green Crocs for crying out loud. Total fashion nightmare, but he is smart and lusty and loves me dearly so I don't really give a shit. Yet I get you where you are coming from- those 70s basketball shorts are like Daisy Dukes! Now I have to ponder on whether that is why my late divorced grandma was such a big bball fan back in the day.

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  2. I wish I was born in the 70's... looks so cool. Like lords of dog town

    Stop by sometime new post up
    LOADEDCLOSET

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  3. The clothes in pic 3 look very English - from the great Mak'm?

    A teen in the 70s, I remember narrow sleeves most of all. Deodorant was very important!

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  4. I agree with madam0wl, you should really start a "Rip it to shreds" facebook page! Come over later and we can do it together.

    Also: that lady in the yellow trenchcoat seems pretty pleased to be hanging out with those hunky basketball players (mostly the one on the right. what a tall drink o' water!) I will have you know that I was listening to z100 (top 40 radio here in nyc) and the announcer guy was talking about how little swim trunks are coming back into fashion (think ones from the 50s/60s) and how it was just TERRIBLE, and the lady announcer was all "but we want to see your THIGHHHSSS!" and the guy was all squeamish about that - because thighs are gay? I think that's what that was about.

    Anyway, dazed and confused is the best. let's watch it tonight.

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  5. Thanks for these pics!

    xx

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  6. This fuckin' guy!:

    http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_mJhtf0fqf7s/TAvOU12JrUI/AAAAAAAAEBg/4edPjse1o-4/s400/2135489864_58449c685c_b.jpg

    These pictures speak to my heart.

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  7. Hi madam0wl, you're right, I should do that Facebook page. And, i will, eventually!

    Arabella, yeah, the two b/w photos are British, from a guy who was a teacher in the 70's. I guess they don't fit in with the American teen thing, but their outfits were too good not to post. I love the narrow sleeves of the 70's!

    Emily, that particular photo was from a "dress 1950's" day. Tight pants and high top converse, such a good look!

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