"The Great Ethnic Movement" (Elegance with Fashion, January 1971)

 According to my stats, a record number of people visited my blog in January.  While I have a long way to go before I reach influencer territory, I'm delighted that people are reading my blog—or at least looking at the pictures I've posted!  So here's a big "thank you" and "hello!" to everyone reading this.

Now to the meat of this entry.  The fashions of the early seventies were extremely eclectic.  Women had a choice of clothing ranging from doubleknit polyester pantsuits to "ethnic" inspired garments like the one below.

It is described in the magazine as an "African-style cotton dress in a brown, gold and maroon Batik print with a patchwork look wrapover skirt... by Anne Tyrrell at John Marks". 

Some people today might describe this as cultural appropriation, but in 1971 designs like this were clearly influenced by the countercultural movements of the era.  Members of the counterculture were seeking a more authentic, natural and liberated way of life.  This often went hand-in-hand with a romanticised view of the past and the developing world.  The movers and shakers in the fashion industry weren't necessarily interested in alternative lifestyles, but they happily appreciated (and appropriated!) the hippie aesthetic.  Hence designs like this, which combine patchwork prints, batik, beads and bangles into a chic and expensive "bohemian" look.