79 Unapologetically ’70s Photos That Capture Everyday Style at Its Loudest

If you grew up in the 1970s, you know that fashion wasn't just something you threw on in the morning — it was, on some days, a full-on challenge that required 100% commitment. Between the horribly itchy (and pretty flammable) synthetic fabrics and the lack of cameras everywhere to catch all of your — what we would call today — ill fits, it was actually pretty easy to step outside every day with the utmost confidence.

MORE '70s: 33 Classic 1970s Cars That Defined the Decade

And while fashion is always somewhat cyclical — hence the annual "Are Bell-Bottoms/Platform Shoes Back?" trend pieces — there are two '70s trends that you can, with almost 100% certainty, call as having zero percent chance of making a comeback.

Don Knotts wearing a patterned 1970s patterned leisure suit with red collar alongside Three's Company cast members in 1970s outfits

The '70s Men: The Leisure Suit

The head-to-toe polyester leisure suit — perhaps most famously donned by Mr. Furley, played with perfection by Don Knotts on Three's Company — was designed as an easy-to-wear alternative to all that well-fitting formal wear of the 1960s. Sadly, the earth-toned, patchwork and pastel one-piece suits had pretty much zero breathability — but they sure had presence.

1970s model in a beige polyester jumpsuit with a wide wide-collared neckline and graphic eye belt

The '70s Ladies: The Polyester Jumpsuit

Second, everything about the synthetic polyester jumpsuit made it next to impossible to wear, unless you were Cher or Diana Ross. The average '70s girl or woman wore off-the-rack versions to high school dances and Tupperware parties (if they were fancy), and they were always a disaster waiting to happen.

Why were '70s ladies so thin? Maybe it was the fact that these jumpsuits were made of 100% non-breathable double-knit polyester, so they trapped heat like a sauna, not to mention the fact that you had to remove the whole thing to go to the bathroom.

Keep scrolling for 79 vintage photos that capture what regular people actually wore in the '70s — the wild, the amazing, and the utterly unforgettable.