My son and I have been talking about the 70's a lot, lately. He's doing a project on that era in school, so I've been telling him about fashion, music, television, pop culture and everything else I personally remember from that time. For him it's research, for me, it's a chance to look back at all of the things I thought were cool when I was a kid, though not all of them were in the 70's. My teen years were in 80's and I've included some of them, too. Here's a few of the highlights:
- I thought corduroy pants were really cool when I was in kindergarten. On the days that I wore my favorite corduroy pants to school, I would enhance my coolness by drinking my chocolate milk with a straw and tipping my chair on the back two legs during snack time. I have no idea why I thought this was cool, I was only five years old.
- I wasn't really into current music when I was in elementary school. My brother had a band that practiced at our house, so I heard plenty of Foghat, Boston, Led Zeppelin and The Doobie Brothers, but I was still listening to my Shaun Cassidy albums. One day during lunch, the other kids were talking about this new band, The Village People. Each kid at the table would take a turn saying who his or her favorite member of the band was. I didn't have a clue who The Village People were or what they looked like so I just repeated what someone else said (the construction worker, I think). As soon as I got home from school I asked my mom to take me to the store so I could buy their album. I felt so cool listening to that album on the big console stereo in the living room.
- When I was 14, the mall was cool. So was looking like a rocker chick and listening to what we thought was hardcore music. Every Saturday we would walk to the mall in our skin tight Jordache jeans and my friend Chris would bring her boombox for us to listen to on the way there. Our hardcore music of choice (on cassettes, of course) was Adam and the Ants, The B52's and Joan Jett. We were soooooo cool!
- Jumpsuits were really cool when I was about 15. I had a lavender jumpsuit with a matching belt and puffed sleeves. I put it on to go somewhere one day (probably the mall), and my brother asked me if I worked in an all girl gas station. I didn't care, he wasn't cool, but I was.
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I do remember thinking that my ninja shoes and ninja stars were ultra cool. I think I wore my ninja shoes for most of fifth grade (85-86) until I wore them out. I also thought it was cool to roll up my pants but I was never very good at it. And of course my flat top haircut was very cool.
I haven't outgrown my coolness either.
=]
Now the 70s, I was pretty little but do remember my pro-keds with sincere fondness....they were turquoise. Maybe I will get another pair.
Adam Ant. It's been a long time. Thanks!