Fads and Fashion of the 1970's

During the 1970's era many new trends and fads were born, many of which people are happy they never caught on in the later generations. From toys, games and activities, to fashion, the 70's brought it all. Fashion-wise, hippies were the most influential on the generation. Men sported long hair and leisure suits, while bell-bottom pants, hip-huggers, clothing patches, clogs and platform shoes, and gypsy dresses were all a part of casual attire. The hippie trend was essentially colorful, baggy clothing, that disregarded every social norm to create a separate culture.

As for the games and activities, pet rocks, sea monkeys, lava lamps, mood rings, and the Rubik's cube were all fads that began. The Rubik's cube was one of the classic 70's inventions. A person had to make all sides of the cube the same color by twisting the blocks in different directions. It was such a simple concept, yet very few people were actually capable of solving the puzzle. Mathematicians finally understood that there were actually mathematical combinations called algorithms which solved the puzzle. Through a set combinations of moves, the puzzle could be easily solved. The Rubik's cube became such a classic puzzle that even today it is still considered part of our culture. New variations and twists of the puzzle are still being made today.

http://kclibrary.lonestar.edu/decade70.html