Married to the ‘70s: why the internet can’t let go of the orange-tinged Love Train
OMG. Okay, so these are my OBSESSION CONFESSIONS. I know, maybe it’s a little embarrassing, but come on… Surely I can’t be the only one? This series is about all the things that we can’t take our eyes off, the latest viral TikTok trends, the secret infatuations with certain former boyband members…okay I’m only going to say this one more time, surely I can’t be the only one?
Remember the skate-boarding-cranberry-juice-sipping man listening to Fleetwood Mac in October 2020? Or the pastel-tinted-roller-skating madness in May? If you don’t, get yourself on TikTok and prepare to wave goodbye to the hours of the day. Fair to say, 2020 was the year of the online ‘70s revival and we well and truly welcomed it. Though a new era has dawned with the turn of 2021 - a year that already feels like a lifetime - the ethereal, velveteen vibes of the 1970s don’t appear to be going their own way anytime soon.
@groovy_mal CLEAN ASS TRANSITION✨✨ #fyp #70s #80s
♬ original sound - ashley trinh
Hitting big on platforms like Instagram and TikTok, the ‘70s continues to rear its blow-dryed head, the latter having over 959.9M views and counting on the #70s hashtag. Last year it was Lexxola sunnies, because rose-tinted spectacles are so yesteryear - but right now, the internet world is crying out like ABBA, screaming ‘Gimme Gimme Gimme’ for a ‘70s du, you know, that kind of Afghan hound vibe? The kind of style you’d see plastered on the wall of your local hair salon as a kid and think “hm pretty but I couldn’t pull it off.” Well, retract that statement and scour out your scissors because a lot of TikTokers are taking to the look right now.
The internet’s 1970s time warp has had a part to play in this year’s wardrobe too and if there’s one colour we associate with the ‘70s, it’s orange. Sorry Elle Woods but whoever said pink could be the new orange? They were seriously disturbed. Think a burnt orange shag carpet or a crushed velvet baker boy hat in a pleasing shade of rust. It’s no surprise then, that this vibrant shade has been popping up in online stores left, right and centre and has been nominated as one of the colours of the moment. Congrats, orange.
@alexisfrasca THESE BOOTS ARE MADE FOR WALKIN..... #60s #70s #vintage #film #60smakeup #fyp
♬ These Boots Are Made for Walkin' - Nancy Sinatra
And of course, the posterchild of the 1970s renaissance has to be @rosemaryretro. Everything listed above, she’s already done. With over half a million followers online, Rosemary offers a dazzling spectacle of roller skating (or should we say gliding?) and outfits even Stevie Nicks could covet. In early 2021, Rosemary spoke about the breakup of a four-year relationshipand engagement. Since then, the influencer has been exploring her identity, the 70s style she’s known for taking on a sultrier ‘VIP at a The Rolling Stones gig’ vibe. In a way, this is a nod to the online youth zeitgeist’s new grungy plaything: 1990. But that’s a story for another time.