When it comes to clothing trends, what’s old eventually becomes new again, and retro styles from past decades always seem to make their way back into the mainstream.
For example, the pinup girl look from the 40’s and 50’s will always be popular in vintage fashion circles, the mini skirt from the 60’s will never go out of style, and even trends that we made fun of 5 years ago, like the high-wasted mom jeans from the 80’s, are making a comeback right now.
However, there is one decade that seems to have missed the fashion mark should be forgotten entirely!
Welcome to the definitive guide to men’s cringe-worthy fashion from the 1970’s. Here are 50 cringe-worthy reasons why trends from the disco era need to stay put inside John Travolta’s Stayin’ Alive pantsuit!
1) Underwear that’s all kinds of disturbing.
That guy on the right is putting those knee pads in the wrong place. Panty Night at the skating rink could get a little bit rough on his tender bits with so little protection.
2) “Sears was desperate back in the 70’s or things were a lot stranger then I thought.”
The man nightie is something that should never have been invented. Especially the candy-cane striped one. What was Kurt Russell even thinking?
3) The undeniable cats meow look
The expression on the bartender’s face says it all. Just look at the way the guy in the blue cardigan leans back and kicks up his heels like a big old flirt!
4) Volleyball jerseys were oh-so practical
Volleyball uniforms back in the 70’s consisted of granny ponchos and sweat pants. In a pinch, the poncho could be used as a net!
5) The horrupdated Robin Hood look
Wearing a pair of tights and a tunic seemed to get Robin Hood and his merry men far in life. But, when the 70’s borrowed that look, it unfortunately gave it an ultra-feminine twist!
6) Uhhh…men stepping out, or coming out?
Gold or silver? Either way, the girl in red isn’t going to get either one tonight!
@Laura Schmidt:
“Ohhhhhhhh, honey girl…. They’re not interested in you. You’re their friend.”
7) Happy trail, or trail of tears?
It’s not everyday you see a dude rock women’s red crochet panties like it’s going out of style. At least Sister Mercy is right there with him, trying to save him from his sins.
8) Show off your pimp style!
Nothing says you’re a top notch pimp like a knee-length leather and fur jacket. But, if you really want to show everyone you mean business, you need cool accessories like a grandpa cane and 4-inch high platform shoes.
9) When the guys from accounting start modeling
Which would you rather? Cuddle up with one of these doughy dad bods, or wear the see-through tank top out in public?
10) The adult film star look
Wow, they really took cross-dressing seriously back in the day. These guys really know how to make women’s swimsuits and satin yoga pants look totally surreal!
Even though there was no such thing as Amazon.com during the Nixon administration, shopping for matching accessories was still pretty easy. Maybe if the Watergate burglars were wearing this uber fun fitted vest and cap when they got caught, all would have been forgiven!
12) Man-cleavage should be illegal
Shirts with an open chest were a mainstay of 1970’s men’s fashion. Hopefully, we’ve all learned our lesson and no one will be punished by this look ever again!
13) Fashion that’s not even fit for dead people
Which is your least favorite look? The Bruce Jenner transitioning into Caitlyn on the left, or the silky blue pirate shirt that’s been paired with the plaid red overalls?
14) Borat’s not really buying it
I think we all know why this guy is sporting such a grumpy look. He knows that future generations are going to look back and laugh at him.
15) He’s power puff pink super special
I hope his lady friend realizes that she’s barking up the wrong tree. His low-hanging fruit is something she wasn’t meant to catch.
@Kjorn:
“My eyes are bleeding now.”
@CrylnD:
“Mine are too after I stabbed them so I’ll never see anything like this again.”
16) The 70’s made underwear porn a thing
No matter how you look at it, all of these packages fail to deliver. There’s just something so very wrong about tinfoil, mesh, and crochet bikini bottoms.
17) Buff bods, butts & tie-dye rainbows
Leave it to the 70’s to bring together an odd pairing like this. Something like this would never work in today’s world, unless you’re willing to get your teeth kicked in for blinding so many innocent people.
@Carmozina Vieira-Sweeney:
“The short guy looks like he’s so disgusted by his clothes that he doesn’t want to touch himself.”
@Andrea Ferber:
“We don’t want to touch him, either.”
18) This 70’s fad is a little bit sheepish.
What, you’ve never secretly dreamed of matching your outfit to your sheep? It’s not animal cruelty if you sheer them quickly.
@Elaine Mejia:
“It takes a very special man to wear an outfit sported by his sheep. Very, very special.”
19) Men in belted sweaters
Look what’s new and manly in belted sweaters! Hopefully they didn’t overwork grandma too much over the summer to make this happen.
@Kat Blak:
“Grandma + cowboy… Western Crochet!”
20) Grown-up men wore onesies
These polyester onesies solved a problem for disco-dancing studs back in the day. It kept them from having to constantly tuck in their purple satin shirts while on the dance floor!
@Amanda Panda:
“No one past the age of infancy should be wearing a freaking onesy. wtf!”
21) The playground brat pack
Knee-high socks and shorts? Even sex offenders wouldn’t don this atrocious look!
@Sonja Simek:
“Worst boyband ever.”
@Kjorn:
“White socks in black shoes? Ok I’m a guy and I know we can’t do that.”
22) Men in belted sweaters, part 2
I think the fact that this beefcake magazine was originally 35 cents, and was deeply discounted to 10 cents, pretty much says it all. Belted sweaters never caught on.
23) What do they need such big legs for?
From the waist up, these guys don’t look half bad. It’s the “stripes & plaid with big, big legs” that totally ruins it.
@Flora Polvado:
“It’s just hard to tear your eyes away from everything below the neck. Or to get past the hair!”
24) Band of poncho brothers
Grandma must have been really busy during the 1970’s. Do you wonder if these guys fight over which one of them got to wear this poncho to the sports bar for Sunday night football?
@Hans:
“Voice from the background: Honey, have you seen the bathroom rug?”
25) Thermals that keep men from getting laid
Sure, these long johns will keep a guy dry. But, the poor guy will also be going through quite the dry spell with the ladies if he insists on wearing this to bed.
26) Not even a great smile can save this mustard yellow look
There are just no words for this. The cool bumblebee scarf might have pulled everything together, were it not for the man, the belt, the sweater, the wing-tipped shirt, and sunglasses messing it all up.
27) Worst dressed man ever?
The guy on the left is only happy because there’s a hot chick by his side. Sadly, the man on the right has to suffer through the world’s worst outfit all by himself.
@Wynn Taylor:
“I’m getting vertigo just looking at it.”
28) Just say no to wearing grandma’s silk robes
Apparently, matching their tops to their tiny underwear is something that made men of the 70’s really happy. But, where’s the sauna in this steamy hot scene?
29) The Village People slumber party
Wow, they actually sold construction hats as fashion accessories! I bet these boys fit right in at the YMCA.
30) Like father, like son
This is what happens when grandma has a good heart and wants to knit something for the entire family, but she has no fashion sense to speak of. Either that, or it’s just another day in the neighborhood in the 1970’s!
@Lisa Wright:
“Toyboy & sugar daddy attire.”
@Pau Bucci:
“That’s a sugar daddy and his boy.”
31) 1970’s vs 1950’s men’s undies
If you ever wondered what Bob Ross looked like in his skivvies, here you go. You’ll probably never go back to painting happy little trees the same way ever again.
32) Giraffe-print leotard
This Flintstones bodysuit should have stayed buried in the bedrock. The giraffe print look just isn’t sexy!
@Annette Lanham:
“It amazes me that anyone had sex in the 70’s….”
@Christine Buford:
“Honey, hand me my giraffe twinset.”
33) What a bad LSD fashion trip looks like
The only explanation for atrocities like this is that rampant drug use made everyone go color blind. As for the uptown funk ruffles, well, that was probably the result of a fashion designer who just got back from a bad LSD trip.
34) Fashion faux pas for the super tall gents
Waist up: he’s pretty hot. Bottom down: someone please peel the wallpaper off his legs!
@Hans:
“…for the modern stilt walker.”
@Jim Grossman:
“They’re pants AND large Chinese finger-traps!”
35) How to dress for a convention of evil super villains
Nehru suits is a 70’s fashion trend you probably never heard of. And for good reason! Except for the occasional outing like this, the league of evil super villains kept it mostly to themselves.
@V Navarro:
“The guy in the middle is some sort of Dr Strange psychic magic powers kind of dude.”
36) When the past gets sick of itself
Fashion forward looks? Nah, not so much. This blast from the past actually looks like the past got sick and hurled all over these men’s blouses.
@V Navarro:
“Forward Fashion Looks… I feel like this was a Gender Fluid magazine before it was a thing.”
37) It’s missing something
The fact that it’s textured doesn’t really make a difference. This lonely knitted sweater vest is crying out for a belt!
38) You probably shouldn’t trust it
The 1938 Swedish army coat is totally impractical. It’s still hanging from a coat hook!
@Maggie Grover Bacher:
“The bigger the collar the cooler you are, man. Get with the times.”
39) Matching his and her jumpsuits
Just imagine how long it must take to go to the bathroom. Getting naked so you can go pee is just too much of a hassle!
@Hans:
“The inventor of the onesie must have had a profound hatred for mankind.”
40) Briefs that are ripe for the pickin’
Feeling a bit fruity? If skintight banana peel briefs isn’t your style, you can also tuck your cherries, berries, and plums into other fruity shades.
41) More like, jeans that turn a stud into a dud
It’s not the jeans that make a dude a stud. It’s his ability to stay away from pink and purple ruffle blouses that says he’s a man.
42) Not a rapper’s delight
Okay, he gets 1 star for the flying pegasus tee, because that’s just cool no matter how old you are. But, I think rappers everywhere will take offense at the UFOs belt and leisure suit pants.
43) The ethnic diversity was unreal
Well, you do have to hand it to the disco era. Just about every ethnicity had to suffer through this ugly fashion fallout!
@Hans:
“70s ethnic diversity: mission accomplished.”
@mom:
“Matell´s collection of Ken dolls…”
44) What are you lookin’ at?
Why, God, why? Why did you give me this matching pastel pink vest and skinny pant outfit? What is its true purpose?
45) Hooded tracksuits for, ah…men?
His expression says that he’s not getting paid enough to wear this idiotic look. His terry soft little blue riding hood tracksuit agrees.
46) You can build a great looking outfit…
…by avoiding these jockey fashion undies! Mesh is so uncomfortable when you get sweaty.
Run away now, before the other egg hatches! This next one might have an even bigger slit in the side of his pants.
@Rosette Matapatalimatou:
“Holy crap. It has opened sides. I repeat: the yellow pants are opened on the sides.”
48) Four of the exact same outfits from fashion hell
This is the 70’s version of a travel capsule wardrobe. But in this case, all 4 pieces of this teal leisure suit suck.
@Shane Dempsey:
“Bargain. But two jackets opened and closed does not make four outfits.”
49) Mesh tennis dress for men
No matter what decade it is, fashion just cant get any worse than this. Wearing your sister’s moth-eaten tennis dress while shaving with an electric razor is never going to be a thing.
50) For discerning dudes that are constantly kung fu fighting.
Having a pair of kickin’ jeans that didn’t bind your legs was a fashion leap forward back in the 70’s. Even better were the ones that came with an exclusive gusset stitch in the crotch! It gave your enemies an easy target to literally crush you.
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When it comes to clothing trends, what’s old eventually becomes new again, and retro styles from past decades always seem to make their way back into the mainstream.
For example, the pinup girl look from the 40’s and 50’s will always be popular in vintage fashion circles, the mini skirt from the 60’s will never go out of style, and even trends that we made fun of 5 years ago, like the high-wasted mom jeans from the 80’s, are making a comeback right now.
However, there is one decade that seems to have missed the fashion mark should be forgotten entirely!
Welcome to the definitive guide to men’s cringe-worthy fashion from the 1970’s. Here are 50 cringe-worthy reasons why trends from the disco era need to stay put inside John Travolta’s Stayin’ Alive pantsuit!
