1970's

House Committee for Pembina Hall, 1971-1972

The 1970s was an era where individualism in fashion was more readily expressed. Students had just started to wear jeans to class and fringe, chokers and elephant pants were in style. [1] Fashion was moving from more structure to a more relaxed sense of fashion on campus. [2] Among female students' miniskirts and flared pants were popular and among male students the 1970’s saw the emergence of the men’s leisure suit with flared trousers and bolder designs. [3]

However, these changes in student fashion weren’t always accepted. In 1970, Boston Pizza refused service to male students with long hair and "unclean" appearance, leading students to "Boycott Boston." [4] During the same time period a female undergrad student was told her hair was too long and her skirt was too short by the dean of women. This undergrad later became the chair of the Department of Sociology.[5]

An article in the November 14th, 1979 issue of The Gateway by Kate Bush argued that the line between men's and women’s fashion had begun to fade and unisex fashion was becoming more popular. [2] In the photograph of the 1977 freshman week you can see female students wearing pants. In the early decades of campus life this would not have been seen.

U of A student returning library book, [197-]

Students, between 1970-1971

Bar None, 4 Aggies, Mar. 1976

U of A student in library, [197-]

Student in U of A Library, [197-]

Freshman Week, 1977

U of A Library Staff and Patron, [197-]

students in library, [197-]

Many changes and events have taken place on the U of A Campus from 1910 to 1979 and these changes can be seen and expressed through fashion.

What does your current fashion say about your U of A campus and/or student life?

For more information about any of the photographs found in this exhibit contact the University of Alberta Archives at archives@ualberta.ca .

Sources

[1] Schoeck, Ellen. I Was There: A Century of Alumni Stories About the University of Alberta, 1906-2006. Edmonton, AB: The University of Alberta Press, 2006, p. 553.

[2] Bush, Kate. "Today's Fashion--lifestyle facism", The Gateway, November 14, 1979, p. 9.

[3] "'Changing suit' traces the evolution of men's business wear: Clothing and Textiles' exhibit consitutes a trip down memory lane for many", Folio, January 22, 1993, p. 4.

[4] "Boston Pizza bans long hair", The Gateway, January 13, 1970, p. 1 and 4.

[5] Schoeck, Ellen. I Was There: A Century of Alumni Stories About the University of Alberta, 1906-2006. Edmonton, AB: The University of Alberta Press, 2006, p. 522.

Photographs used are either in the public domain, belong to the University of Alberta, or have received permission to be used within this exhibit. Special thanks to the University of Alberta Students' Union for permission to use their photographs. For more information regarding copyright visit The University of Alberta's Copyright Office.

Archives Exhibit