How to Create Perfect '70s Outfits For Dolls

How To Create The Perfect 1970s Outfit For Your DollWe've put together the ultimate resource guide to recreating the quintessential fashion favorites of the 1970s for your 18-inch doll such as American Girl®. For more inspiration, be sure to check out our style guide on 5 Spring Trends To Sew For Your Doll.  

Giveaway Alert: Scroll to the bottom of the page to enter our American Girl® Julie™ Doll Giveaway!

We all know trends come in cycles, and suddenly the crop tops, scrunchies, or "mom jeans" of decades past are back in style once again. One fashion era that is always being reinterpreted by trendsetters of today is the style of the 1970s. 

Key features that are so fun to play around with in design are:

  • bell bottom silhouettes
  • fitted and/or cropped tops such as peasant blouses
  • wide lapels
  • midi and maxi length skirts
  • fabrics and prints such as paisley, crushed velvet, crochet, and bold colorful florals

Find the entire collection of 1970s Patterns For 18-inch Dolls on Pixie Faire. 

The 1970s Color Palette 

Pantone™ 1970s Colors

According to Pantone®, economic recession and eco-consciousness were top of mind during the '70s, and this influenced consumers taste in colors by drawing them to more muted, earthy tones. Similar colors have been popping up consistently across runways and trend reports over the last few seasons, as people today look for grounded and more minimalistic colors. 

1970s Dresses

1970s Dress Patterns For 18-inch dolls

     

1970s Chevron Sun Dress Crochet Pattern by Little Abbee

Sweet 70s Dress from Keepers Dolly Duds

Convergence Dress from DKinley Designs

All Occasion Dress from 123 Mulberry Street

Create a cute spring dress for your doll that channels a '70s vibe by choosing a pattern with classic details of the decade, like a wide pointed collar, or pick groovy fabrics and accessories to add '70s flare to a more versatile and classic dress pattern. 

 

1970s Spring Separates

1970s Skirts, Pants, and Tops Pattern For 18-inch dolls

  1970s Flounce Blouse and Skirt 18-inch doll clothes pattern 1970s Pantsuit and Jumper 18-inch doll clothes patternsPeasant Blouse Pattern For 18-inch dollsGenniewren Philippa Skirt Pattern

Eclectic Closet Flounce Blouse & Skirt from Flossie Potter
Study Hall Pantsuit and Jumper from Keepers Dolly Duds
Peasant Crop Top from Flossie Potter
Philippa Skirt from Genniewren Designs
These great tops, pants, and skirts can be made into authentic '70s ensembles, 

 or be mixed-and-matched with other wardrobe staples to create more contemporary looks. 

70s Spring Shoes and Accessories

1970s Accessories Patterns For 18-inch dolls

18-inch doll shoes pattern espadrilles sandals    Fringe Bag Pattern For 18-inch Dolls    18-inch doll shoes pattern Dollistock sandals 1970s Accessories For 18-inch dolls

Platform T-Bar Espadrilles from Miche Designs
Killara Fringe Bag from Liberty Jane Clothing
Dollistocks from QTπ Doll Clothing
'60s and '70s Accessories from Flossie Potter
These shoes and accessories are the perfect way to add a hint of the 1970s to an outfit, or to go the extra mile and create an authentic look.

 

1970s-inspired Pattern Hacks

Hip-Hugger Bell Bottoms and Maxi Skirt Pattern Hack

Sew the perfect Hip-Hugger Maxi Skirt using this Pattern Hack of the Hip-Hugger Bell Bottoms from Flossie Potter.

1970s Bell Sleeve Tutorial

Add a fun and frilly Bell Sleeve detail to your favorite t-shirt using this pattern hack of the T-shirt Variations Pattern from Liberty Jane Clothing.

 

ENTER TO WIN An American Girl® Julie™ Doll!

To enter this week's contest, simply click the link below and then enter through the giveaway widget at the bottom of the blog post, there are many things you can do to earn multiple entry points!

Contest Details: You enter through the entry form that is embedded on this page and appears just below this paragraph, if you don't see it, be sure to visit the page from your desktop or an alternate browser such as Google Chrome. It may not appear on all mobile devices. The complete rules and entry details appear on the entry form. This is not a comment contest - in other words, leaving a comment on the bottom of this page is not an official entry method. The only required entry method is to leave a comment under this post and then confirm that you did it in the contest widget. One person will receive the Julie™ doll. You can enter once, or gain multiple entries by completing the other entry methods and increase your chances of winning. Please review all Terms and Conditions on the giveaway page before entering. While we wish we could run this contest everywhere, for legal reasons it is only open to eligible residents of the U.S. and Canada, not including Rhode Island. This contest is exclusively endorsed by Liberty Jane Clothing and Pixie Faire. Not endorsed by or affiliated with American Girl®. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

We'd love to hear from you. Leave a comment and tell us - which '70s trend is your favorite! Commenting below and confirming your entry in the widget above gives you one entry method, the other methods are listed in the widget above, be sure to enter in as many ways as you can to receive the maximum amount of entries to win one Julie™ Doll!

Thanks, everyone!

The Pixie Faire Team

 


100 Comments

Deborah
Deborah

April 07, 2020

I taught myself to sew and knit in late sixties! So many great memories and I would love to make them for my grand daughter, Liara’s, doll. Thanks for all the remembering, especially my first mini skirt and bell bottoms, that I made. They were rather poorly constructed, unfortunately, but I loved them! Ta, Deb.

Erin Fain
Erin Fain

April 07, 2020

My favorites of the decades’ trends is the side braids and the flowie peasant tops.

Mary
Mary

April 07, 2020

I loved my bell bottoms

Donna
Donna

April 07, 2020

I liked the flowery prints and abstract designs in bright colors.

Janis
Janis

April 07, 2020

Mini skirts were my favourite.

Emma W
Emma W

April 07, 2020

So cute!

Elizabeth
Elizabeth

April 07, 2020

I liked the crocheted styles of granny squares used in vests. They were colorful and unique. I was a young child back then but I remember my mom had one.

Cheryl
Cheryl

April 07, 2020

Peasant crop top and hip hugger bell bottoms were the big go to outfit. Miss those simple days.

Emma W
Emma W

April 07, 2020

So awesome!

Kathie
Kathie

April 07, 2020

I was a crocheter in the ’70’s and I still am. I loved wearing granny square vests. And the bell bottoms!

Mary
Mary

April 07, 2020

I love the 70’s, still wear bells but embroider on them to make a little modern. Really like the dolls patterns of this era

Marge
Marge

April 07, 2020

Julie is the perfect doll. Love 💘 her!!!

Jo
Jo

April 07, 2020

Definitely the bell bottoms!

April B
April B

April 07, 2020

I had a bell-bottom set that looked just like the one pictured here. It was red pants and white top. When it was warm, I worn blue jean shorts with the white top.

Cheryl R
Cheryl R

April 07, 2020

In the 70’s I loved the colors and the fabric prints. I was just a kid in the 70’s but I’ve always loved the era. :o)

Michelle
Michelle

April 07, 2020

I graduated high school in the early 70’s. I love the maxi skirts, peasant tops and bell bottoms. It takes me right back to my teens and early 20’s.

Brenda
Brenda

April 07, 2020

I loved the bell bottom jeans, the stacked shoes and the baby doll tops of the 70’s. Also the Boho style.

Leanna
Leanna

April 07, 2020

I love the florals! You just don’t see that today.

Fran
Fran

April 07, 2020

Love the 70’s patterns!

Marie Edwards
Marie Edwards

April 07, 2020

Bell bottoms and peace signs

Julie Bridges
Julie Bridges

April 07, 2020

Love the 70’s.

Karin
Karin

April 07, 2020

I was travelling around Europe, and embroidering my bellbottom jeans. And orange backpack on the long Eurail train rides. I was getting skinnier, and when I bent over to pick up my backpackin a train station my low waisted jeans went down! Thankfully, I had cute bikini panties that stayed up!

Piroska
Piroska

April 07, 2020

My favourite 70s style was bell bottoms and peasant tops.

sylvia
sylvia

April 07, 2020

Love the bell bottoms and white lace peasant tops.

Marian
Marian

April 07, 2020

I was a fashion student in college in the early 70s, so I relate totally to Julie. I read WWD and kept up with trends of the times. I designed many outfits with maxi skirts in amazing paisleys and prints. Memory lane is all rolled up in the Julie doll and I LOVE designing for her for that reason.

Cassandra
Cassandra

April 07, 2020

Love the boho look of the seventies. Very artsy

Beth
Beth

April 07, 2020

I used to wear bell bottoms, so this is a trip down memory lane for me! Love it and the outfits. Thanks for the contest.

Natalie
Natalie

April 07, 2020

This is my era! I vividly remember wearing these fashions! Maybe I should dig out some old photos and recreate the clothing for my dolls.

Jo
Jo

April 07, 2020

The bell bottoms have it

Misty Chapman
Misty Chapman

April 07, 2020

I’ve always like the peasant tops and dresses and maxi skirts associated with the flower child looks. I think those looks originated in the 60s but they were still going strong in the 70s.

Karen L.
Karen L.

April 07, 2020

I love bell bottoms, maxi skits, smock tops, and crop tops from the 70s. That is my era!!! Just wish I still had the figure for them. Haha!

Barbara DeCock
Barbara DeCock

April 07, 2020

I loved the bell bottoms and easy care polyester of the 70’s

Stephanie S.
Stephanie S.

April 07, 2020

Oh the memories. My favorite is the colors. I love the colors and they all look good on me.

maureen
maureen

April 07, 2020

So many fashion memories! I made a swirl skirt in Home Economics and peasant dresses….Laura Ashley dresses, jean maxi skirts……….

Eddie
Eddie

April 07, 2020

I remember the 70’s. I really liked the hip-hugger bell bottom pants/jeans with the crop tops.

Kimberly C
Kimberly C

April 07, 2020

I really love the sleeves of the 70s and the really cute jumpers. The bright colors as well!

Cath
Cath

April 07, 2020

That is one pretty doll. Thanks for the opportunity. I loved to embroider my jeans in the 70’s. That would be really fun for the doll. Happy stitching!

Martha
Martha

April 07, 2020

The trends I like are the crochet detailing and accessories and the ruffles.

Joanne
Joanne

April 07, 2020

I liked the peasant shirts. I remember making several to go with my gaudy bell bottoms. Thank you for the contest!

Connie Lancaster
Connie Lancaster

April 07, 2020

I love them all. Being a 70’s child this brings back lots of good memories. Love the bell bottoms and crop top.

Catherine
Catherine

April 07, 2020

I adore peasant blouses! Such comfortable clothes in the 70s!

Lynne Thompson
Lynne Thompson

April 07, 2020

I love the colours and the flowery fabrics of the 70’s The toned down colours were earthy anda grounding. Hope they come back

Connie
Connie

April 07, 2020

Bell bottoms and suede earth shoes. To be sixteen and look like Julie again. I still have Prom dress, could a new dress in my granddaughters dolls future.

Ravishingrosie
Ravishingrosie

April 07, 2020

My favourite look from the 70’s is wide bell bottom hip hugger jeans with fancy embroidery on the bells. I had a pair when I was in Junior High. I wore them every chance I got. I miss those days🤗

Susan
Susan

April 07, 2020

I loved when we would take the bottom of our shirts and put them up through the top and pull down creating a crop top. Summer fun!

Teresa
Teresa

April 07, 2020

I just love Julie & her wardrobe. Takes me back to my college & high school!

Dorothy
Dorothy

April 07, 2020

Julie is one of my absolute favorite AG dolls because her era was MY era for my teen years! I wore the same kind of clothes that she has! I love her. Thank you for this giveaway!

Suzi
Suzi

April 07, 2020

Big frizzy hair – Afros and Joplin style!

Christine
Christine

April 07, 2020

Love the 70’s. The bigger the bell bottoms, the better they were.

Carol
Carol

April 07, 2020

I love the bell bottoms, I always have, I used to wear them!

Mae Lynn Beck
Mae Lynn Beck

April 07, 2020

I liked bell bottoms with embroidery on the bottom of the jeans. We also embroidered chambray shirts.

Winter
Winter

April 07, 2020

My favorite 70’s look are floral print, hip hugger, bell bottoms!

Lynn
Lynn

April 07, 2020

I like the peasant blouses and have always been a fan of paisley prints.

Vicki Nelson
Vicki Nelson

April 07, 2020

Love the styles from the 70s!

Carol
Carol

April 07, 2020

I live the bell bottoms, I always have, I used to wear them!

Jolene Forcier
Jolene Forcier

April 07, 2020

The bell bottoms are awesom. I have always loved them. Great pattern collection. I always love 70s fashion.

Doris
Doris

April 07, 2020

I loved Jessica McClintock fashions. So glad I was a girl!

Diane
Diane

April 07, 2020

I still love peasant blouses.

Aide
Aide

April 07, 2020

Love the 70s look. Reminds me of the times my older cousins wore the bell bottom pants with short tight shirts and platform shoes we called claudhoppers.

Shelley H.
Shelley H.

April 07, 2020

What I liked the girly- girly styles, flower patterns, long dresses. T-shirt dresses, and romantic long sleeve shirts with wit lots of lace and frilly ties. Oh, and Hot Pants! They were very popular in 1970 in California where I lived!

Leggerling
Leggerling

April 07, 2020

I loved the bell bottom pants they were fun to wear. Love the doll clothes.

Christine
Christine

April 07, 2020

Halter tops were my favorite as a teenager.

Jennifer Adkins
Jennifer Adkins

April 07, 2020

Love the bell bottoms

Nancyb
Nancyb

April 07, 2020

Looking back at the fashions of the 70’s, I loved the look of Bell Bottoms and the peasant tops. I never wore them because I was too fat and in those days you had a difficult time finding clothes to fit. Would love to have a Julie doll, she’d look so cute in bell bottoms & peasant top.

Mendy
Mendy

April 07, 2020

I so remember making one of those skirts in long and short. Gee I remember making purses out of my jeans. Thanks for the memory. Love those bell bottom pants.

Katie B
Katie B

April 07, 2020

I love the bell sleeves.

Pat
Pat

April 07, 2020

The flower print bell bottoms take me down memory lane.

Jeannine
Jeannine

April 07, 2020

Peasant Blouses were may favorite fashion of the 70’s

Alison McDonald
Alison McDonald

April 07, 2020

Love the bell bottom jeans and the peasant top!!

Alison McDonald
Alison McDonald

April 07, 2020

Love the bell bottom jeans and the peasant top!!

Lori N.
Lori N.

April 07, 2020

My favorites were the bell bottom pants and peasant blouses. I was a pre-teen and teen during the 70’s so I remember it well.

Annette Bruun
Annette Bruun

April 07, 2020

Colours of the 70’s, bell bottoms, jumpers, hot pants, $ was more scarce but we seemed to dress very classy-not many sweat pants back then.

Cheryl Robson
Cheryl Robson

April 07, 2020

All of your designs are beautiful, if I must pick one it is the crop top with bell bottoms. I always liked that look. Thank you for this opportunity.

Leanna
Leanna

April 07, 2020

I was not born in the 70s but I like bell bottom pants and the long flowing skirts.

kathleen
kathleen

April 07, 2020

Groovy, man!

Diane H
Diane H

April 07, 2020

I love the abstract fabric prints, the beads,and the bell bottoms!

Rae Culak
Rae Culak

April 07, 2020

I love bell bottoms, and the funky patterns.

Patty
Patty

April 07, 2020

I loved the bell bottoms.

Bobbi Cummings
Bobbi Cummings

April 07, 2020

I love the bell bottoms with a wild floral print tom. Ah! To be back in the 70’s.

Mary A
Mary A

April 07, 2020

Since I was a teenager in the fifties I was a little old for the trendy stuff in the seventies! But I did have a hot pink mini dress that I loved! I would enjoy adding Julie to my collection!

Deborah Fields
Deborah Fields

April 07, 2020

I like the peasant tops the best.

Jennifer Queener
Jennifer Queener

April 07, 2020

I love the colors of the 70’s

Sandra
Sandra

April 07, 2020

I guess hippie styles as it reminds me of my college days.

DD
DD

April 07, 2020

I admit, I enjoyed the 70’s. I truly am glad there were no cell phones to prove that time.

Heather
Heather

April 07, 2020

I loved the bell bottom pants and adding a piece to the bottom of pants to make them wider.

Beth Watness
Beth Watness

April 07, 2020

I was a teenager in the 70’s. Julie and the fashion of the 70’s hold a special place in my heart.

Belinda
Belinda

April 07, 2020

I like the hip hugger bell bottoms.

Patti R
Patti R

April 07, 2020

Hip huggers, bell bottoms, Midi, mini or Maxi skirts, and crop tops.

Laurie
Laurie

April 07, 2020

Love the bellbottom jeans and crop top. Such a cool 70’s fashion!

Renee B
Renee B

April 07, 2020

I graduated high school and college in the 70’s and I remember all the funky fashions we wore. My favorite was the long maxi skirts and Gunne Sax long dresses with all the pretty lace and voile fabric. So feminine. I remember celebrating the Bi-Centennial in 1976 with a patriotic party and we made 1776 style costumes to wear. So much fun. Kept all the costumes and my kids wore them years later for Halloween. Julie would look so cute in a Bi-Centennial costume.

Rita
Rita

April 07, 2020

I would like to see some seventy clothes come back in style. The long skirts is an escape from nylons.

Cindy
Cindy

April 07, 2020

I was in high school in the 70’s and loved my bell bottom jeans. These patterns bring back so many memories.

Dori
Dori

April 07, 2020

I like the big bell bottoms and platform shoes so my pants weren’t dragging.

Joanne
Joanne

April 07, 2020

Just love the outfits and the doll. I graduated high school in 1972 and undergrad 1976! My post grad school, the Jaguar is their mascot! Thank you for the hacks! xoxoxo

Linda
Linda

April 07, 2020

Hip hugging bell bottoms, crop tops, crocheted vests.

Joy S
Joy S

April 07, 2020

I remember the 70’s styles very well. I loved the bell bottoms and hip huggers. I’m so glad to see them showcased.

Linda
Linda

April 07, 2020

I was a “70s” teen and these styles make me feel nostalgic!

Sherry Bobak
Sherry Bobak

April 07, 2020

I have always loved bell bottoms and maxi skirts but was too short to look good wearing them.

Pam H
Pam H

April 07, 2020

I loved the peasant blouses and the bell bottom jeans. Your patterns are the best and great color combos.

Alicia Mason
Alicia Mason

April 07, 2020

I love 70s colors! Avocado green, orange, brown and yellow! Sign me up! I also love platform sandals and tie dye of course :)

Leave a comment