Ask almost anyone what they remember as being the top fashion trend of the 1970s, and they’ll say bell-bottoms or flares. They were so popular that in 1975 the Colorado State University Cooperative Extension issued a booklet Rags to Riches: Recycle Your Clothes, which included instructions for how to turn tapered pants into flares. It also suggested that, if not changed to flares, tapered pants should be cut to make shorts. Pity the person who wore their old tapers in 1975! The booklet also included numerous other tips on remodeling clothing that reflect the trends of the ’70s. Instructions can be found to create wool “knickers” for women to wear skiing. Menswear ideas included how to piece together fabric to create a colorful contrasting shirt, or how to turn an old jacket into a vest. The booklet’s tips for remaking children’s clothing focuses less on trends and includes practical ideas on how to lengthen hems and sleeves for growing kids, information that is still useful today for those who know how to sew. Other tips on sewing and resizing garments are also still useful today.
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