We love: 1970’s, TOTP and Chelsea Girl

You may have noticed we have been enjoying rather a lot of 70’s style nostalgia lately, perhaps it’s all the 1970’s inspired styling we have been seeing on the catwalks, but we just cant seem to get enough of the decade that brought us the Space Hopper, flares, Angel Delight and Brotherhood of Man!

Chelsea Girl was one of our favourite teenage clothes shops, offering all the essential denim A line midi skirts and cheese cloth shirts a girl could want. In 1988 it evolved into River Island and eventually became a little too high street for us budding fashionistas, but we still have fond memories of the heart shaped sign and 70’s styling.

Now the iconic brand has been revived and a new 40 piece Chelsea Girl collection is available in a pop shop in Selfridges and selected River Island shops. Designed by young graduate Lucy Moller under the guidance of one of the original Chelsea girl designers, the range is a tribute to our 70’s teenage years and if we are honest, probably more appealing to our teen daughters, but we do quite like the look of the denim skirt.

Another staple of our teenage years was the weekly episode of Top of The Pops. In the days when there few (make that no) opportunities to see our favourites bands, Thursday nights at 7.30pm were the highlight of the week, including the obligatory ‘is that a boy or a girl’ comments from our Dads’!

Now the BBC has decided to revive Thursday nights TOTP’s and every week for at least a year, depending on its popularity BBC4 will show vintage episodes from the equivalent week, starting with April 1976 – when incidentally Brotherhood of Man were No 1. Having watched some of Saturday nights documentary on TOTP’s, we cant wait, and may even wear a Chelsea Girl outfit in tribute!

And finally, if you fancy another trip down memory lane, go and see the lovely coming of age film Submarine. Set in 1970’s Swansea, it follows the story of 15 year old Craig Roberts and his attempts to save his parents marriage and negotiate his first real relationship. It’s both is funny and poignant and the perfect combination of contemporary nostalgia (the soundtrack is by Alex Turner). It reminded me in parts, of one of my favourite dark comedies Harold and Maude, and it really made me want a duffle coat!!