Everything Old Is New Again: I Walked Into Target and Found the ’70s Waiting for Me

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BigDog went to get his eyes checked.

I apparently went back to 1975.

Turns out, ’70s fashion over 60 is having a moment. Target just didn’t warn me.

I wasn’t planning to shop. I definitely wasn’t planning a blog post. I was just killing a little time at Target while BigDog was at his appointment.

And then I wandered into the women’s clothing department.

Wait a damn minute.

I know these clothes.

The earthy colors. The embroidery. The lace. The loose, flowy fabrics. The peasant-style tops. The rust, burgundy and sage green.

Apparently, everything old really is new again.

And there I was at 68, standing in the middle of Target wearing my Groovy Gigi tie-dye shirt, looking at clothes that could have walked right out of the decade that made me love this style in the first place.

You can’t make this stuff up.

Apparently I dressed appropriately for my accidental trip back to the ’70s.

Gen Z Calls It a Trend. We Call It Our Closet.

Here’s what makes me laugh.

A younger woman can walk into a store today and see flowy peasant blouses, crochet, embroidery, wide-leg jeans, earthy colors and romantic lace and think she’s found this fantastic new aesthetic.

And I love that for her.

But those of us who actually lived through the ’70s are standing a few racks over thinking:

Baby, we have pictures.

We didn’t discover boho on Pinterest.

We didn’t learn about hippie style from TikTok.

We wore it.

And yes, some of it probably should have stayed buried in the family photo albums. Let’s not pretend everything we wore was fabulous.

But some of it?

Oh, baby.

Some of it was GOOD.

The Clothes Took Me Right Back

There was one rust-colored top that immediately caught my attention. It had that embroidered, slightly peasant-style look that felt so familiar.

Then I found the burgundy blouse.

Lace. Flowing sleeves. That romantic, slightly dramatic look that could have easily been hanging in a closet decades ago.

The lace. The sleeves. The color. Tell me this doesn’t have a little 1975 hiding in it.

And then came the sage green.

Of course it did.

Because apparently we’re bringing back the entire earthy color palette while we’re at it.

Sage green is back too. Somewhere my younger self is nodding her head.

But Here’s What’s Different This Time

I’m not 18 anymore.

I’m 68.

And that’s exactly why I think wearing these styles again can be even more fun.

The first time around, we were figuring ourselves out. We were trying things because our friends were wearing them, because we saw them in magazines or because they simply felt cool.

Now?

We know ourselves.

I know I like clothes that move.

I know I like color.

I know I like a little drama.

I know I love boho without wanting to look like I’m wearing a costume.

And most importantly, I don’t need anybody else’s permission to wear any of it.

That’s one of the beautiful things about getting older.

You eventually realize that getting dressed doesn’t have to be about following every damn rule somebody invented for women your age.

It can simply be about looking in the mirror and thinking:

Yep. That’s me.

’70s Fashion Over 60: Take the Vibe. Skip the Costume.

Just because the ’70s are back doesn’t mean I’m recreating my wardrobe piece for piece.

Please.

I’ve already lived through some of those fashion decisions once.

What I will take are the pieces that still feel good today:

Flowy blouses.

Kimonos.

Embroidery.

Crochet.

Great denim.

Earthy colors.

A little fringe.

Layered jewelry.

Comfortable fabrics.

And clothes with enough personality that I don’t disappear inside them.

That’s the sweet spot for me.

Take the vibe. Skip the costume.

SHOP THE ’70s-INSPIRED VIBE

Shop the look: Falechay Women’s Flowy Boho Peasant Top

Look for embroidered details, relaxed fits, peasant sleeves and earthy colors.

Shop the look: CHICGAL Floral Kimono Cardigan Cover-Up

Easy layers that give jeans, tanks and simple dresses that relaxed boho feeling.

Shop the look: LEE Women’s Ultra Lux Comfort Bootcut Jean

You don’t have to recreate your old bell-bottoms. A modern flare or wide leg gives you the feeling without turning the outfit into a costume.

Shop the look: IFKM Bohemian Turquoise Jewelry Set

Layered necklaces, stacked bracelets, statement earrings and a little fringe can do a lot of the work.

And Can We Talk About Comfort?

This may be my favorite part of the whole comeback.

A lot of the styles we’re seeing again are naturally comfortable.

Flowy tops don’t have to cling.

Wide-leg pants give you room to move.

Kimonos add personality without squeezing anything.

Soft fabrics, loose silhouettes and layers?

Women over 60 have been waiting for fashion to catch back up with us.

And apparently it finally did.

The trick is not using “comfortable” as another word for disappearing.

You can be comfortable AND colorful.

Comfortable AND sexy.

Comfortable AND interesting.

Comfortable AND stylish.

One does not cancel out the other.

MORE FROM GIGI

• How to Style a Kimono After 60
• Flowy Without Frumpy: How to Dress for Comfort Without Disappearing After 60
• Denim Done Boho: How to Wear Jeans and Still Feel Free-Spirited After 60

Maybe We Never Really Left the ’70s

Standing there in Target made me realize something.

Maybe this style keeps coming back because there was something wonderfully freeing about it in the first place.

Color.

Movement.

Individuality.

A little rebellion.

A little don’t-tell-me-what-I’m-supposed-to-wear energy.

Hmmm.

Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?

Maybe that’s why this hippie girl keeps finding her way back into my closet.

Only this time she’s 68.

She’s got better jewelry.

She knows which trends she can leave on the rack.

And she doesn’t particularly care whether anybody thinks she’s too old to wear the ones she loves.

So yes, everything old eventually becomes new again.

And maybe that’s one of the fun parts about getting older.

I’ve lived long enough to watch fashion come around twice.

So while the younger girls are discovering the ’70s, I’ll be standing over here smiling because I already know something they don’t.

Baby, we wore it the first time.

And we’ve got the pictures to prove it.

Now tell me: What ’70s fashion do you remember wearing the first time around? And what would you happily wear again today? I have a feeling the Girl Tribe has some stories—and probably a few photographs—we need to hear about.