It's 1973.

In the June After Dark we find a fasion layout section titled Pining at the Pines, dealing with New York's Fire Island hamlet of Fire Island Pines, which along with Cherry Grove, is a popular mecca for gay vacationers. If you were lucky, you could get away on August 19th for the fourth annual Mr. Fire Island Contest.

Men's Wear, a trade magazine, chronicles the current trends in men's fashion. Each of the outfits shown below is based on examples found in 1969 through 1973 issues. The men's wear industry was trying to promote alternatives to the traditional suit (check out the "walking suit" below), whether it was the "shirt suit," the "walking suit" or the "leisure suit." Unfortunately the informality of the free spirited period didn't prevail.

 
   

 

 

 

  • Carrying an ebony walking stick with gold plated handle, he wears a grey and pink striped "Lloyd" suit of 25/75 wool and rayon with a pink all-cotton Geoffrey Beene shirt (from January 11, 1974, Men's Wear).

  • A jeans suit includes a painted Pop Art tee-shirt with sea, palm tree, and sun with a Hollywood logo. He wears a camp hat from recycled denim (also advertised in the September After Dark). The leather belt has three American Indian inspired metal medallion buckles (from Nov. 9, 1973, Men's Wear).

  • A white bikini.

   

 

 

  • Even though it comes almost 5 years earlier, some very young hippie might keep their outfit including flower printed shirt, fringed leather vest, floppy gray felt hat, and brown bell bottoms (from September 19, 1969, Men's Wear).
  • The color scheme comes from an ad for Cone Sportcord Printed Corduroy Lanvin plaid slacks. Here they are worn with a chocolate brown velvet sport coat and ribbed knit turtleneck shirt (from April 27,1973, Men's Wear).
  • Many gay men wore kaftans when entertaining at home. They were shown in one article during the 1973 period, but were featured throughout the year in After Dark ads.
     

 

  • The color scheme is based on an ad for Higgins Slacks with Dacron polyester. A gold double breasted sportcoat is worn with a yellow shirt and blue tie. The yellow-checked navy pants are tapered (from February 12, 1971, Men's Wear).

  • The maroon gabardine walking suit with caridgan wrap jack is shown worn with gray suede shoes and lime-green print shirt (from July 27, 1973, Men's Wear).

  • The all white three button slim European cut in triple patch pocket white suit (wool/polyester linen blend) is worn with an offwhite patterned shirt, white shoes and blue bow-tie and socks (from July 27, Men's Wear).

     

 

So what do you remember about 1973?

A ceasefire is signed regarding Viet Nam. Nixon on national TV, accepts responsibility, but not blame, for Watergate. The Supreme Court rules on Wade vs. Roe. The sexual revolution evidences itself in such magazines as After Dark with gay-friendly articles and ubiquitous nudity .

Summer beach goers might serenade each other with Sondheim's Send in the Clowns or Barry White's I'm Gonna Love You Just a Little More, Baby. The ten top hits of the year, according to Music Outfitters, were:

  1. Tie A Yellow Ribbon 'Round The Ole Oak Tree, Tony Orlando and Dawn
  2. Bad Bad Leroy Brown, Jim Croce
  3. Killing Me Softly With His Song, Roberta Flack
  4. Let's Get It On, Marvin Gaye
  5. My Love, Paul McCartney and Wings
  6. Why Me, Kris Kristofferson
  7. Crocodile Rock, Elton John
  8. Will It Go Round In Circles, Billy Preston
  9. You're So Vain, Carly Simon
  10. Touch Me In The Morning, Diana Ross

Disco begins in the dance clubs with such tracks as Eddie Henricks' Keep on Truckin'.

Readers are enjoying Gore Vidal's Burr and Kurt Vonnegut's Breakfast of Champions.

Gay moviegoers are watching newcomer Harrison Ford in America Graffiti, Julie Christie in Don't Look Now, The Exorcist, Marlon Brando in Last Tango in Paris, Paul Newman and Robert Redford in The Sting, Al Pacino in Serpico, Barbara Streisand and Robert Redford in The Way We Were and Joe Dallesandro in Andy Warhol's Frankenstein. They could even buy the cult classic Boys in the Sand in 8 mm for $99.

If you were in New York you might enjoy Glynis Johns in A Little Night Music, Richard Chamberlain in Cyrano de Bergerac or Bette Midler (with Barry Manilow as musical director) at the Palace. Composer Ned Rorem celebrates his 50th birthday with two concerts for his fans.

In May Robert Metcalfe developes the ethernet, but chat rooms are still years away. In October the energy crisis will take major attention and gas rationing begins.

On December 15 a major LGBT stride forward comes when the board of the American Psychiatric Association votes 13-0 to remove homosexuality from its official list of psychiatric disorders, the DSM-II . The resolution also urges an end to private and public discrimination and repeal of laws discriminating against homosexuals. the board of the American Psychiatric Association votes 13-0 to remove homosexuality from its official list of psychiatric disorders.

The paper doll was created by David Claudon, using Photoshop SE2 and Corel Painter IX in 300 dpi. Copies on 8-1/2 x 11 heavyweight Epson paper are available.

This site was created July 28, 2006. Last update July 30, 2006.