When writing my last post about 60s and 70s reggae stars and their wardrobes, there was another act I wished to include, but found their style is quite different to the other singers I featured: Althea & Donna.
Famed for their 1978 hit Uptown Top Ranking, the Jamaican duo’s outfits were remarkably similar to what’s being sold at American Apparel at the moment. Sports shorts and socks, larger than life hair, larger than life glasses, gold jewellery and a cheeky grin gave the pair their own niche look of gym class cool.
I’m not suggesting anyone should recreate a like-for-like version of this look if the summer. Doing so without looking slightly deranged, or at least like you’re working your own ’70s footballer’ fancy dress theme, would be nigh on impossible. However, with a few tweaks, this too could be transformed into an original and different summer outfit.
The key to this style is striking the balance between glam and sporty. Wear too much sports gear at once and you look like you’re en route to the gym. Throw on too much ‘bling’ or team anything sporty looking with, say, stilettos and you look like a new member of N-Dubz. So don’t wear the shorts and socks at the same time (especially with trainers!), and go for accompanying clothes that are plain, well cut and classic.
Rosa Abbott is an arts, fashion and culture obsessive originating from Yorkshire, England, and currently living in Dublin, Ireland. On top of being a student at the illustrious Trinity College, she is a freelance journalist, writing for a number of Irish publications, and also edits the visual arts section of entertainment magazine Totally Dublin.
When she’s not up to her eyeballs in writing, Rosa works as an assistant to stylist Aisling Farinella and volunteers at various art galleries. Her musings on life, style and art can also be found over at her blog, Too Gallant.
