Years
The Disco Years
Bell bottoms, platform shoes, polyester shirts in flashy colours, Lycra leotards, strappy tops, high-cut shorts, lacy shirts, lamé jeans, cheap, synthetic-silk summer dresses from the 1940s, long floral maxi “granny” dresses, satin pants, high heels and white disco suits: 1970 heralds the beginning of the disco decade, epitomized by stroboscopes, Saturday Night Fever and the Bee Gees.
This period is anything but peaceful. There are a number of world political upheavals. Sexual liberation, conscientious objection and women’s rights are supported by the majority.
The seventies are post-modernist years; their electric style brings about a true fashion revolution. Nylon, acrylic and, of course, polyester, are the fabrics characterizing this decade. Unisex clothing is very popular and the trend is for straight, tight-fitting clothes.
“Untrendiness” is the keyword of this era: you can wear anything you like as long as it doesn’t look conformist. Nothing is too short, too bad, too colourful or too garish. It isn’t easy to personalize your wardrobe with such a mixture of different elements, so if in doubt you wear jeans, which have become the uniform of the non-conformists. Everyone has a pair of jeans, which are faded, no longer embroidered or patched as in the '60s. Hats are made of straw, crocheted wool or corduroy.
Men are wearing frilled shirts, narrow-legged silk jersey Italian pants, black turtlenecks, leather coats and platform boots. Ironically, the kitsch sequins so fashionable in the discos during this decade are to regain popularity just before the end of the century.
Miniskirts and platform boots are an integral part of the seventies.
Early 1970s
The Québec shoe industry is booming. There are around a hundred shoe manufacturers in business.
1971
Chaussures DeLuca moves to Berri Street. To meet fashion demands, Mr. DeLuca starts to produce Patof shoes. Around fifty employees work on the production of the various models.
1972
On January 17, Vincenzo Passarelli joins the Chaussures DeLuca team. Also of Italian origin, and a shoemaker by trade since the age of 12, Mr. Passarelli has already worked for several other shoe manufacturers. He starts work on the assembly line before later becoming assembly line manager and then foreman.