Carly Simon's Best '70s Looks Completely Captured The Era

If you compiled a "greatest hits from the 1970s" album, Carly Simon would undoubtedly feature. The songs "You're So Vain," "Haven't Got Time for the Pain," and "Nobody Does it Better," spoke to a generation, but so did the singer's fashion sense. She was a walking billboard of stylish things people found attractive in the '70s with her boho hippie-chick spirit. The floppy hats, textured accessories, and bold prints are trends she championed back then, that are still thriving decades later. For example, Simon's influence on Taylor Swift, who brought the '70s aesthetic into 2026 with a chic 'fit, came from her style as well as her songwriting, including fan-favorite diss tracks.

Simon also served as a figurehead in the women's lib movement, where women were questioning whether fashion and beauty should still have a prominent place in their lives. Here was a candid singer belting out feminist anthems, but also embracing stylish clothes and hair without shame. And she isn't done yet. Simon's 24th studio album, "Comes in Waves" debuted in the summer of 2026. In honor of the icon, here are some of her best looks from the '70s that perfectly capture the vibe of the era.

In 1972, Carly Simon released her third album, "No Secrets." Although the cover photo looks very candid, it was staged. The "Anticipation" singer was photographed outside the Portobello Hotel in London's Notting Hill neighborhood. In the pic, the native New Yorker wore trousers and a coordinating hat, a long-sleeve top, and carried an oversized bag. The lack of bra, the floppy hat, and the overall boho-chic vibe were all staples of the '70s. 

In the early part of the decade, miniskirts were a holdover from the '60s that were still in style. Carly Simon showed off her legs in the cropped length during an interview at a hotel in Japan in early 1973. But it's her casual accessories that add the one-two punch — her black knee-high leather boots gave a mod nod to the look, and her orange beaded necklace gave off big hippie energy.

Bold patterns were popular in the '70s, and Carly Simon wasn't afraid of them. Even though some clothing colors and patterns can make you look older, floral designs were all the rage at the time. This portrait of the singer in New York in the summer of '71 proves once again that she had an era-appropriate accessories game with her fringed crochet bag, as fringe and crochet were a 1970s trend double-whammy.

Before mixing high and low pieces was a big thing, Carly Simon was owning the look. In 1977, she went to the theater in New York wearing a boho-inspired dress topped by a fur (or perhaps faux fur) coat. She also happened to be very pregnant at the time. This photo was taken January 18, and her son Ben, with fellow singer-songwriter James Taylor, was born four days later. Not many women could pull off such style while being this heavily pregnant, and we give Simon major props for serving such a gorgeous look.

In the summer of 2026, we were drooling over the best beauty looks from "The Odyssey" press tour, as well as the fashion, especially Zendaya's on-theme method dressing. For one outing, the actor was snapped wearing gladiator sandals. But as fashion historians will tell you, lace-up sandals are nothing new in the modern day. Carly Simon rocked a pair with a cape-style top 55 years before Zendaya, in July 1971.

Boiler suits, jumpsuits, flight suits, play suits -– whatever you want to call these one-piece outfits, for decades they've been a boundary-pushing choice for women. You can even choose a bridal jumpsuit for a modern look on your wedding day. Back in 1979, Carly Simon chose a bold plaid one-piece as she performed as one of the acts at the No Nukes concert. The print paired with her small mauve bag provided a quirky example of the style that dominated the later part of the decade. 

Talk about hairstyles straight from the '70s that are making a comeback! Carly Simon's feathered, layered look with long curtain bangs from 1971 would be just as in style now as it was back then. Same goes for elements of this outfit — wide leg pants came back en vogue in the 2020s, and Simon's exaggerated pair almost looks like a skirt. The coolest element, however? The maximalist stacked arm cuffs.