Due to the 10-year Cultural Revolution, people's dress style in the early and mid 1970s remained the same as in the late 1960s.The most popular look from both decades remained the grass green-colored military uniforms.

The serious shortage of goods and materials frustrated people's pursuit for beauty in clothing; thus, dress was characterized by a universal style and dull color. But with the implementation of the reform and opening-up policy, western exotic style made its way into China and raised people's awareness of the pursuit of fashion. After that, the gray, green, blue, black-colored era stepped off the pages of history.

New material and fashionable style prevailed among the mass majority. After long-term depression and a great desire for emancipation of the mind, people were exhilarated with western novel design. Dacron, a kind of polyester fabric, was widely used in shirt manufacturing and shirts made of Dacron became all the rage. The diversity of clothing was epitomized by various colors, with colorful shirts blossoming among the overly-depressed people.

The 1970s underwent a transition from a universal pattern of drudgery to a diverse clothing style. After the chaotic state of the Cultural Revolution, everything was reshaped toward orderliness, including man’s original pursuit for beauty. The reform and opening-up policy stimulated people’s acceptance of western culture and fresh looks, turning over a much more colorful page of Chinese dress.