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19 items from the 1979 Sears catalog that will give you a 1970s overload
Take a trip back with Farrah, corduroy, disco, Ziggy and Trek.
This web page is a time machine. Get ready to zip back to year 1979. It might have been the end of the decade, but the 1980s were nowhere in sight in the pages of the Sears Wishbook. That coveted catalog came crammed with corduroy, denim, flares, velour, leisure suits, crochet, wide collars, banana seats, 8-tracks, lava lamps and more.
Nothing triggers our nostalgia quite like flipping through one of these thick shopping bibles. Here are some of our favorite pages from the 1979 winter edition. Did you own any of this stuff?
Do you still own it?
1. The "D" in D.I.Y. stood for disco.
Image: wishbookweb.comYou could have Saturday Night Fever seven days a week in the privacy of your basement.
2. Put a little boogie on your behind.
Image: wishbookweb.comEven the country look went disco.
3. Mork stuff.
Image: wishbookweb.comForget New York, London and Paris. The true fashion capital was Ork. Happy Days created an icon. This was the only time you could impress friends with rainbow suspenders.
4. Shaun Cassidy fashions.
Image: wishbookweb.comIf you bought the whole ensemble, you'd have the teen idol's autograph on three different body parts!
5. Farrah Glamour Center.
Image: wishbookweb.comBefore you could give yourself that iconic hairstyle, it was best to practice on a plastic head.
6. Just some retro sweat… wait, is that Phoebe Cates?
Image: wishbookweb.comYes, that is Phoebe Cates. Years before she was in Fast Times at Ridgemont High, she was a Sears Juniors model.
7. Corduroy everything.
Image: wishbookweb.comCorduroy: It wasn't just for pants. It was best to go head to toe in the heavy fabric. The same thing went with velour.
8. Gold chains for men.
Image: wishbookweb.comWith all those wide-open collars, men had to show off some chest bling. If you collected all of these, you were ready for the Mr. T look in the 1980s.
9. Rocky yourself to sleep.
Image: wishbookweb.comSpeaking of Mr. T, the Rocky movies were so huge in the late 1970s, people even went to sleep dressed like Sugar Ray Leonard in the ring.
10. Official and not-so-official sleeping bag.
Image: wishbookweb.comBenji was a super star, and deserved his own licensed sleeping gear. You might think the one on the left was a Star Wars bag, but take a closer look. It is a total knockoff. The catalog describes it as "Space Designs." We doubt Disney would let those bootlegs R2-D2s and Death Stars on the market today.
11. Scenic wall clocks.
Image: wishbookweb.com"Is that tacky art or one of those newfangled digital clocks?" your dinner guests ask. "Both," you say.
12. Rug-hanging kits.
Image: wishbookweb.comSome shaggy latch hook would look perfect next to your electric sunset.
13. Ziggy stuff.
Image: wishbookweb.com"Kids love Ziggy." When's the last time you heard that?
14. Even children had custom vans.
Image: wishbookweb.comCustom vans were the vehicle of choice. You had to get kids onboard the trend early. Note that the trucking craze carred over to remote-control cars, too.
15. 8-Track tech.
Image: wishbookweb.comThis was our iPod.
16. Old phones inside of older phones.
Image: wishbookweb.comNow that's what we call a flip phone.
17. Socks with pockets and googly eyes.
Image: wishbookweb.comWho would see these under your bellbottoms?
18. Plush Hulk.
Image: wishbookweb.comHULK SQUISH! The Incredible Hulk was the coolest show for kids.
19. Star Trek was still going strong.
Image: wishbookweb.comSure, Star Wars toys were all the rage, but Trek had been in the game for more than a decade.
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