If there was one store in the High Street in UK of the whole of the 1970s that mention of brings smile to women's faces it's Van Allan. Everyone has a story of some outfit they bought be it a dress, a faux fur coat, a suit for work, or a jumpsuit like this one, which dates from around 1978 , the period of the glorious swansong of disco. 
 
Ideally this is for a UK size 8, though a size 6 could get away with it if you want a bit more flounce, or a small UK 10. Plenty room in the hips and bust, but message me for the waist details I will tell you if it will be good. 

The fabric is a black matte satin with shiny leaf pattern, which catches the light beautifully. Has narrow straps for the shoulders, and tapered trouser leg. Pleats at the waist. An iconic disco jumpsuit, with the pockets for that nonchalantly cool posing !
Van Allan this much loved high st chain has disappeared off the radar of the internet, which of course is largely devoid of anything that happened before the mid 1990s sadly. No matter how important it was. Barely a photo of their collections or an advert. And yet they were huge, with 150 stores all across the UK and every Saturday payday you'd rush to town to see if they still had that garment you had so patiently waited to buy, but what's this, they have even more lovely things! Fast changing collections were key to the success of boutiques in those days so there was always something new. And so you bought that too, and when you went out that night, you'd get daggers or admired by others who'd seen that dress jumpsuit of faux fur coat that very day. 'Van Allan' you'd silently mouth across the VIP area, to nods of approval as it wasn't expensive nor was it cheap and tacky. It had just enough kudos & sophistication yet for working class girls to celebrate the chain as their favourite for much of the 1970s. Be my guest ask any lady in their twenties in the 1970s and they will tell you a story of a fab item they bought there. 
 
It was the era of Studio 54, and while New Wave it was true had swept away many of the fashions and music of the earlier 1970s, well there were always plenty of New Wavers AT Studio 54 and so it was elsewhere. We may have outwardly strutted our Punk, Mod, New Wave and later Goth and New Romantic attitude, fashions, and music tastes , but when it was time to party with all the girls well hell you knew you were headed for a discotheque. And why not? They weren't grim draughty gig venue halls or pubs, they were a little bit of luxury!. Fab lights, cosy leather seating, real (often subsidized by the discos for ambience sold at near cost) champagne, and cocktails relatively inexpensive, and cloakrooms that were absolutely packed with fur coats. And that was just your provincial discos! We wanted Studio 54 Saturday Night Fever and the sleazy opulent intimate glamour of cult disco movies like the Bitch and The Stud, and they were also for all ages. They were aspirational places and uplifting to the spirit, the music was non stop dancing but varied not trance where one blurs into another and you need drugs to keep you up there like the 1990s & 00s,  and not the 'cattle markets' they later became late 1980s. But 1976 to 1980s discotheques were simply and truly fabulous. And, Yes Sir, I did Boogie though I needed a certain song, and I shamelessly loved Baccara. I recall a friend from school who had known me as a punk almost choke on his beer seeing me at a smart disco in Belgrade, dancing to Baccara but I did I loved them! So it was true, I was a disco dolly lol ! I also loved a bit of Donna Summer and Chic , even Boney M , even if not so much The Bee Gees. And yes, we knew Van Allan in Yugsolavia. We had our own fabulous fashions too, but having something British that the French Italian girls who holidayed with us in their designer brands, didn't have. Well Britain was the place to get it and we could travel freely back and fore and Van Allan stuff would always come pack in friends suitcases for us to fight and big over. Always seemed to have a bit more edge than Wallis though that was another label in demand too, though tended to be later into the 80s. 
 
So discotheques (yes we called the the full name)  were hot, and you needed something skimpy to wear (hence the jam packed rails of furs in the cloakrooms). The fashions were changing from the early days of disco and the flares were disappearing (though nobody told John  Travolta) , and for the girs there were shoulderless jump suits and dresses, boob tube and lots of satin be they straight trousers or high split pencil dresses or fuller flouncy dresses, footless tights, and the legs of the jumpsuits were often pleated at the waits and tapered. Sometimes you'd wear a shiny or sparling diamante thin belt, though I didn't opt for that styling here as it comes with its own fabric tie belt. You'd often wear these jumpsuits with jewellery, especially bracelets and neck pieces, but nothing too bulky, or with long gloves , perhaps even a veiled femme fatale pill box hat, which Van Allan also sold. Wear with strappy high heel sandals for the best look. One of their faux fur coats of the same period as this jump suit was dark brown almost black, sleek, straight long and edge to edge and had wide fur reveres parallel down the front, and faux leather under the collar, and I had one but regret selling it so if you have one...I am in the market! I also have listed atm an earlier Van Allan faux fur bubble jacket and a fab yellow mini dress also listed from the early 1970s.
 
There was lots of lounging on plush leather sofas , drinking champagne, between dancing, so these jumpsuits were very comfy to relax and cool off in as well as dancing in. Armpits were free and trousers loose so not so sweaty. The dance floors themselves were often small and intimate, with those floor lights and disco balls above. And this jumpsuit, is a part of all that history and one can only wonder where she may have danced....and the question is now....will you giver her another chance to gleam & shimmer her shiny pattern on a night out on the town?  She can Boogie alright....
 
My spirit of the age and garment song of course is 'Yes Sir, I can Boogie' by Baccara.
"Your eyes are full of hesitation
Sure makes me wonder
If you know what your looking for
Umm, baby I want to keep my reputation
I'm a sensation
You try me once you'll beg for more
Oooohh! Yes sir, I can boogie
But I need a certain song
I can boogie, boogie woogie all night long"