The ’70s brought us microwave ovens, VCRs and the earliest home computers. It also brought platform shoes, hot pants and pet rocks. Join us as we take a look back at some of the hottest trends of the ’70s, some of which we remember fondly and others that should be wrapped in a polyester leisure suit and buried forever.

“HAVE A NICE DAY” SMILEY FACES: Fresh from the Summer of Love, the youth of the early ’70s had a lot to smile about. Capturing this spirit (and some would say parodying the cynical politics of the day) were two icons of the decade: The bright yellow smiley face and the related salutation “have a nice day.” Initially created by an advertising firm for an insurance company client, the smiley face and the accompanying phrase was everywhere — on buttons, stickers, T-shirts, piggy banks, coffee mugs and even underwear.

PET ROCKS: In a land of conspicuous consumption, it can be hard to come up with something people don’t already have. Which is why advertising executive Gary Dahl showed a solid stroke of brilliance when he took ordinary stones and elevated them to the status of pet rocks. This short-lived fad peaked in 1975, but the product’s inherent absurdity causes it to live on in popular culture. Today, if you want a pet rock, you’ll need to make your own or settle for a facsimile version called the USB Pet Rock that plugs into your computer and does well, no one is exactly sure. Turns out the more pet rocks change, the more they stay the same.

FUNKY FORMALWEAR: The age of disco could not be satisfied with the staid black dinner jacket, white shirt and black bow tie. Instead, when guys wanted to look sophisticated, they donned three-piece suits (a la “Saturday Night Fever”) or picked tuxedos in colors such as white, maroon, lime green or powder blue. Plain front shirts were too tame for this high-strung decade, and dress shirts with ruffled fronts took their place. Those who needed an extra edge of glam went with the polished look you can only achieve with a crushed-velvet tuxedo.

STREAKING: Running nude through public places has a long (or not so long, depending on the streaker) history. But in the freewheeling ’70s, it erupted into a full-frontal pop culture trend. Even Snoopy got in on the stripped-down fun. But the most memorable streaking moment came when Robert Opel ran naked across the stage flashing the peace sign during the 1974 Academy Awards. David Niven, who was on stage at the time, took it all in stride, remarking: “Isn’t it fascinating to think that probably the only laugh that man will ever get in his life is by stripping off and showing his shortcomings?”

FEATHERED AND WEDGE HAIRCUTS: The decade’s trendiest locks took their cue from celebrities. Farrah Fawcett’s feathered ‘do was the decade’s “it” look for any girl who dreamed of being one of Charlie’s Angels. Those who wanted a more girl-next-door look went with the wedge haircut popularized by Olympic figure skater Dorothy Hamill. And anyone who had the curls to support it took their hair vertical with an afro.

MOOD RINGS: For those who felt out of touch with their emotions, the ’70s served up a perfect solution: The mood ring. Invented in 1975, the rings used liquid crystals that changed color in response to body temperature. While no longer all the rage, mood rings can still be found today, and may be just what the doctor ordered if you have trouble determining when you’re calm and when you’re having an absolute meltdown.

PONG: Don’t tell today’s kids with their fancy iPads, Wiis and Xbox 360s, but in the ’70s, the coolest computer game involved two lines and a bouncing ball. Pong started out as an arcade video game, and later migrated into people’s living rooms. Unlike today’s video games, which require sophisticated controllers and cheat codes to advance to new levels, Pong only required a flexible wrist capable of operating a joystick.

LAVA LAMPS: Any decorator aiming to reproduce a ’70s interior is required to install a lava lamp in a place of honor. These psychedelic lighting fixtures were invented in the ’60s, and continued to be a popular interior design element during the following decade. Sure, the lamps have an appealing space-age quality, but fans no doubt have fond memories of how well the groovy light show paired with the decade’s mind-altering substances.

SEA-MONKEYS: Brine shrimp sound boring and scientific, so marketer Harold von Braunhut decided to rename them with the much catchier moniker Sea-Monkeys, and in the process created an aquatic craze. Spurred on by grossly unrealistic ads in comic books and on TV, millions of kids dreamt of the massive Sea-Monkey empire they’d oversee one day. That is, until they came home and their Sea-Monkeys were all floating belly-up, and they spent the rest of the day holding an elaborate funeral in the backyard.

FAUX WOOD PANELING: Natural materials were all the rage in the ’70s, but so were polyester pants. This may explain why homeowners displayed an unnatural fondness for fake wood paneling. It was the perfect complement to Naugahyde recliners, shag carpeting and plastic palm trees. The only thing we can’t explain is why this trend was so short-lived.

Staff Writer Avery Yale Kamila can be contacted at 791-6297 or at:

akamila@pressherald.com

Twitter: AveryYaleKamila