Let’s go disco!

Pattern and colour are key, especially on long, floaty and draped kaftans, maxi dresses, tunics and voluminous tops, as swirling, pattern-clashing acid brights mix with bold reds, purples and blues for a heady and hedonistic look.

Lines of graphic black will offset and define pattern-clashing colour and update the trend for this summer, so either look for pieces that incorporate black or add it in yourself via shoes, bags, maybe a bikini top or strapless boob tube style.

Think Studio 54, the legendary New York discotheque of the 1970s. Think back to Top of the Pops and films of the Seventies too, with icons Gloria Gaynor and Sister Sledge shimmying in satin, lurex and lots of sequins, while Faye Dunaway and Barbra Streisand wafted around in broad-brimmed hats and headscarves. The best of this trend revival references the spirit of the Seventies without falling prey to any of its garishness and cheapness.

That said, don’t be afraid to add lots of bling, in the form of chains, bangles and beads as an armful of bangles will add the perfect touch of glamour.

When it comes to shoes, don’t go for platform and wedges that look authentically 1970s, but look instead for broad strappy ones with teetering heels and slight platforms, for a more contemporary look. Remember that you are most definitely not trying to copy exactly a Seventies’ disco look; you are referencing it and updating it for 2011. Try adding Art Deco style accessories such as gold scalloped bags and bronze jackets and shawls, to add an extra injection of glamour and opulence, combined with old-school class.

What with all these kaftans, floaty shirts, maxi dresses and wide-leg trousers, this is a great trend for holidays, mixing in with bikinis, sandals and swimwear for an look that evokes the glory days of Ibiza, translating from beach to nightclub with ease and flair.

There is a much-written rule advising that, if you can remember it the first time around, you really should not be wearing it when it comes around again.

As far as the 1980s’ fashion revival was concerned, that was good advice, but the same does not apply the the Seventies, not least due to the figure-flattering nature of many of the garments concerned.

And it’s hard not to see the appeal of a fabulously colourful kaftan, so flattering and so glamorous on women of all ages.

Plus, the time feels just right for this revival. When the going gets tough, we all need a little disco fever, bright and beautiful, in our lives.