Marc Bolan (December 11, 1972) – “Fashion 3” Feature - Evening Standard
This Evening Standard fashion page provides an unusual glimpse of Marc Bolan’s influence beyond music, with a featured jacket specifically described as having been bought by Marc Bolan and Gary Glitter. Edited by Suzy Menkes, the page examines the continuing popularity of glitter, velvet and flamboyant clothing during 1972.
HEADLINE PARAGRAPH
Publication: Evening Standard
Date: December 11, 1972
Country: United Kingdom
THE STORY
Appearing on the Evening Standard’s “Fashion 3” page, edited by Suzy Menkes, the clipping examines contemporary fashion at a moment when glitter, velvet and highly decorative clothing had become increasingly prominent.
The main photograph shows two models wearing richly patterned outfits, with the accompanying caption providing the direct connection to Marc Bolan. One of the featured garments is described as “a jacket as bought by Marc Bolan and Gary Glitter.” The jacket is priced at £100 and credited to John Lloyd, available through the King’s Road Silver Laver.
The caption continues by identifying other clothing displayed on the page, including trousers, a gold-and-pink brocade waistcoat with gold elasticated wrists and waistband, and additional garments by designers and retailers including Paul Reeves and Diana.
The accompanying article, “Does all this strike a chord?”, discusses the continuing presence of glitter and flamboyant fashion. References to stage-inspired clothing and decoration place the fashion within the same broader visual culture that surrounded popular music during the period.
For a Marc Bolan scrapbook, the significance rests firmly in the photograph caption. Bolan is specifically named as a purchaser of the featured jacket, documenting the connection between his highly visible public style and contemporary London fashion retail during 1972.
CONTEXT AND NOTES
This is not a conventional Marc Bolan interview or music article. Instead, the clipping places Bolan within a contemporary fashion feature and demonstrates how his name had become associated with distinctive clothing and the glitter-oriented visual style of the period.
The direct reference to a jacket “as bought by Marc Bolan and Gary Glitter” shows Bolan being used as a recognisable fashion reference for readers. His association with the garment is presented without further explanation, suggesting that his clothing choices were already sufficiently familiar to add promotional value to the fashion feature.
The clipping therefore provides a different perspective on Bolanmania, documenting Marc Bolan not through records or concerts but through the influence of his personal clothing choices on the wider fashion culture of 1972.
FEATURE HIGHLIGHTS
Event: Marc Bolan referenced within an Evening Standard fashion feature
Era: 1972 Bolanmania era
Tone: Fashion-focused and promotional
Photography: Large fashion photograph illustrating the clothing described in the accompanying caption
WHAT THE CLIPPING SHOWS
• Evening Standard “Fashion 3” page edited by Suzy Menkes
• A featured jacket specifically described as having been bought by Marc Bolan and Gary Glitter
• The Marc Bolan-associated jacket priced at £100 and credited to John Lloyd
• Contemporary glitter, velvet and decorative fashion associated with the period
• An unusual contemporary record of Marc Bolan’s influence beyond music
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