ABBA is one of the most successful pop quartets of all-time, and they were also one of the most singular musical acts in terms of fashion. From purple blazers to cut-out, midriff-baring hearts, Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad made sure that they looked like no one else.

The look was due in no small part to Owe Sandström, a high school teacher who just happened to have a deep passion for design. If you saw ABBA in the 70s, you most likely saw Sandström and design partner Lars Wigenius’s work in action. There was another reason behind the flamboyant fashion: In 2014’s ABBA: The Official Photo Book, Björn Ulvaeus revealed that the group could write-off the costumes on their taxes… but only if they were deemed impossible to wear on an everyday basis. It’s hard to say whether a tight-fitting, open-chested purple jumpsuit is prêt-à-porter. Either way, it’s fun to look back on some of ABBA’s inventive fashion.

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