80's Style
There was a number of various styles in the eighties - too many for me to name all. Here is a selection of the styles I remember most. Take a Scroll down memory lane (see what I did there)
Workout Wear
Workout wear was influenced by Hollywood movies like 'Flashdance' and Olivia Newton-John's "Physical" music video. Legwarmers and headbands in rainbow colours became acceptable accessories. Sweatpants with waistbands rolled down, the cuffs rolled up with an 'off-the-shoulder' shirts were very popular.
'Physical' - 1981
Olivia Newton-John
80'S 'Get in Shape Girl'
Movement in motion commercial
The Slogan T-shirt
In the early 80's, Katherine Hamnett CBE, designed oversized t-shirts with large block letter slogan's and were made popular by British bands like 'Frankie goes to Hollywood' and 'WHAM'.
Katherine Hamnett meeting
the Prime Minister Margaret
Thatcher - 1984
George Michael - 1987
Collection of Katherine Hamnett's fashion shows, featuring that Slogan Tee - 1985
Wham 'Wake me up before you go,go' - 1987
The Ra Ra skirt
The Ra Ra is a two or three (or sometimes more) layered skirt that became very popular with teenage girls in the early 80's. They came in a variety of materials such as denim and Lycra, and bright colours and prints.
Kylie Minogue
'The Locomotion' - 1988
Winona Ryder in
'Heathers' - 1988
Ra Ra Skirts Advert
'Kay's Catalogue' - 1983
Kylie Minogue
'The Locomotion' - 1988
Natasha - 'Iko Iko'
Top of the Pops - 1982
The Power Suit
Eighties working women called for working clothes - the Power Suit. Shoulder pads, fitted waists, slim skirts, gold buttons, perfectly coiffed hair and high heels were the norm.US television series 'Dynasty' epitomised the eighties power dressing style for women.
Linda Evans as
Krystle Carrington
in 'Dynasty' - 1982
Shoulder Pads
The 'Dynasty Collection' by costume designer Nolan Miller - 1984
He worked on the show from 1981-1989
The show set the big shoulder pads trend.
1980's Toilet Cleaner Advert
Featuring big shoulder pads
Acid Wash Jeans
Contrary to them name, acid washing involves chlorine (not acid) andpumice stones. Acid washed jeans were available in many different styles, tapered leg, short and regular lengths. If you wanted to be in the 'it' crowd you had an acid wash jean jacket to match.
Pamela Anderson late 80's
Double Denim Acid Wash
Worn by all during the 80's
Brooke Sheilds &
George Michael - 1988
Cartoon Jeans
Cartoon Jeans were a fashion for kids during the late 80's. They were usually acid wash with a printed transfer of a cartoon character on the top of your leg. Some popular cartoons included 'Tom & Jerry', 'Garfield' and 'The Flintstones'.
Cartoon Jeans -
Thanks to Huffington Post & e-Bay
The Shell Suit
The Shell Suit was a lightweight jacket and trouser combo, made out of Nylon material. They hit the fashion scene in the late 80's when flourescent colours were popular - this meant that Shell Suits came in all manner of different garish colours along with coloured stripes and patterned panels.
Based on the design of a jogging pant, the Shell Suit's loose trousers always featured elastic waits and elastic cuffed ankles. To achieve the 'cool' look, you teamed your Shell Suit with big white trainers!
Neon Colours
The Converse shoe company have been making them since 1917, however, by 1980 the shoes had become a fashion statement and were available in dozens of colours. Black, white, red, pink, blue, yellow - you name it, you could get it! They were worn with leggings, Ra Ra skirts and even with the power suits.
Socks, gloves, leggings and jewellery - especially rubber bangles, came in bright, luminous pinks, yellows, greens and blues. A fashion fad popular with the kids was to wear your neon socks mis-matching!
Converse
Converse Advert - 1987
Madonna
Madonna was the teen fashion icon of the 80's. Natural beauty was out of the question, with statement pink lipstick and blue eyeshadow. Hair was big and accessories were supersized.
Hats, fingerless gloves, lace and frills were usually worn altogether!
Bum Bag
A Bum Bag is a highly functional pouch bag that clipped around your waist, worn at the front or the back - hence the name 'Bum' bag. They came in a variety of colours, which meant that you could match them with your Shell Suits.
Once thought of as a fad - they can still be seen around the world today usually worn by American holiday makers who now call it a fanny pack.
It was very cool to wear a bum bag in the 80's
The Jelly Shoe
A PVC plastic shoe, often brightly coloured, transparent and sometimes infused with glitter, in a strappy style sandal. The name refers to the plastic looking like the sheen seen on jelly. Many girls wore the Jelly shoe in the 80's, there was even a jelly bag to match!
Jelly Shoes featured in
'Seventeen' magazine - 1984
The eighties represented a time of outrageous fashion - the next decade was very different, with simple understated clothing in muted colours. Gone the cluttered over the top glamour look of the 80's. Check out the next page to see what the nineties had to offer.