Wednesday 29 February 2012

The 1980s

For some, the 80’s were a great time. The creation of MTV revolutionised fashion, the music industry and even how we watched TV. For others, it was nothing but bad hair, worse clothing and music that often had more to do with machines than talent.  We take the former approach and relish the excess and outrageous fashions that the 80s managed to make mainstream.  We didn't accessorize - we "excessorized".




The clothes worn in the 80s depicted people who were trying to find themselves. Men wore thick make-up and women wore short hair. Both sexes were looking for an identity. 1980s clothing styles are back on the shelves now.



Coca-Cola rugby shirts were 'cool' in the mid-eighties in America. With bold primary (or sometimes pastel) wide stripes and that famous cursive logo:


Underoos for kids in the 1980s:


Spiderman & The Flash underoos (Photo credit: Russ Sprague)

Hair from the 1980s: The basic principle of this new wave haircut involves asymmetry—specifically having hair on one side noticeably longer than the other side:

Asymmetrical Hairstyles: Cyndi Lauper
Cyndi Lauper

and the 'Flock Of Seagulls' Styling:

Flock of Seagulls Styling: Mike Score of Flock of Seagulls
Mike Score
and even 'New Wave' spikes:
New Wave Spikes: David Gahan of Depeche Mode
David Gahan

Films were released such as Karate Kid:


which showed typical fashions of the time - vest tops, grown hair and jeans pulled up high.

Arnold Schwarzenegger was also a huge hit in the 80s with films such as 'Commando':


More 1980s Fashion:

 The Mullet  hair do is such a strong look visually and is the most iconic hairstyle of this era. Mullets were generally a look that men sported, but women also had their hair styled into longer versions of a mullet. Celebrities such as Dirty Dancing actor Patrick Swayze, tennis player Andre Agassi and the infamous Michael Jackson were known for their mullet hairstyles.



In the 1980s, two women who were admired for their sense of style were Madonna and Princess Diana. Renowned for her constant fashion reinvention, Madonna's look changed from album cover to album cover. Her cone shaped bras, her punky grunger look and her peroxide blonde hair were the most iconic looks she wore. Princess Diana was adored for her smart, elegant fashion sense, and a number of high street shops imitated her designer fashion wear. This then enabled women to dress like Princess Diana.

The 1980s is known for being an experimental decade in the fashion world. Many stars started trends, which were then copied by fans. Trends from vibrant colours to mullet hairstyles will not be forgotten, as the 1980s introduced some memorable fashion trends. In the same way that many of the fashion trends are remembered and celebrated, the 1980s is a popular theme for parties.

Fame the musical made a mark on the 1980s fashion trends. Florescent colours were seen everywhere and anywhere, with clothing such as brightly coloured tights, neon coloured head bands and various items of dancewear becoming increasingly popular. This striking dance wear was even worn by people who were not sporty. One look at continues to be popular today is leggings, which initially were popular as a result of the film, Fame.

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