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1980s Fashion: Styles, Trends & History

1980s fashion can be commended for its creativity. Some fashion designers abandoned history, some borrowed from it, while others tried to design the future. Designers abandoned all convention — and their creations were interesting to say the least.

The early 80s were somewhat subdued in color, where we see a lot browns and tans and oranges. Blocky shapes were everywhere and dressing like a tennis player was the cool thing to do.

Velour was hot and velvet was even hotter. For both men and women, the waistline was a little high.

But let’s face it, early 1980s fashion was very similar to the late 1970s. In 1983 there was a slight 1950s-style throwback, especially in women’s dresses.

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Bright colored accessories like sunglasses, bangles and hoop earrings were a necessity. Teased hair, loud makeup and neon were an important part of this style. This style was obviously more popular with the younger crowd.

But that didn’t mean “regular” women in the 1980s couldn’t have fun. It was an exceptionally flexible time when a woman could wear skin-tight cotton stirrup pants with leggings and a giant turtleneck sweater one day — and parachute pants with a small v-neck top and a high-waist belt the next.

By the late 80s, Nike had grown into one of the most profitable clothing companies in the world. Like Coke vs. Pepsi, Reebok vs. Nike was the athletic wear battle of the decade. With the help of Michael Jordan, Nike won the war. In 1988, every kid had to have a pair of Air Jordans and a Chicago Bulls baseball cap.

If you ever hear someone talk about “Cosby sweaters”, they are referring to sweaters that were most popular in 1989. By then, women’s clothing had gotten considerably more baggy as women clamored for styles that hearkened back to a more conservative time.

The best example of late-1980s for boys is Zack Morris (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) from Saved by the Bell. One look at a 1989 catalog feels like a glimpse into the troublemaking teen’s bedroom floor.

In-Depth 1980s Fashion Profiles

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Women’s clothing in 1980 ran the gamut from conservative to opulent fantasy. Many designers reached back in history for inspiration. The looked to the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the Victorian era and even the Peruvian Indians for something “new.” A few avant-garde designers took their cues from futurism and designed clothes that looked like uniforms for space travel.

1980 witnessed a revival of the classic “preppie” look that began in New England prep schools in the 40s and 50s.

China saw its first American fashion show in 1980, when Halston presented his large collection. Chinese reactions ranged from polite admiration to outright dismay.

Designers did what they could to try to please women. They opted for choice. Hemlines bounced up and down and there was no prescribed length — day or night. Shapes ranged from slim to extremely full and blousons returned.

Velvet was popular around the clock and women wore lace with tweeds and leather. Clothes could be made of any color, with emphasis on blocks and asymmetrical bands of two or more colors.

Men’s dressing styles changed very little in 1980. One noticeable development for men’s fashion was that it was becoming more acceptable for men to wear sport coats and slacks to events that previously required a suit.

Fashion in 1981

The rule in 1981 was a lack of rules. Hemline length was now completely up to the wearer’s preferences. Some women wanted short, some wanted long, but most ended up somewhere in the middle.

Designers got extremely inventive with pants. Armani, Valentino and other introduced creative shapes like balloon pants, breeches, Bermuda shorts and styles that were puffy around the hips and taped around the ankles.

These styles were more popular in Europe than in the U.S., where women continued their support of culottes. These culottes were varied in design, with some resembling skirts, while others looked like pants.

Rising prices led to the rise in appeal to multi-purpose clothing. People wanted to wear their work pants around the house and vice versa.

Gold, copper, brass and other metals appeared on blouses and skirts. Accessories such as handbags, shoes and belts sparkled. Leather was also quite popular in 1981, with new processes making some leather as soft as silk.

Fashion in 1982

Fashion, traditionally the province of rich and leisured women, subtly changed its focus in 1982. The most successful styles were moderately subdued, in durable fabrics that required little upkeep and in quiet, basic colors.

There were two main reasons for this development. 1.) The worldwide recession put extravagant clothes out of reach for a good portion of the population and 2.) a growing number of women continued to join the workforce.

With more women moving in executive roles in the workplace, the demand for business suits increased.

Perry Ellis, then one of the “rising stars” of fashion, was successful with his near-ankle lengths. Bill Blass and Adolfo — favorites of Nancy Reagan — kept their hemlines around the knee. Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren both favored calf-length clothes.

In 1982, sportswear is adapting well to everyday contemporary needs.

Donna Karan and Louis Dell’Olio are inducted into the Coty Hall of Fame. Feathers replaced beads and sequins as the latest extravagance.

Fashion in 1983

Japanese designers dominated the fashion world in 1983. Featuring the likes of Yohji Yamamoto, Kansai, Rei Kawakubo and Mitsuhiro Matsuda — unknowns in the western world up to that point — the formless, dark elegant styles influenced designers around the globe.

The new style was innovative in its approach. Clothes were cut so full that there was no need for sizes. One size for everyone. There was no attempt to define a figure and their colors were more subdued. This loose-fitting philosophy encroached in all types of clothing, including American sportswear, which had became noticeably less form-fitting.

Resort clothing, also known as summerwear, was quite popular in 1983. Light-colored slacks and Hawaiian shirts were a common leisure outfit.

Basketball shoes and athletic-licensed apparel was extremely popular. Everywhere you looked you saw at least one person wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with the emblem of their favorite team. Nike was preparing to make its move as a major player in the fashion industry.

T-shirts were probably the most popular casual piece of clothing in 1983. Sleeves were short, the fabric was typically a super-thin, cotton-poly blend and the shirts were tight-fitting (but getting a little bigger) Many t-shirts had funny or crude sayings on them. The decrease in the cost of clothing manufacturing meant that there were more t-shirt designs available than ever before.

Denim jeans were hugely popular and corduroy also enjoyed some success. Popular pants manufacturers included Lee, Levi’s, Wrangler, among many others.

Fashion in 1984

In 1984, women’s fashion was dominated by what was at the time known as menswear. A typical outfit would consist of a sports jacket, trousers and a big overcoat. Many woman completed the look by cutting their hair short. It was bold, risky, and very much in style.

Giorgio Armani could be called the father of this new look, as his Fall 1984 collection ushered it into the public eye. It was such a good year for Armani he won the Golden Eye Award from the international fashion press. The boyish look wasn’t just in Italy however, it was showing up in French and British catalogs as well.

The masculine look was adopted by all the major American manufacturers as well. The menswear concept offered a clean, simple way for women to wear the same clothes in their professional lives as their personal ones.

Separates were very important. A sweater could be swapped for a blouse; jackets could be worn with skirts or pants and large overcoats could on top of anything.

Of course, a counter-trend developed. Some women rejected the new look and instead opted for very tight clothing that left little to the imagination.

By the fall of 1984, searing hot colors like pink, chartreuse and citron yellow began to appear in dresses, suits and coats.

London, which had dominated the youth movement in the 1960s, was staging a comeback. Zandra Rhodes, Jean Muir, Katharine Hamnett, Body Map and Jasper Conran were showing up in American stores alongside fashions from Paris and Milan. London was back.

Adrienne Vittadini won the award for women’s fashion while Andrew Fezza won the men’s category. Special awards were given to M & J Savitt for jewelry.

Fashion in 1985

Fashion in 1985 was so wide-ranging it’s almost impossible to cover it all in a few paragraphs. To boil it down to its essence, the fashion world had four major hubs: Paris, Milan, London and New York City. The style you liked dictated which city you were buying your designs from. All four were quite different from each other. The only real constant was a wide shoulder. Everything else, color, fabric, cut, was fair game.

In Paris, the top designers were Yves Saint Laurent, Karl Lagerfeld (Chanel), Hubert de Givenchy and Emanuel Ungaro. Italy featured top designers Valentino and Giorgio Armani. The top American designers in 1985 were Geoffrey Beene and James Galanos. Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, and Anne Klein set the tone for sportswear, simplifying their styles to achieve a more modern look. London was proud of successful newcomers Betty Jackson and Sheridan Barnett.

But possibly the most successful newcomer in 1985 was Anne Klein & Co.’s Donna Karan. After surprisingly leaving Anne Klein to go out on her own, Karan’s clothing line was a smash hit. Her clothes perfected the art of feminine sophistication in casual form. One prime example is her method of tying a sarong skirt around narrow pants.

Also notable, 1985 saw the end of the Coty American Fashion Critics’ Awards, which for 43 years had celebrated the industry’s most promising and successful designers.

It was around this time that fashion was starting to splinter off into so many separate factions that it’s difficult to summarize. There were very many different designers who were successful in their own way. No longer was it normal for people to all dress similarly. There were dozens of trends that came and went, some stayed for several years.

The bottom line: the fashion industry was changing forever.

Fashion in 1986

The long, full wool coat emerged the fall of 1986 as everyone’s favorite fashion. It became the unifying link in a still-fragmented fashion where, increasingly, anything goes. The big coat covered long flaring skirts, skinny knee-bearing skirts, pants, bulky sweaters, shirts, blouses and even jackets.

The search was on for fresh looks. In London, newcomer Alistair Duncan Blair, whose first collection was acclaimed for its stylish, tailored look.

Romeo Gigli was the new name in Milan. Trained as an architect, he brought a simple, old-fashioned charm to sweaters and skirts. Also in Italy was Zack Carr, a former Calvin Klein assistant, who created spare, minimalist designs for Giorgio Armani and Valentino.

The most promising new designer in the U.S. was 23-year-old Marc Jacobs who released fanciful designs that ran from battle jackets in printed satin to princess dresses with petticoats.

New York sportswear designers were widely praised for the contemporary approach to fashion. The upgraded their clothes by using luxury fabrics such as cashmere and alpaca rather than by adding frills. The leading names in this category were Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Donna Karen and Perry Ellis — who died on May 30 at age 46.

Mink was the fur of choice in 1986. As women moved into better-paying professions, they were able to afford more high-end furs.

Fashion in 1987

The big news in fashion in 1987 was the resurgence of the short skirt. For some time, fashion designers had insisted that anything goes when it came to the length of hemlines. Most women had accepted this approach and some alternated long skirts with short ones. Other women concentrated on the length they preferred.

1987 Fashion: Vogue Magazine Cover (July)

When fashion collections for fall 1987 were unveiled in the spring, however, it was clear that designers were surprisingly unanimous in their support for the short hemline.

The new hemlines bared the knees and sometimes went to mid thigh. The most popular skirt lengths measured to 21 inches from the waistband to the hem. The shorter lengths were fashion choice for teenagers, but women of all ages began revealing their knees.

Although the new shorter skirts were designed for fall, women jumped the gun and began rolling up the waistbands or turning up their hemlines on their longer outfits to accommodate the new trend before the shorter fashions hit the stores.

Stores didn’t go crazy. They still offered longer skirts, but it was clear, short was in.

Fashion in 1988

The extreme femininity displayed in 1987 was a little more subdued in 1988. Colors became a but more classic and clothes were a bit slimmer, but the youthful exuberance from the previous year remained.

More than ever, women demanded variety. Last year, the short skirt was nearly the only thing available in stores. But some women weren’t comfortable showing so much leg, or others couldn’t wear short skirts at work or school due to dress codes. They needed some conservative hemlines to choose from.

In the spring of 1988, Chanel introduced a handful of suits with long, narrow, elegant skirts. The next month Donna Karan released some summer dresses with hemlines that ranged from the knee t the mid-calf.

Sales were down in 1988, with most retailers blaming either the stock market crash or the fad that was the miniskirt.

Trousers made a strong comeback in 1988, being featured in high fashion collections from Calvin Klein and Giorgio Armani.

Yves Saint Laurent was in what some considered a slump when he released what was arguably his best collection in 1988. Lacroix made bubble skirts that very popular for a moment.

Armani set the pace for soft-tailored suits. Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, Louis Dell’Olio and Donna Karan all softened their look.

Geoffrey Beene celebrated his 25th year in the fashion industry. During a six-week retrospective honoring his career, his clothes were displayed on mannequins as art.

Fashion in 1989

The fashion focus in 1989 was on jackets as the staple of most women’s wardrobes. Linen, wool and silk were the fabrics of choice. Several designers wanted smaller shoulder pads. Jackets varied in almost every design: ranging from short and swingy to long enough to be worn with stretch pants.

1989 Fashion Magazine Cover

Designers once again created clothes that faithfully followed the lines of the body. Popular colors in 1989 were plums, gold and bright wines. Animal prints were also a popular choice for women.

Dresses and skirts could be any length, either stopping inches above the knee or plunging all the way to the ankles. Coats made of cloth and fake fur received a sales boost thanks to animal-rights activists who urged women not to buy the real thing.

Christian Lacroix settled down to a more standard style in 1989. He worked to establish ready-to-wear fashions to complement his flamboyant made-to-order styles.

Designers in the U.S. had a very successful year 1989. Donna Karen’s sexy interpretations of American sportswear and her DKNY collection of casual weekend clothes were a huge hit both in the U.S. and Europe.

Calvin Kline and Ralph Lauren both had very good year and were capturing more overseas business daily.

Bill Blass and Oscar de la Renta were the top evening wear designers.

In May, Dior chose Italian designer Gianfranco Ferre to design both its couture and ready-to-wear collections. Ferre replaced Marc Bohan, who had been with Dior since 1960.

Fendi, the Roman fashion house best known for the fur coats, released reversible coats that could be worn either leather side out or fur side out. The coats were made without linings.

1980s Women’s Fashion Pictures

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1980s Fashion: A Nostalgic Look at Decade-Defining Styles

By: Author Valerie Forgeard

Posted on April 6, 2024

Categories Lifestyle

Imagine stepping into a time machine and landing in the 1980s, an era where fashion was as bold and eclectic as the music that filled the airwaves.

You’d be greeted by a world of neon colors, leg warmers, acid-wash jeans, and shoulder pads that seemed to stretch out forever.

The ’80s fashion scene was a playful and often audacious expression of creativity, embracing a “more is more” philosophy that still resonates in today’s styles.

During this decade, you could see influences ranging from punk to pop , athletic to power dressing. Each trend tells a story of when fashion wasn’t afraid to make a statement.

Whether it was Madonna’s layered mesh and lace or Michael Jackson’s iconic military-style jackets, the clothing of the ’80s wasn’t just about dressing up; it was about making an unforgettable impression. So, let’s rewind the tape, adjust our oversized blazers, and explore what made the 1980s a groundbreaking era for trends in fashion .

Cultural Influences

In the 1980s, your fashion sense could be heavily shaped by the cultural icons you admired. Heavily influenced by television, music, and renowned fashion figures, each medium brought its own unique flair to your wardrobe choices.

Television and Film

The TV shows and movies you adored also dictated the fashion trends — what your favorite characters wore quickly became a staple in your closet.

Dynasty, with its influential businesswomen portrayed by Joan Collins , introduced you to the glamour of power dressing, complete with shoulder pads and sequins.

Young audiences saw Brooke Shields in The Blue Lagoon and suddenly, your denim collection multiplied. It wasn’t long before a touch of Hollywood style became a part of your everyday look.

Music Icons

Imagine the bold stage outfits of music legends like Madonna and Michael Jackson becoming a part of your daily fashion.

You probably remember Madonna’s influence with her lace gloves, fishnet stockings, and layered necklaces. And who could forget Michael Jackson’s iconic red leather jacket with zippered black stripes, setting the stage for a global leather craze? These music icons didn’t just produce chart-toppers; they transformed your closet into a stage.

Fashion Icons

Royal and celebrity influences, such as Princess Diana’s elegant and classic ensembles, taught you how to blend regality with contemporary fashion. Cher ‘s fearless fashion choices pushed the boundaries with her dazzling outfits.

Other influential figures like Grace Jones and Annie Lennox broke conventional gender norms with androgynous looks, bringing avant-garde ideas right to your doorstep. The inspiration you drew from these fashion icons instilled confidence and individuality in how you dressed.

Defining Trends of the 80s

As you reminisce about the 1980s , it’s impossible not to picture the distinctive fashion trends that defined the decade. You saw an exuberant display of vibrant colors and innovative styles—big shoulders, neon hues, and an emergence of casual sportswear outside the gym.

Vibrant Color Schemes

The 80s were renowned for their bold use of color . Warm neon hues became staples in everyone’s wardrobe, with outfits often featuring electric pinks , yellows , and oranges . Your closet wasn’t complete without at least a few pieces in these attention-grabbing shades .

• Stand-out Neon : These pieces lit up every room from neon leg warmers to shocking pink shirts.
• Pastel Mixes : In contrast, soft pastel colors also had their moment, offering a subdued yet stylish palette.

Athleisure and Fitness Obsession

The decade saw the rise of athleisure , as activewear leapt into the fashion forefront. Your day-to-day outfits likely included spandex leggings or leotards , reflecting the era’s fitness craze .

• Leisure and Sport : Comfort met style with velour track suits and loose-fitting sneakers .
• Workout Ready : Whether you were actually headed to the gym or not, leg warmers and headbands became everyday accessories.

Rise of Punk and New Wave

Punk and New Wave genres had a massive influence on your fashion, embracing leather jackets and ripped jeans . This rebellious fashion trend was all about individuality, with bold hair styles and makeup to match.

• Punk’s Edge : Think studded jewelry and safety pin adornments that shouted non-conformity.
• New Wave Flourish : It brought velvet blazers and ruffled shirts into the mainstream with an artsy twist.

The Power Dressing Movement

The Power Dressing movement empowered your wardrobe with power suit outfits and big shoulders , symbolizing strength and authority in the workplace.

• Commanding Silhouettes : Shoulder pads weren’t just for linebackers; they became a critical feature in women’s blouses and business attire.
• Textures and Detail : Elements like puff sleeves , ruffles , and sequins added a luxurious touch to power dressing, elevating the right blend of power and femininity.

Key Clothing Items

In the 1980s, fashion was about making a statement. It was the era of excess, characterized by unique styles and combinations, that stood out. Let’s dive into what you would find in a fashionable ’80s wardrobe.

Tops and Blouses

• Sweaters: Bold prints and loud patterns were common on sweaters. Think of Bill Cosby’s iconic sweaters for a picture of ’80s style.
• Shirts: From oversized t-shirts to polo shirts—rolled up sleeves were a staple for both casual and business attire.
• Turtlenecks: Often layered under a blazer, the turtleneck was a versatile piece found in many closets.

Pants and Skirts

• Skirts: Mini skirts were paired with leggings; however, the pencil skirt often took the stage in professional settings.
• Pants: Sturdy denim jeans shared popularity with stirrup pants and parachute pants, all making a statement.
• Blazers: An ’80s staple, blazers were often worn with shoulder pads for that power silhouette.
• Leather Jacket: The leather jacket became synonymous with the ’80s, thanks to its edge and flexibility in styling.
• Denim Jacket: Much like the leather jacket, the denim jacket was essential for a casual yet cool look.
• Shoes: Classic pumps in various colors were essential for women’s fashion, often coordinated with outfits for a complete look.
• Sneakers: Comfort met style with sneakers becoming a fashion statement popularized by movies and celebrities.
• Boots: Footwear choices ranged from the practical, such as Doc Martens, to the showy, like cowboy boots .

In summary, the ’80s brought about an eclectic mix of bold clothing items that allowed individuals to express their personalities through vibrant color palettes, diverse materials, and distinctive cuts.

Accessories and Details

In the eclectic era of the 1980s, accessories defined the vibrancy and boldness of fashion with prominent items such as hoop earrings and pearl necklaces capturing the essence of the time. You’ll see how the right extras turned ordinary outfits into iconic fashion statements.

The Bold and the Bright

The ’80s were about making statements, and your accessories were expected to stand out. Start with sunglasses , which were as much a fashion statement as they were practical. Styles ranged from colorful oversized frames to quirky shapes that challenged the norms. Bangles were stacked high on wrists, and bold belts cinched waists over blazers or shirts to add a touch of glamour or contrast to an outfit.

Hats could range from wide-brimmed to sensational snapbacks, each adding an unmistakable ’80s flair. Not to be forgotten, gloves came in an assortment of styles, and they often matched with other accessories to complete a look. If you step out, try to include a touch of these nostalgic items to channel the true spirit of 1980s fashion.

• Sunglasses : Oversized, vibrant
• Bangles : Layers, colorful
• Belts : Bold, cinching
• Hats : Varied styles, from boho chic wide-brimmed to casual snapbacks
• Gloves : Matching, assorted styles

Signature 80s Hair Styles

Your hair was your crowning glory in the ’80s, and the accessories you chose were pivotal. Scrunchies weren’t just practical; they were a vital part of the big hair’s volume and color story. Coming in every hue and fabric imaginable, they could make a ponytail an event on its own.

And let’s talk about jewelry . Chunky hoop earrings provided a geometric contrast to wild locks, while pearl necklaces added a touch of elegance, even when paired with the era’s edgy styles. Hair accessories could turn even the most basic hairstyles into a masterpiece, with vibrant bows, bands, and clips.

• Scrunchies : Colorful, volumizing
• Hoop Earrings : Chunky, contrast-enhancing
• Pearl Necklaces : Elegance-adding, versatile

Subtly incorporate these accessories into your hair styling to capture the exuberance of ’80s hair trends. Whether you prefer a high ponytail with a neon scrunchie or a more elegant look with pearls, the accessories you choose can elevate your ’80s-inspired hair game significantly.

Fashion Movements and Styles

In the 1980s , you witnessed a vibrant clash of fashion movements, from the high-end catwalks that celebrated avant-garde designs to the streets where hip-hop and preppy styles reigned. Your wardrobe could speak volumes about your social status, aspirations, and musical tastes, with each style serving as a distinct fashion statement.

High Fashion and Avant-Garde

Avant-garde fashion in the ’80s made bold statements with its unconventional and artistic designs. It was not just clothing; it was an expression of art.

Designers like Vivienne Westwood propelled punk fashion to the forefront, churning out pieces as much a form of rebellion as they were attire.

You saw the influence of art in fashion all the more prominently with clothes that featured abstract prints, bold colors, and asymmetrical cuts. High fashion during this decade wasn’t about playing it safe—it was a canvas for showcasing creativity and innovation.

The Casual Streetwear Wave

The ’80s were a defining period for streetwear , with hip-hop culture taking apparel out of the clubs and onto the streets.

You could be sporting an oversized graphic tee, baggy pants, and sneakers with thick, chunky soles—reflecting an emerging music movement right through your outfit.

Brands like Adidas became synonymous with 80s fashion trends , as they captured the essence of comfort meeting style. It was an era where your casual attire didn’t just say you were relaxed, it screamed your individuality and affiliation to the cultural wave of the time.

The Business-Casual Evolution

During this period, power dressing became a staple of your professional wardrobe, showcasing tailored suits that exuded confidence and authority.

Menswear for women became increasingly popular, bringing a sense of empowerment and equality to the workplace. The ’80s took business-casual to new heights, often integrating elements of high fashion to create a sophisticated, yet not overly formal appearance.

Silk blouses, shoulder pads, and knee-length skirts became your armor in an office environment where making a statement was just as important as the work you did.

Notable Fashion Designers and Brands

During the 1980s, fashion was distinct and expressive, with several designers and brands leaving a permanent stamp on the industry. Below is a snapshot of the most influential entities of the decade:

Fashion Designers: The landscape was shaped by iconic figures.

• Katharine Hamnett became known for her bold slogan T-shirts and political activism.
• Ralph Lauren continued to define American sportswear with his preppy, polished lines.
• The unparalleled Calvin Klein mastered minimalism and was known for his denim and underwear lines.
• Vivienne Westwood rebelled against the norm with her punk-inspired collections.
• Tommy Hilfiger debuted in 1985, capturing the youth culture with his Americana-themed designs.
• Yves Saint Laurent remained an influential designer known for his classic and refined women’s suits.
• Athletic wear became a fashion statement, with brands like Nike , Reebok , and Adidas moving from the sports fields to the streets.
• In denim, Jordache and Wrangler were among the go-to labels, championing the quintessential tight jeans that defined much of the era’s fashion.

The ’80s were an era where your outfit spoke before you did , making the statements loud and the memories last. As you reminisce or perhaps discover the era’s trends for the first time, remember these names; they were the architects of a vibrant decade in fashion.

Fashion’s Lasting Impact

The vibrant and diverse styles of 1980s fashion have made a profound mark on today’s trends and popular culture. You’ll find that its influence is not just a homage but a reinforcement of how transformative those years were on modern dressing norms .

Modern Influence

You might notice elements of 1980s outfits in today’s fashion, from the resurgence of neon colors and animal prints to the return of chunky sneakers and leggings. These iconic styles echo the past yet fit seamlessly into the future of fashion.

Designers often reference 80s aesthetics, using them as a frame to craft contemporary pieces—you could say that the history of 80s fashion provides a rich tapestry that continues to inspire modern creators.

• Bold Patterns : A common thread between 80s fashion and current trends.
• Denim : Once an 80s staple, it remains ubiquitous in everyone’s wardrobe.
• Athleisure : Evolved from 80s leisure suits to today’s streetwear must-haves.

The Resurgence in Pop Culture

Your favorite shows and music videos will likely be filled with nods to the 80s. MTV revolutionized how fashion was consumed through music; the same visual impact can be seen across various media platforms.

The classic show Saved by the Bell encapsulates 80s high school trends and has seen its style cues adopted in recent fashion revivals. It’s a testament to the decade’s enduring appeal in pop culture —a space that continues to celebrate the uniqueness of 80s convention and innovation.

Shopping and Wearing Vintage 80s Fashion

Exploring the world of vintage 80s fashion is like stepping into a time machine, where the vibrant and eclectic styles of the past offer endless wardrobe possibilities.

Finding Authentic 80s Pieces

When searching for authentic 80s pieces, check out local thrift stores and vintage shops . These goldmines often have diverse clothing from the era, from acid-wash Levi’s jeans to iconic windbreaker jackets.

If you’re after something specific or a collectible item, head to specialized second-hand stores where you might find that perfect pair of retro high-waisted mom jeans or statement earrings that epitomize the decade.

• Thrift Stores : Broad selection, exceptional finds, budget-friendly
• Vintage Shops : Curated clothes, higher-end vintage pieces
• Online Platforms : Easy searching for collectible items

Incorporating 80s Style in Modern Outfits

To seamlessly blend 80s style into your modern wardrobe , pick one or two statement pieces and pair them with current trends.

An oversized sweater can be matched with skinny jeans and ankle boots, or you could combine a pair of high-waisted Levi’s with a contemporary crop top.

Remember, it’s all about balance and making the outfit work for you without feeling like a costume.

• Statement Earrings : A simple way to add an 80s flair
• Oversized Tops : Combine with fitted bottoms for a modern twist
• Bright Colors & Patterns : Use sparingly to complement your outfit

The 1980s stand out as a vibrant chapter in fashion history. You’ve seen how this era embraced bold colors , unique patterns , and daring designs that broke conventional boundaries. The flashy and inventive spirit of the ’80s has left a lasting impact.

Various genres and subcultures influenced the era’s fashion trends. Whether it was the power dressing that commanded attention in boardrooms or the gritty glamour of punk-rock aesthetics , your wardrobe choices could express many facets from this dynamic decade.

As you look around today, you might notice elements of ’80s style returning onto the streets and the runways. The era’s bold silhouettes and saturated colors haven’t just inspired nostalgia but have been reimagined by contemporary designers.

• Neon hues are popping up in modern apparel.
• Big hair and power suits might be seen at throwback-themed events.
• Athletic wear from the decade, like Air Jordans, has even become collectible.

Fashion from the ’80s, your bold character and refusal to blend in will continue to be celebrated, remembered, and reinvented for years.

'80s Fashion Is Back—These Were the Most Iconic Looks at the Time

When it comes to '80s fashion , we have a (surprising) amount to be thankful for. While the decade hasn't influenced our wardrobes for a long time, in recent months, we've come to the realization that all the most current trends today are courtesy of the '80s. And if you're sitting there with a raised eyebrow, it's worth noting that at the end of last year, the trend had seen an 87% increase on Pinterest.

Now, if you're not too familiar with the nuances of this era, there are a few standout looks we're sure you'll recognize: big shoulders, white jeans,  underwear as outerwear and oversize jewelry. It was the decade of the power dresser but also of punks. It gave us Madonna, Tina Turner, and Cher, plus numerous other superstars whose sense of style influences many in 2023.

Don't believe us? From the fact that  Princess Diana's archive is inspiring some of the world's most influential designers to the more basic resurgence in women wearing blazers with jeans again, we've found 25 A-list images that prove these '80s fashion looks are as current now as they were then. Keep scrolling to click through our gallery of iconic '80s outfits.

1. Bodysuits

Style Notes: This is classic '80s Madonna, but the underwear/ bodysuit  look is bang on the money for now. You can forgo the pearls; just wear yours with some high-waisted jeans for a night out.

2. Naked Dress

Style Notes: As if we needed any more proof that Cher is the ultimate style queen, here was the star doing the naked dress before everyone was doing it at the Met Gala (and every other award show going).

3. Turtlenecks

Style Notes: Brooke Shields was America's number one sweetheart back in the '80s, and here she proves exactly why with those girl-next-door looks. Layering that checked jacket over a shirt and a turtleneck is exactly the kind of street style we saw during last fashion week.

4. See-Through Layers

Style Notes: The Jenner/Kardashian clan has already got this look down—and there are sheer dresses all over the spring runways. But the originator of this style? Another Kim. Kim Basinger.

5. Structured Shoulders

Style Notes: Okay, so the term "structured shoulders" is just another way for us to say "shoulder pads" and attempt to not freak you out, but we've seen a real trend toward this look. Shout-out to Courteney Cox for wearing this on the red carpet pre–Monica Gellar days.

6. Corset Belts

Style Notes: Avid readers of this site will know that we've already tried out this corset-type look . And while Kim Kardashian West has been a major factor as to why it's gotten popular again, we can't deny that Cyndi Lauper may have started the trend. Also: those zebra shoes.

7. Chunky Jewelry

Style Notes: Joan Collins is so incredible in this snap. Is there anything we don't love about it? Answer: No. The jacket, the simple black top, the red lippie… However, it's the gobstopper necklace our magpie eyes focus on. Joan knows the power incredible jewelry has in pulling together an outfit.

8. Checked Outerwear

Style Notes: There were so many incredible outfits we could have included from Princess Diana, but we settled on this "country casual" one. The heritage check on her jacket and matching skirt are classic attire. Not only has this Harrington-style jacket made a comeback in hipster circles, but we're also seeing plaid coats everywhere. Coincidence? We think not.

9. Showing Off Your Socks

Style Notes: Want to know the real way to update your outfit to be 2023-ready? Just add socks à la Meg Ryan. Yes. Really.

10. Tailoring

Style Notes: Grace Jones will never be anything less than fierce, but this incredible look has been seared into our minds. Who wouldn't want to look so focused in a razor-sharp piece of tailoring? (Purple makeup optional, of course.)

11. Miniskirts

Style Notes: When Kylie Minogue went through her bad-girl stage, she wore a lot of high-shine minidresses like this. Get inspired by investing in 2023's version with a great  miniskirt (they're selling out everywhere right now).

12. High-Waisted Jeans

Style Notes: We have some serious love for high-waisted jeans . Tina Turner pulls this look off with aplomb, and we have to agree: Bauble earrings and a white vest are great accessories.

13. Baggy Cropped Trousers

Style Notes: Well, how else do you expect to show off your socks? Thanks to Demi Moore for inspiring us all those years ago. 

Style Notes:  Debbie Harry has brought us many a trend. But during the '80s, we got to see her in chic little black dresses , which she accessorized a flash of low denier at most times. And in case you didn't know, that kind of hosiery is news again.

15. Bold Buttons

Style Notes:  We've seen this trend start to appear on trousers, from old-school joggers to jeans with shiny gold buttons, as well as on the classic Balmain blazers that remain forever popular. Jerry Hall's gold buttons down her nautical blazer and accessorized with gold bracelets made for the ultimate '80s power look. 

16. Off-the-Shoulder Silhouettes

Style Notes: True, Goldie Hawn didn't invent the off-the-shoulder style, but she knew how to do it right . 

17. Leggings

Style Notes: Joan Jett will never be anything less than cool. Her punk-inspired ensembles often involved oversize jackets and skintight trousers. While  leggings have definitely come on a bit since then, take inspo from this look and pair your leggings with a leather jacket this weekend.

18. Shoulder Pads

Style Notes:  Things tended to be pretty oversize during the '80s, and no other item was as exaggerated than the blazer. This is totally Balenciaga, no? 

19. Sequins

Style Notes:  When aren't sequins a great idea? As seen on Diana Ross, this look is making us wish the festive season was already here. 

20. Tassels

Style Notes:  Yes,  the '70s might have been the era for bodysuits, but with the '80s came extra bits like tassels. 

21. Vinyl jackets

Style Notes:  The vinyl coat trend has been everywhere on fashion girls. But it was in the '80s when one of the original supermodels, Cindy Crawford, made it look iconic. 

22. Graphic Tees

Style Notes:  Model Pat Cleveland knew how to make a graphic tee look chic. It's still one of our favorite outfits for the weekend.

23. Oversize Sunglasses

Style Notes: Susan Sarandon is just one of the reasons we love Alessandro Michele's oversize Gucci sunglasses.

24. Oversize Denim Jacket

Style Notes:  Before Sex and the City , SJP was already someone who liked to push the fashion boundaries. 

25. Geek-Chic Glasses

Style Notes:  Geek-chic glasses might be commonplace now, but it was during the '80s that they really took off. While we might all be into metal frames right now, we predict that colored frames, as seen here on Jane Fonda, will be making a comeback. 

Daryl Hannah's got  all the accessories a decent '80s look should have, but you'll notice time and again that gloves (especially with layered jewelry) are key for this decade.

27. Skirt Suits

Sarah Ferguson and Diana, Princess of Wales, were both particularly keen on skirt suits for their more formal events in the '80s. The look translated quickly into offices and parties, especially in this ultra-matchy form.

28. Aerobic Gear

Jane Fonda started it in the 1970s, but by the time the 1980s arrived, Spandex leggings, leotards, and legwarmers were commonplace.

29. Harem Pants

Call them MC Hammer pants or harem pants, but never forget that drop-crotch trousers (the more draped, the better) were a key look in the '80s. Here's Donna Summer doing them justice.

30. Polka Dots

Polka dots are back again, but one of the most current-looking ways they were worn in the '80s was thanks to singer  Sade and this cool shirt.

Next up:  All of the '90s Fashion Trends That Have (and Haven't) Made a Comeback

Opening Image: Getty Images

This post was originally published at an earlier date on Who What Wear UK.

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History of Fashion 1980s – 1990s

“Five foot ten and long-legged like her mother, it is rather as if a charming young giraffe had wondered into the royal enclosure.” 

Vogue, May 1981

Copyright © AFP / Jean-Pierre Couderc / Roger-Viollet – Chanel suit 1983

The Eighties

The eighties saw great social and economic change. 1989 saw the fall of the Berlin wall along with the cold war ending. This was due to the disintegration of the Warsaw Pact leading to the Soviet Union abandoning political hostility to the western world. The collapse of communism in Eastern Europe led to each countries independence and a massive westernization of Eastern Europe. Developing countries across the world faced economic and social strife, most notably Ethiopia witnessed widespread famine resulting on the country relying on other foreign aid to provide food. This led to the famous Live Aid concert set up by Bob Geldof in 1985 to raise money for the country.

Britain saw a royal wedding in 1981 with Lady Dianna and Prince Charles marriage. Watched by 750,000,000 people, Lady Di and her 25meter long train started the meringue dress fashion trend. Most of the developed world saw the early eighties recession. The United States and Japan exited the recession early, however; unemployment was high in the countries affected. Clothing manufacturing began to move offshore to countries with cheaper labour and technological advances continued; personal computers became more readily available and the invention of the World Wide Web happened. With the western worlds introduction of maternity leave, equal pay and more women working, power dressing for women became commonplace.

Arts and Culture

Shapes and Silhouettes

With the rise in professional women and a British female Prime Minister power dressing came to the fore front. Suits were beginning to be seen as social wear and the sharp padded shoulders were a necessity creating a strong silhouette. Bright colours and neons were seen on dresses made out of taffeta fabrics with oversized bow detailing while bold prints were used on oversized T shirts and dresses. Off the shoulder shirts, ¾ length sleeves, crop tops , rolled up sleeves, matching socks, sweaters tied on the waist were all daily trends seen on women. Tight leather pants, stonewashed jeans, Levi 501’s and corduroy pants were also seen as stylish. Another trend for younger women was to have the bra exposed. Seen either though a mesh top or underneath an oversized denim jacket, the look was encouraged by Madonna. The eighties also saw Vivienne Westwood’s “The Witches” collection, which was her last collection with McLaren. The oddly shaped, cut and proportion garments were made using the draping technique. Not being cut on a table or board but on the actually body via, pulling, draping and then cutting.

Copyright © AFP / Roger-Viollet – Pierre Cardin / January 1982

Designer underwear became fashionable during the eighties with women’s styles with lace trimmings, camisole with built in bras and an array of pastel colours becoming popular. It was now seen as more important to wear stylish underwear, celebrities and adverts were influencing people, for example “Back To The Future” saw Michael J Fox wearing lilac  Calvin Klein  briefs.

For teenagers happy pants became a trend, particularly for girls. Originating from Australia were the pants were seen as a basic, the style was of an elasticised pair of shorts, just above the knee made in a bright and bold cotton fabric. In 1986 Dolly magazine released a happy pant pattern for girls to make at home.

New Romanticism and Post 70’s Punk

Copyright © AFP / Roger-Viollet – Punks 1985

New Romanticism was a London club scene in the early eighties. Coming from the punk scene, the more sartorial dressers were less interested in the punk statement but more in the fashion. They were therefore looking for new ideas to draw attention to themselves. The new romanticism look was flamboyant, with historical periods influencing the dramatic look of frills and luscious fabrics. This pirate look was marketed by Vivienne Westwood. For the new romantics there was a conscious effort to look beautiful, luxuriant and attractive in a narcissistic way.

The 1980s featured a post punk gothic style carried on from the seventies that was popular in Europe and America with the ‘LA Scene’. The style featured black clothing made out of unusual materials such as leather, fishnet material and lace. Women wore corsets while both sexes still saw Doc Martens as a staple. Long, back combed hair, pale skin and heavy makeup was worn. The punk style was still being seen in bands including Guns N’ Roses which notably saw their jean jackets attached with safety pins, patches, buttons and odd bits of fabric.

The term Paninaro was used to describe the subculture in Milan in the mid eighties. The Paninaro’s were a group of Italians who would hang out at fast food, sandwich bars. With their own Italian slang, two magazines called “Il Paninaro” and “El cucador”, the Paninaro group were their own culture. Interested in fashion, they were seen wearing shirts and jeans rolled up to the ankle by designers including  Versace ,  Armani  and Levis 501 paired with bomber jackets and timberland boots. Ray-Bans were also popular to compliment the style. In 1986 the Pet Shop Boys commemorated the Paninaro culture with their cult song “Paninaro”.

Exercise Clothing

With the emphasis on a healthy lifestyle more people were exercising and fitness videos were now available. Jane Fonda had her own videos and promoted casual clothing and gym wear. Leotards, leggings and legwarmers all became very popular and where worn with elastic headbands. The leotards boasted bright colours, stripes and polka dots. Movies helped popularize the trend with Fame and Flashdance showing ripped oversized sweatshirts with one bare shoulder exposed and oversized jumpers.

Copyright © AFP / Orion / The Kobal Collection / Schwartz, Andrew

Costume jewellery became popular with the bigger the better! Huge gold or pearl earrings were worn with diamante jewellery almost every day. High heels and flats were worn with Princess Dianna setting the trend for lower heeled footwear. Towards the end of the eighties wedges or gold and metallic shoes were worn during the summer. Doc Martens were still popular from the seventies. However, girls started pairing them with floral dresses to create an edgy look. Clutch bags were hugely popular available in a variety of colours, often with matching shoes. The iconic quilted  Chanel  bag became widely desirable with millions buying copies of the designer bag. Swatch watches, high-tops, slap bracelets, friendship bracelets, hoop earrings and scrunchies were everyday accessories for the eighties. Coloured hair became a trend as did rainbow colours. Crimped, curled, frizzy styles with bangs, platinum blonde, side ponytails and sticking up fringes all were fashionable hair styles. Vivid makeup with light pink lips, glitter, blue eye shadows and beauty moles often partnered the hair styles.

Men were often seen wearing suit jackets with casual T-shirts inspired by the look of the Tubbs and Crocket form the TV programme Miami Vice. Acid washed jeans and leather jackets were worn with Raybans and skinny ties. Some men even copied the MC Hammer style parachute pants. Others who wanted to give an air of chic copied the preppy look which could be seen in khaki pants and polo shirts with the collar turned up, a sweater tied around their shoulders and loafer style shoes.

Copyright © AFP / Orion / The Kobal Collection

Founded by Adele Casagrande in 1918, Fendi is one of the Italian fashion dynasties. Beginning as a leather goods shop,  Fendi  got its name via marriage of Casagrande to Eduardo Fendi in 1925. In 1965 Fendi took on  Karl Lagerfeld  as creative director who created the iconic double F symbol. The eighties saw a successful period for Fendi with the company launching into a sunglass and jeans collection, their first female fragrance and a sportswear and accessory collection aimed for a younger market. Following this success they also launched a male fragrance.

Gianfranco Ferre

Originally trained as an architect, Gianfranco Ferre has been famously compared with Frank Lloyd Wright. With his first show in 1974 and first collection in 1978 he followed with a menswear line in 1982. Known for his voluminous organza shirts, Ferre was appointed artistic director at Christian Diorin 1989. Being told he had only nine weeks to complete, his first collection followed in the same year. His first show for Christian Dior included Grace Jones and Princess Micheal of Kent in the front row. The show was described by vogue as ‘a matter of Dior discipline and Ferre flourish’. On the final day of shows, he was awarded the Golden Thimble, Paris’ highest fashion honour.

Copyrights © Courtesy of Gianfranco Ferré Foundation

Issey Miyake

After working with  Hubert de Givenry , Guy Laroche and Geoffrey Beene,  Issey Miyake  returned to Japan in 1970 after various stints in Paris and New York. With a new style happening in Japan as Kimonos and western clothing had mixed, Miyake saw it as the perfect opportunity to forge a new direction. With his first show shocking audiences’ as a girl stripped of her Issey Miyake creation he went on to make his mark during the eighties. Launching his first male collection in 1982, it featured a shirt Miyake had been working on since 1975. In 1988 he collaborated with photographer Irving Penn to produce a book of photographs and during the eighties he staged an exhibition of black silicone models suspended and hidden in darkness.

Gianni Versace

Versace  worked as a freelance designer for Genny and Callaghan during the seventies which followed on to him creating his first solo collection for Complice in 1975. In 1978 Versace created the Gianni Versace label in Milan which followed on to Versace creating their first advertising campaign with photographer Richard Avedon (which led to a long running collaboration). In 1982 he produced a collection showing metallic garments that helped trademark the company and during the late eighties he designed elaborate stage costumes for Elton John, helping cement his reputation for the future, Sadly in 1997 Gianni was murdered leaving his sister Donatella to succeed him.

Yohji Yamamoto

After opening his company in 1971,  Yohji Yamamoto  came to success during the eighties when he showed in Paris in 1981. Known for the way he uses voluminous garments to wrap and drape around the body in unstructured ways. He caused a furore with the press, with Vogue calling his designs ‘Oblique Chic’.

Other influential designers of the eighties include  Donna Karan ,  Armani , Moschino and  John Galliano .

Written by Saxony Dudbridge

Saxony Dudbridge was one of the first contributors to the Catwalk Yourself project, Saxony studies International Fashion Marketing and she is responsible for our great History and Designers Biographies sections.

6 thoughts on “ History of Fashion 1980s – 1990s ”

just awesome

Love fashion

Does anyone know where I can find info on or get copies of late 1980’s early 90’s UK TV fashion programme THE LOOK ? Thanks

I think they Versace should have stay alive

I loved reading the post regarding the history of fashion. So cool that the fashion world is always impressing.

Hello, Music has been both necessary and extremely important to worldwide fashion shows. The mood it creates is generally chosen by the designer and tells a tale of part of his or her personality as well. I’ve noticed that most written articles about fashion shows rarely mention the music, or those responsible for consulting, mixing, editing and engineering the show music itself. Why?

Thank you, Richard L Brezner

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Denim crazes of the 1980s

A decade of denim fashions.

• A staff writer National Library of Scotland

Acid. Snow. Stone. Ripped. Studded. Shredded. Graffiti. Designer. This was 1980s denim. It was as over-bleached and processed as hair styled in a big blonde mullet.

It was lined with colourful comic-strip fabrics to accompany yellow lipstick and fluorescent pink socks. It was distressed to be layered with oversized shirts and jumpers. It was hacked, torn, drawn on, and pierced. It became retro cool when stripped off in a launderette. It was decadent and designer and it was always desirable.

And the more denim the better. While comedian Harry Enfield bragged that he had 'Loadsamoney', most people in the 1980s wanted loads of denim. The double and even triple denim style from the 1970s was not the fashion flop it later became. Denim skirts were paired with denim waistcoats; denim shirts were tucked into denim shorts, then snuggled under denim jackets.

Why were there so many denim crazes between 1980 and 1990? What drove the explosion of finishes, washes and styles?

Designer fashion

The denim-devoted decade dawned with 15-year-old American actress Brooke Shields in a Calvin Klein jeans advert. She pouted at the camera, long legs clad in dark slinky jeans, stating provocatively that nothing came between her and her Calvins. American fashion designer Klein himself declared, 'Jeans are sex. The tighter they are, the better they sell'.

Originally made for US gold prospectors by Jacob Davis and Levi Strauss in the 1870s, jeans (or 'waist overalls') rode through the 1920s and 1930s as sturdy workwear for miners, cowboys and farmers. In the mid-1950s film 'The Wild One' they were teamed with a white t-shirt, leather jacket and sunglasses on Marlon Brando's smouldering hoodlum biker Johnny Strabler. James Dean wore them to play a delinquent teenager in 'Rebel Without a Cause' and so they were adopted as everyday wear by rebellious youngsters and the writers of the Beat Generation. During the 1960s they were woven into the psychedelic patchwork of the youthful freedom-loving hippy movement.

Calvin Klein was the first fashion designer to launch a denim line

In the 1970s there was a shift from jeans being viewed as counter-culture statements or rugged workwear to an essential part of anyone's casual trendy wardrobe. Combined with pretty blouses and bouncy shiny hair, jeans were connected with a vigorous vibe. Glamorous actress Farrah Fawcett and fashionable wide-eyed models were photographed in flared jeans and denim shorts. European clothes company C&A marketed 'Jinglers' jeans for both men and women with energetic brightly coloured adverts. The cotton fabric, whose name is borrowed from 'serge de Nîmes', became very commonplace and not limited to jeans. Boots, caps and bags were formed from denim to accompany 'his and hers' jeans and jackets.

In 1977 Calvin Klein was the first fashion designer to launch a denim line and this encouraged denim into other fashion designers' collections. Designer jeans became a status symbol, flaunted in lavish advertising campaigns. High-end designer Karl Lagerfeld at Chanel made large unisex denim blazers and Azzedine Alaïa folded denim into form-fitting garments, many with the 1980s power dressing silhouette of wide boxy shoulders and small waist.

The ability of this durable cotton twill fabric to mold itself around each wearer made it fit better and more comfortably than trousers made from other fabrics. The flapping bell-bottoms of the 1970s were replaced by Calvin Klein's slim leg cuts tapering slightly at the ankle. Guess jeans were form fitting, echoing 1950s cigarette pants, while Jordache's jeans featured a high nipped-in waist. Today there are many brands that make jeans to shape, sculpt and enhance the body. The long streamlined legs which Brooke Shields displayed in 1980 have never gone out of fashion.

Club fashion

In 1982 Scottish fashion stylist Ray Petri introduced a rebellious urban look, the opposite of Klein's lean glossy style. This look became known as 'Buffalo', the term taken from the Caribbean expression to describe rude boys or rebels. Influenced by the mutinous Marlon from the 1950s, Petri's North London creative crew of models, musicians and photographers wore their denim with leather jackets. They added oversized layers and ripped their Levis 501s.

Like the leather jacket, the ripped jean wasn't new. It was developed from the mid-1970s anti-establishment statement of worn out jeans, work boots and baggy overalls. Members of The Ramones and Richard Hell from the band Television displayed this look in New York's punk and new wave music club CBGBs. Audacious British duo Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood carried this lacerated look to London's Kings Road clothes shops. McLaren's punk band The Sex Pistols elevated the attire of Hell to a new level of shredded tattiness with the addition of safety pins and zips.

By the time 1988 rolled around the rips in jeans were larger than ever

In early-1980s Britain — a country which was fighting recession, the Falklands War and miner's strikes — designer denim wasn't worn in clubs. Against a backdrop of social unrest, studded with the threats of AIDS/HIV and terrorism, the trend for distressed and baggy jeans was named 'Hard Times' by journalist Robert Elms. The appetite for damaged denim, and indeed denim jeans themselves, may have dwindled again. In mid-1984 fashion commentators were ready to dismiss the blue jean altogether. Despite the bleak economic start to the decade, dynamic creatives formed a fashion industry fed by the London club scene and supported by the British Government. English fashion designer Katherine Hamnett, known for her large white T-shirts printed with political slogans, incorporated shredded denim into her collection. This look was quickly seen on music acts like JoBoxers, Dexy's Midnight Runners and Haysi Fantayzee.

By the time 1988 rolled around the rips in jeans were larger than ever. Members of the tanned boyband Bros wore light coloured jeans with gaping holes in knees, bottom and groin. Jeans were simply not fashionable if they were not slit in multiple places and were worn by a tribe of people who enjoyed defying decency by showing their skin or underwear. Ripped jeans are still being sold and tattered denim formed part of Californian designer Rio Uribe's 2018 Gypsy Sport collection.

Rather than wearing denim for years to achieve a faded, worn appearance, the fabric could be prematurely abraded by washing it with pumice stones. Stonewashed denim had been around since the 1960s as surfers preferred faded, soft jeans and so their denim was bleached with chlorine or sunlight. Worn denim was a desired look in the 1970s, continuing into the 1980s when Lee Jeans began large-scale use of the stonewashing technique in 1982.

In the early 1980s punks splattered their jeans with bleach for a home-made marbling effect as well as decorating their denim with embroidered band patches and studs. Jeans brand Guess offered the first 'pre-washed' jeans as early as 1981 but it was Italian company Rifle Jeans in 1986 who gave the world acid washed jeans. Instead of using just pumice stones, the denim was accidentally exposed to stones and bleach. The method of using chlorine or potassium permanganate to strip off the top layer of denim, leaving the white underneath exposed, was picked up by Levi's.

Blue jeans worked best for acid washing, but black jeans were also suitable. Acid wash — also known as marble wash or moon wash — resulted in a sharper contrast or more splotchy effect than stone washing alone. Acid, snow washed and ripped jeans worn with fringed or motorcycle jackets were a sartorial staple of heavy metal or glam metal bands like Def Leppard, Poison and Bon Jovi. Due to the new wave of treatments pouring onto the mass market the whole world seemed clad in heavily bleached denim.

Snow-washed denim endured into the mid 1990s as part of the punk heavy metal 'grunge' subculture, teamed with slouchy flannel shirts and messy hair. Acid wash denim is still produced as part of 1980s fashion revivals and has been recently worn by singers Rihanna and Katie Perry.

More colour entered fashion from around 1984 as the dour shades of brown and green from the previous decade were cast off. The American singer Madonna, whose career started in the New York club scene, wore her ripped denim with mesh vests. She flaunted lime greens, lemon yellows and lurid oranges in both makeup and plastic jewellery. Most people had a least one fluorescent item in their wardrobe.

Italian luxury fashion house Moschino produced clothes in primary paint box colours and with bold markings and Jean Paul Gaultier preferred brilliantly-coloured tartan. Jeans were not to be the neutral garment to offset blocky patterns and rainbow excess; denim was produced to be as striking as the garments and accessories it was worn with.

Customisation

By 1987 denim was in danger of becoming too popular, according to ID magazine, so the last years of the 1980s experienced a burst of customisation. As with other denim crazes, this one drew influence from the past. Patchwork jeans were popular amongst 1960s hippies, and as denim became more glamorous in the 1970s, it was embellished with embroidery, glitter and fringing.

In the late 1980s denim was again decorated with patches and strips of bright material. Marker pens and studs defaced jackets and jeans in a fever of home-made elaboration. These alterations enhanced the still-popular ripped jeans. Denim coats lined with fabric patterned with vivid comic strips were made by Jordache and brought into high street chains. Shorts and waistcoats were created simply by chopping off jean legs and jacket sleeves.

Glossy designer adverts such as Calvin Klein's and the launch of music channel MTV in 1981 led to a greater exposure of denim trends than in previous decades. In the mid-1980s the three influences of music, fashion and TV all came together in a striking commercial by a UK advertising agency.

Relaunching their 'Basics' line, Levi's commissioned Bartle Bogle Hegarty to make an advert which would attract 16-18 year-olds to their 501 jean. The jeans had an old-fashioned cut, were not acid washed or ripped and they featured a buttoned fly. They also cost more than £20!

The advert's star was one of Ray Petri's 'Buffalo' model muses, Nick Kamen. He sauntered into a launderette, stripped off his black t-shirt and dark blue Levi's 501s and dumped them in a washing machine. Ignoring the scandalised looks of the other customers he sat down to wait in his white boxer shorts, all to the nostalgic beat of Marvin Gaye's 'I Heard It Through The Grapevine'. The 501 became the most popular jean in the world, Nick had a hit single with 'Each Time You Break My Heart', and 1950s pop music enjoyed a revival and was featured in other Levi's adverts.

Music videos were the primary way to bring together music, dance and fashion and were not just contained to MTV. They were shown on many TV shows and became an art-form in their own right. All the denim trends were on show along with other 1980s fashions and hairstyles. Even sport wasn't immune to the lure of denim. American tennis player Andre Agassi wore a tiny pair of Nike acid wash denim shorts at the USA Open in 1988 with a baggy white t-shirt and his trademark long highlighted hair. USA tennis outfitter Vollaix made similar denim shorts in 2017 for those wanting to copy Agassi's sports heartthrob style.

Denim could have faded away, the blue jean returning to be only worn by labourers and cowboys. Twice in the 1980s it was ready to be forsaken as a fashionable item. But denim is a unique fabric because it is both ubiquitous and personal. It changes over time, shaping itself to the wearer's body. In the 1980s these attributes were exploited by designer fashion and inventive club trends. The results of the surge of funding and creativity was taken to the mass market by music videos and advertising and by the mid-1980s the frenzy of consumerism meant that people were eager to buy.

Denim's versatility and industrialisation of treatments meant that stone washing and acid treatments were available easily and cheaply. The innovative spirit behind new technology such as mobile phones, games consoles, synthesisers and computers infected fashion. Designers experimented and not only took past influences but made them, like everything else in the 1980s, big.

Denim still enjoys enormous global appeal, but it was in the 1980s that denim had never had it so good. Or as crazy.

• Essay about London subculture in the early 1980s

Further reading

• ''80's fashion: from club to catwalk' by S Stanfill (London: V&A Publishing, 2013) [National Library shelfmark: PB6.213.975/4].
• '100 years of fashion' by C Blackman (London: Laurence King Publishing, 2012) [Shelfmark: PB6.212.838/10].
• 'A cultural history of fashion in the 20th and 21st centuries: from catwalk to sidewalk' by B English (London: Bloomsbury, 2013) [Shelfmark : PB8.214.669/8].
• 'Blue blooded: Denim hunters and jeans culture' by T S Bojer, J Sims, S Ehmann and R Klanten (Berlin: Gestalten. 2016) [Shelfmark: HB.5.216.8.70].
• 'Blue Jeans: The art of the ordinary' by D Miller and S Woodward (Berkeley, California, London: University of California Press, 2012) [Shelfmark: PB8.212.229/7].
• 'Denim: From cowboys to catwalks: A visual history of the world's most legendary fabric' by G Marsh, P Trynka and J March (London: Aurum, 2002) [Shelfmark HP4.203.0757].
• 'Denim: Manufacture, finishing and applications' edited by P Roshan (Cambridge: Woodhead Publishing, 2015) [Shelfmark: HB2.215.6.113].
• 'Fashion spreads: Word and image in fashion photography since 1980' by P Jobling (Oxford: Berg, 1999) [Shelfmark: H4.200.0986].
• 'Ray Petri: Buffalo' by Ray Petri and M Lorenz (London: Westzone, 2000) [National Library Shelfmark: HB7.208.10.9].

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Cultural Shift Through Power Dressing in 80s Fashion Trends

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Words: 758 |

Published: Aug 14, 2023

Words: 758 | Pages: 2 | 4 min read

Table of contents

Significance of 80s power dressing trends.

• Steele, V. (Ed.). (2010). 'The Berg Companion to Fashion.' Berg Publishers.
• Colleen, H. (1990). 'The Power Dressing 80s.' The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
• McDowell, C. (1984). 'Power Dressing.' Vogue.
• Gold, G. (2005). '80s Fashion: From Power Suits to Pinstripes.' Thames & Hudson.
• Steele, V. (Ed.). (1997). 'Chic Clicks: Creativity and Commerce in Contemporary Fashion Photography.' University of California Press.
• Thomas, P. (1989). 'Style Icons Vol 1. Golden Boys.' Fashion Media.

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A Fashionable History: ’80s Edition

Channel this decade for a totally rad look.

This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you purchase through our links. Please read our full disclosure here .

’80s fashion  is a little like fight club, in that the general rule is to talk about it as little as possible.

While ’90s and ’70s looks have been resurfacing for years now, it’s taken us a bit longer to re-embrace ’80s fashion. Perhaps it’s because we’re still shaken by the crazy prints and parachute pants of the decade. And that’s not even bringing up the hair! 

All jokes aside, though,  there’s a lot we can learn from ’80s fashion . After all, is there any other era that was so unashamed of making a statement? While we usually associate the ’80s with neons and bold patterns, jelly bracelets, and kinda ridiculous makeup (seriously, google any picture of  Cindy Lauper ), it also brought us athletic-inspired trends, a re-imagining of glam rock style, and fashion icons like  Madonna  and  Molly Ringwald . The ’80s challenged how big, bright, and bold we dared to be.

{RELATED POST: ’80s Style Clothing Ideas You Should Try This Spring }

So if you’d like to see how you can bring back a bit of the 80’s, check out these  three looks of varying levels of ’80s-ness . Grab your fanny pack and keep scrolling!

Table of Contents

80s Fashion Outfit #1: You Better Work

Products : Leggings – Yoins , Shirt – Victoria’s Secret Pink , Watch – Amazon , Shoes – Amazon

While the full intensity of the  ’80s aerobics trend  may be a bit much for your day-to-day look (leg warmers, anyone?) the overall idea of the style is super fun and super comfortable. 

For a more 2019 take on an athletics-inspired look, start with a casual varsity tee and pair it with these amazing galaxy leggings, which harken back to the bright tights of the ’80s. Some sneakers – Converse in this case – keep you ready to go. This jelly watch is a little throwback to the bright bangles that could be found on any cool ’80s teen. 

Related reading: What to Wear to an ’80s Party: The Best ’80s Party Outfits for Ladies

80s Fashion Outfit #2: Material Girl

Products: Joggers – H&M , Bralette – Topshop , Heels – Charlotte Russe , Jacket – American Eagle , Earrings – ASOS

This outfit is a fun night-out look that combines two ’80s music trends. Unlike most things in the ’80s,  glam rock fashion  actually became a bit more toned down during the decade. Also,  Madonna , as I mentioned earlier, helped define ’80s fashion with her simultaneously edgy and elegant looks. This outfit draws from both the rock and pop vibes.

Joggers are kind of a modern girl’s answer to parachute pants: just as comfy, but with 50% less M.C. Hammer.

Red heels and a sequined purse add a bit more glam to the look, while a distressed denim jacket keeps this look from being too dressy.

80s Fashion – Outfit #3: Neon Lights

Products : Sweater – H&M , Skirt – Shein , Shoes – H&M, Nail Polish – Dermstore , Necklace – Simons , Backpack – ASOS

Now, just in case those last two outfits gave you the impression that the ’80s had any chill whatsoever, let me just remind you that  they did not. 

The patterned sweaters, neon crop tops, and stirrup pants you usually see associated with ’80s fashion were  actual things that people wore back then . This may seem like the hardest trend to work into your own style, but never fear, it’s far more wearable than it seems!

The secret with  neons  is that you really need to limit yourself to only one or two neons per outfit. A highlighter pink pencil skirt may seem like a bold choice, but when paired with a boxy black knit sweater and black ankle boots, it just becomes a fun pop of color. If we only had one neon, though, it wouldn’t be very ’80s, so I recommend nail polish, sunglasses or even a short pair of socks in a lively pink as a secondary neon.

Finally, the bag itself isn’t a necessity, but by finding a brightly colored bag like this cute little mini backpack, you too can have a totally ’80s way to carry your stuff.

What do you think?

What’s your opinion on ’80s fashion? Are you planning to incorporate it into your look this year? Are there any ’80s trends you think I should have included?  Let us know in the comments, we’d love to hear from you!

Editor’s note: This post was originally published in 2016; it was completely updated and revamped in 2019 with new photos and information.

1 thought on “A Fashionable History: ’80s Edition”

I think the 80s pop musicians like Cyndi Lauper and Madonna represent the *actual* practical 80s looks as much as Lady Gaga represents the practical looks of today 😛 Look to 80s movies and clothing (not make-up) advertisements for inspiration. I think also that the 90s and 70s have air of the casual and care-free which appeals to people today, but the 80s, despite the leggings and a few things, were a bit more formal. I rock the 80s fashion regularly and I think the decade is very underrated.

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1980s Men’s Fashion: Power, Excess & Innovation Rule the Day

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Diving into the vibrant world of 1980s men’s fashion reveals a time of bold experimentation and iconic style developments that continue to influence trends today.

The decade was a revolutionary period for ’80s men’s fashion, characterized by an eclectic mix of neon colors, oversized silhouettes, and the unmistakable power suit. From the boardroom to the dance floor, the ’80s outfits men wore embraced a unique blend of glamour, rebellion, and the advent of casual chic.

This exploration into 1980s men’s fashion will uncover the key elements that defined the looks and the influential figures who adorned them, in addition to how these styles have left a lasting legacy in the world of style today.

Key Takeaways

The 1980s were dynamic years for men’s fashion, marked by bold colors, extravagant patterns, and a shift towards casual comfort without sacrificing style. This period introduced a mix of formal and casual wear that blurred the lines of traditional menswear, making room for personal expression and eclectic tastes.

Power suits, athletic wear as everyday clothing, and the rise of designer labels defined the era, encapsulating a time of economic prosperity and cultural shifts. The 1980s fashion legacy continues to influence modern trends, demonstrating the decade’s lasting impact on men’s style.

• Brief Background
• Style Essentials
• Accessories
• Grooming Trends
• How To Wear

Final Verdict

1980s men’s fashion: a brief background.

The 1980s marked a significant shift in men’s fashion , reflecting broader socio-economic changes and the growing influence of media and celebrity culture.

This era saw the rise of the yuppie, a demographic that sought to showcase their success through their wardrobe choices, leading to the prominence of the power suit. Fashion became a form of self-expression, with men feeling more liberated to explore colors, patterns, and unconventional materials.

The decade was also characterized by the advent of MTV, which brought music and fashion closer together than ever before. Icons like Michael Jackson, Prince, and David Bowie, each with their unique style, heavily influenced men’s fashion choices.

From the glam-rock-inspired flamboyance to the casual, sporty looks popularized by hip hop artists, music played a pivotal role in shaping the fashion landscape.

In terms of design, the 1980s saw Italian and Japanese designers gaining prominence, challenging the traditional dominance of Parisian fashion. Giorgio Armani’s deconstructed jackets, which offered a more relaxed silhouette, became emblematic of the decade’s approach to formal wear.

Meanwhile, the 1980s men’s fashion casual wear market saw an explosion in branded merchandise, with labels like Polo Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger becoming household names.

The decade also witnessed the proliferation of subcultures, each with their distinctive style, from the preppy look associated with the Ivy League to the rebellious punk and new wave aesthetics. These movements further diversified men’s fashion, offering a plethora of styles to cater to individual tastes and lifestyles.

Our Favorite 1980s Men’s Fashion Staples

Velasca Bova Hawaiian Shirt

JMIERR Baggy Cargo Pants

Levi's Sherpa Trucker Jacket

New Balance 574 Core Sneaker

Men’s Fashion in the 1980s: Style Essentials

The 1980s were the era of the power suit – a symbol of wealth, ambition, and authority. Characterized by broad shoulders, a nipped waist, and often made in pinstripe or bright pastel fabrics, these suits were designed to make a statement.

Influenced by television shows like “Miami Vice” and movies like Wall Street , men embraced suits that exuded confidence and success.

Italian designers, particularly Giorgio Armani, revolutionized suit design by introducing softer tailoring and more relaxed fits, making them more comfortable without compromising their formal appearance.

This shift marked a departure from the more structured suits of previous decades, aligning with the decade’s broader move towards a mix of comfort and style in menswear.

Men’s Shirts in the 1980s

In the 1980s, shirts were anything but understated. The decade welcomed a plethora of bold patterns, vibrant colors, and innovative designs that reflected the era’s exuberant spirit.

Dress shirts often featured classic stripes and checks in exaggerated sizes, but it was the casual shirts that truly captured the decade’s penchant for flamboyance.

Hawaiian shirts, graphic tees, and polo shirts became staples of casual wear, each offering a unique avenue for personal expression. The iconic band T-shirt emerged as not just a fashion statement but a symbol of one’s musical affiliations.

Layering was also a key trend, with men frequently wearing a T-shirt under an open button-down for a casual yet stylish look.

Pants in the 1980s varied widely in style and cut, from the tailored trousers that accompanied power suits to the more relaxed and casual options that defined off-duty looks.

One of the most iconic styles of the decade was the parachute pant, known for its baggy silhouette and utilitarian details. Denim also saw a significant evolution during this period, with acid wash and distressed styles gaining popularity, reflecting the decade’s penchant for experimentation.

Pleated trousers made a strong showing in formal and business wear, offering a more comfortable fit while maintaining a polished look. The rise of designer denim also meant that jeans were no longer just for casual outings, with brands like Levi’s, Calvin Klein, and Guess becoming symbols of high-end casual fashion.

Sweaters & Knitwear

Sweaters and knitwear in the 1980s were characterized by their diverse patterns, vibrant colors, and oversized fits. 1980s men’s fashion saw the rise of the statement sweater, with motifs ranging from bold geometric patterns to whimsical animal prints.

Cable knit sweaters and cardigans were popular for their classic appeal and warmth, making them a staple in men’s wardrobes. The iconic Cosby sweater, with its colorful and abstract patterns, epitomized the era’s love for eye-catching knitwear.

Layering was a common trend, with sweaters often worn over collared shirts for a preppy look. The introduction of high-tech synthetic fibers also allowed for new textures and forms in knitwear, further expanding the variety of styles available.

Jackets & Outerwear

Jackets and outerwear in the 1980s ranged from functional to purely fashionable, reflecting the decade’s dynamic approach to men’s fashion. Leather bomber jackets became emblematic of the era, offering a rugged yet stylish outer layer that complemented both casual and semi-formal outfits.

The denim jacket also rose to prominence, often adorned with patches, embroidery, or acid wash effects. For colder weather, the puffer jacket was a popular choice, providing warmth without sacrificing style.

Members Only jackets, with their distinctive epaulettes and ribbed trim, became a status symbol, epitomizing the exclusive nature of 1980s fashion culture. Trench coats, inspired by military wear, also saw a resurgence, offering a sleek and sophisticated option for rainy days.

Men’s footwear in the 1980s was as varied as the clothing, with shoes for every occasion and style preference.

Sneakers became a major fashion statement, thanks in part to the burgeoning popularity of hip hop culture and the aerobics craze. Brands like Nike , Adidas, and Reebok released iconic models that are still revered today.

For formal occasions, loafers and lace-up Oxford shoes were the preferred choices, often in patent leather for an extra shine. Casual wear saw the rise of boat shoes and espadrilles, reflecting the decade’s interest in leisure and comfort.

The cowboy boot also made a surprising comeback, adopted by those looking to make a bold fashion statement with a nod to Americana.

Men’s Formalwear in the 1980s

Men’s formal fashion in the 1980s introduced an era of bold statements and personalized style that broke from the strict conventions of previous decades. The power suit was at the forefront, embodying the decade’s ethos of success and authority.

Made famous by movies like Wall Street , these suits featured broad shoulders achieved through padding, pinstripes, or bold solid colors and were often paired with a contrasting tie to make a statement. Complementing the silhouette were wide lapels, emphasizing a masculine physique that was emblematic of 1980s men’s fashion.

Double-breasted suits also saw a resurgence, offering a classic yet powerful option for formal occasions. Silk and satin shirts, sometimes in pastel shades, were paired with these suits, adding a touch of luxury and flair. Ties were wider, with bold patterns or bright colors, and the tie clip became a necessary accessory for a polished look.

Evening wear took on a new level of opulence, with tuxedos featuring shawl lapels in satin or velvet, and cummerbunds in rich fabrics to add depth to the outfit. Accessories, such as pocket squares and cufflinks, were chosen with care to complement the ensemble, often adding a personal touch to a formal outfit.

Men’s formalwear of the 1980s, though adhering to the essence of elegance, embraced the decade’s penchant for excess and individuality. It was a time when dressing to impress meant balancing traditional formal attire with the era’s vibrant new rules of fashion.

Men’s Casualwear in the 1980s

Casualwear in the 1980s was marked by an eclectic mix of comfort, sports influence, and the burgeoning streetwear scene. The adoption of athletic wear into everyday clothing was a significant trend, with tracksuits, sneakers, and logo-emblazoned sportswear becoming common.

This shift was partly due to the fitness craze that swept through the decade, as well as the increasing visibility of sports personalities and their impact on fashion.

Denim played a crucial role in casual attire, with jeans becoming a universal staple for men of all ages. The introduction of designer denim brands elevated jeans to a fashion statement, offering various cuts from skinny to relaxed fits. Acid wash and ripped jeans added an edge to casual outfits, embodying the decade’s rebellious spirit.

Layering was a key aspect of 1980s casualwear, with combinations like T-shirts under open button-downs or sweaters tied around the shoulders. Polo shirts and Henley shirts provided a relaxed yet refined option, often paired with chinos or corduroy pants for a smart-casual look.

Outerwear in casual settings included bomber jackets, denim jackets, and windbreakers, each adding a distinct character to an outfit. The utility and cargo pants emerged as alternatives to jeans, reflecting a growing interest in functional fashion.

The 1980s casualwear was about expressing individuality and embracing the diverse influences of the decade, from the music scene to sports, resulting in a vibrant and varied fashion landscape.

Men’s Accessories in the 1980s

Accessories played a pivotal role in the ‘80s outfits men wore, adding layers of complexity and personal flair to both formal and casual outfits. They were not just additions but essential components that defined the style of the era.

Hats in the 1980s saw a revival of classic styles alongside the introduction of new trends. The fedora made a comeback, influenced by a resurgence in 1940s and 1950s nostalgia, often worn with more formal attire to add a touch of class.

Baseball caps became a staple in casual wear, transcending their athletic origins to become a fashion statement, often branded with logos of sports teams or designer labels.

The bucket hat, initially associated with fishing and outdoor activities, was adopted by the hip-hop and skater subcultures, becoming synonymous with youthful rebellion and street style.

Wristwatches in the 1980s were not just timekeeping devices but symbols of status and style. Luxury brands like Rolex and Omega were coveted for their craftsmanship and elegance, often seen as a sign of success.

The digital watch, however, epitomized the decade’s fascination with technology and innovation, with brands like Casio offering multifunctional models that included calculators, alarms, and stopwatch capabilities.

The Swatch watch became a fashion phenomenon, offering affordable, colorful, and collectible designs that appealed to a younger audience, making it possible to coordinate watches with different outfits.

The tie was an essential accessory for men’s formalwear , with the 1980s seeing a wide range of styles and patterns. Bold colors, geometric patterns, and novelty prints reflected the era’s penchant for individual expression. Silk ties were particularly popular, adding a touch of luxury to business attire.

The skinny tie, reminiscent of the 1960s , reemerged as part of the New Wave and punk movements, offering a sleek counterpoint to the broader ties that dominated the decade.

Suspenders and Belts

Suspenders returned to fashion in the 1980s as part of the revival of vintage styles, worn with both formal trousers and casual jeans for a distinctive look. They were often brightly colored or patterned, adding a playful element to outfits.

Belts, on the other hand, were not just functional but decorative. Leather belts with statement buckles were popular in casual settings; finer, more subdued belts complemented formal wear.

Eyewear in the 1980s ranged from functional to flamboyant. Aviator glasses maintained their popularity, and wayfarer frames became iconic, thanks in part to their appearance in films and on celebrities.

Oversized glasses, often with tinted lenses, were a fashion statement that transcended practicality, embodying the decade’s love for excess.

More Popular Accessories for Men in the 1980s

Beyond the basics laid out above, the 1980s saw men embracing a variety of other accessories. Leather bracelets, neck chains, and earrings began to cross gender boundaries, reflecting the decade’s broader cultural shifts towards individualism and self-expression.

Bandanas and headbands, influenced by the fitness and sports movements, became popular in casual wear. Cufflinks saw a resurgence in formal settings, often chosen to add a personal touch to suits and dress shirts.

Brooches and pins, once considered solely women’s accessories, were adopted by fashion-forward men, pinned to lapels and jackets as symbols of causes, affiliations, or purely as decorative elements.

Men’s Grooming Trends in the 1980s

Men’s hairstyles in the 1980s brought about a huge change in male grooming, paralleling the bold and diverse fashion trends of the time. Men’s grooming became more prominent, with a focus on both hair and facial hair, reflecting the decade’s broader acceptance of self-expression and style.

1980s Men’s Hairstyles

Hair in the 1980s was all about volume, length, and making a statement. The mullet, with its “business in the front, party in the back” ethos, became an iconic style of the decade, embraced across various music and cultural scenes. Similarly, the Jheri curl offered a glossy, curled look that became synonymous with certain music genres.

For the more conservative, the slicked-back look was a popular choice, offering a sleek, polished appearance that complemented the power suits of the era.

Punk influences also saw an uptick in more radical hair choices, including mohawks, brightly dyed hair, and spiked styles, reflecting the decade’s penchant for individuality and nonconformity.

The importance of hair products, such as mousse, gel, and hairspray, cannot be overstated, as they were essential for achieving the voluminous styles that defined the decade.

1980s Facial Hair

Facial hair in the 1980s ranged from clean-shaven to well-groomed mustaches and beards. The mustache, in particular, saw a resurgence in popularity, often worn thick and neatly trimmed, epitomizing the masculine ideal of the time.

Goatees and beards were less common but still present, usually kept short and well-defined, in line with the decade’s grooming standards.

The clean-shaven look remained a staple for business and formal occasions, reflecting the professional aesthetic. However, the growth of the casual and creative industries allowed for more freedom in facial hair styles, aligning with the decade’s broader themes of personal expression and breaking away from traditional norms.

Male Fashion Icons of the ‘ 80s

The 1980s were pivotal for American fashion, introducing designers and celebrities whose influence on men’s style was profound.

Ralph Lauren led with his quintessential American spirit, marrying polished, preppy looks with casual luxury, making Polo Ralph Lauren a wardrobe staple. Tommy Hilfiger, launching his brand in 1985, embraced classic American themes with a modern twist, using bold colors and patterns to define the decade’s casualwear.

Calvin Klein became synonymous with minimalist chic and innovative advertising, particularly for jeans and underwear, revolutionizing fashion branding. Also famed for denim, Levi Strauss & Co. continued to dominate with its iconic Levi’s jeans, introducing stone washing to create the ultimate casual, comfortable denim.

Celebrity style icons also left their mark, with Michael Jackson’s theatrical and iconic outfits, including the “Thriller” red leather jacket, pushing men’s fashion boundaries. Prince challenged traditional masculinity with his eclectic, androgynous style, blending rock , funk, and R&B influences into a unique fashion statement.

Bruce Springsteen’s parred-back approach to a denim and leather aesthetic offered a relatable, rugged look rooted in Americana. This aspect of 1980s men’s fashion is still very much in evidence today.

At the same time, Hollywood’s influence came through Tom Cruise and Harrison Ford, whose roles in Top Gun and Indiana Jones , respectively, sparked trends for aviator sunglasses, bomber jackets, fedoras, and the adventurer look, defining cool for the era.

How to Wear 1980s Men’s Fashion Today

Incorporating 1980s men’s fashion into today’s wardrobe can be done by focusing on key pieces that capture the decade’s essence without feeling costume-like.

Statement blazers with bold patterns or colors, vintage band T-shirts, and high-waisted jeans can all be mixed with contemporary items for a nod to the ’80s. Sneakers, especially retro styles, remain a timeless link to the era’s casualwear trends.

The 1980s were a decade of excess, energy, and innovation in men’s fashion, introducing styles and trends that continue to influence today’s fashion landscape. From the power suit to the rise of casualwear, the era offered a new perspective on masculinity and personal expression through clothing.

In the 1980s, men wore power suits with broad shoulders, pastel or pinstriped dress shirts, leather jackets, denim in various styles (including acid wash), athletic wear as everyday clothing, and bold, patterned sweaters and knitwear.

To an 80s party, a guy could wear a bright or pastel-colored suit, a graphic tee under a denim or leather jacket, acid-washed or ripped jeans, chunky sweaters, and accessorize with sunglasses, a chunky watch, or a bandana for an authentic 80s look.

Stereotypical 80s clothes included neon and pastel colors, shoulder-padded power suits, graphic tees, acid-washed jeans, leg warmers, tracksuits, and oversized tops.

Popular footwear in the 80s included high-top sneakers, especially from brands like Nike and Adidas, loafers or Sperrys for more formal occasions, and athletic shoes worn as part of the casual athletic wear trend.

Chuck Taylors were popular in both the 80s and 90s, but their iconic status and widespread use span multiple decades, including significant popularity in the 80s as part of the casual and punk rock scenes.

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80's Fashion

• 80’s Accessories
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80s Fashion

If you grew up in the 1980s you know that 80s fashion was big, it was bright, and it was loud! You might have worn some bright neon clothes, very large tops, had larger than life hair, and chances are you would have felt good about it too.

The 1980s was really a golden age for music and movies, and along with that came all of the iconic looks that we know today as 80’s fashion.

Celebrities like Madonna, Michael Jackson, Molly Ringwald, and Cyndi Lauper heavily influenced the masses when it came to what they wore. And even though it has been decades since the 1980s, we still look fondly back at the crazy (and cool) fashion trends of the time.

Why 80s Fashion Was Iconic

When we look back at the fashion trends of the 80s, we can recognize it to be almost a renaissance of fashion. Prior to the 1970s fashion was quite conservative and subdued. Eventually with the hippies of the 70s, fashion started to open up and become more daring. Peace, love, and rock n roll was all the rage, and fashion began to become more provocative.

Fast forward to the 1980s and fashion was kicked into high gear. The 80s built upon the sexual revolution of the 70s, and a cultural transformation began to take hold. People were no longer afraid to be who they were, and that mentality was reflected in their fashion choices. Bold colors, more skin, and unique accessories ushered in an era of fashion that many consider to be the best of the 20th century.

Your 80s Style Defined You

Probably no other decade of the 20th century defined society with fashion like the 1980s. The fashion choices you made really revealed who you were, and people used clothing and accessories to create their own identities.

If you were a rebellious young adult you might have worn neon clothing. If you were a spoiled rich kid, you may have just stuck to preppy fashion. Or if you just wanted to disappear into the ether, you may have only worn 80s casual fashion to blend in.

No matter who you were, your fashion let society know what you were all about, and the popular clothing brands of the 80s did their best to cater to these needs. What you wore really defined you, and this fact is probably something more true to the 1980s than any other decade in recent memory.

80s Neon Fashion

Fashion in the 1980s was all about making a statement, and you often made that statement with 80s neon fashion which let the world know that you were hip and trendy. Typically a popular choice among young adults, neon clothing seemed to be ubiquitous in 1980s society.

Something neon green or bright orange made you stand out in a crowd, and being bold was something 80s fashion was all about. So it’s not surprising how popular neon fashion was during the 1980s, and also how it remains one of the most memorable fashion trends of that era.

Neon fashion also wasn’t just restricted to pants and tops. Neon accessories were also quite popular too. Everything from jelly bracelets to sunglasses came in neon, and you could just about find anything you wanted in a bright color during the 1980s.

80s Workout Fashion

Building on neon clothes, oddly enough 80s workout clothes was also revolutionary. The 1980s was really when people began caring about what they put in their bodies, and fitness and exercise were becoming really mainstream.

Celebrities like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, and Jane Fonda made people want to get physically fit. Movies like “Perfect” (1985) also highlighted the fitness craze that was storming the nation.

And in the 1980s fashion wasn’t only considered when going out, if you were hitting the gym, you needed to look good too. Spandex, leggings, and leg warmers were popular trends for women getting their workout on. For men muscle tees and short shorts were popular, and of course unisex accessories like headbands and armbands kept you cool while working up a sweat!

80s Preppy Fashion

If you weren’t fond of the bright colors and gaudy designs of 80s neon fashion, you probably fell on the other end of the spectrum with the subtle “I’m better than you” 80s preppy fashion trend that was also quite popular during the 1980s.

Companies like Lacoste and Ralph Lauren catered to the sophisticated preppy folk, and there was no better way to let people know you had money by dressing up in these brands during the 80s.

80s Fashion And Music

It should come as no surprise that 80’s fashion was heavily influenced by popular music artists of the time. People wanted to be like their favorite singer or musician, and this of course meant emulating the way they dressed as well.

Whether you wanted the material girl look of Madonna, or the hip hop swag of Run DMC, entertainers of the 1980s really had a big influence on a generation of people that just wanted to be cool and fit in. Thus the 80s created a generation that really found its fashion identity based around the music they loved.

80s Pop Fashion

If you were into pop music in the 1980s, there’s no doubt that superstars like Madonna and Cyndi Lauper influenced what you wore. 80’s pop fashion really heavily influenced what women wore more so than men. Everything from the big hairstyles, fishnet clothing, and glitter makeup were emulated by teenage girls (and women) across the country.

Female pop stars also popularized the use of fashion accessories. Things like big earrings, bracelets, scrunchies, and fingerless gloves were very popular in the 1980s. And when it came to fashion accessories, typically the bigger the better!

For men, fashion icons like Michael Jackson and David Bowie made it ok to wear sequined clothing and even makeup to accentuate your features. Leather anything was also a popular choice when it came to men’s pop fashion in the 80’s, and any stylish man of the day at least owned a leather jacket and some leather pants.

80s Rock Fashion

The best decade ever was also a big decade for 80’s rock fashion . Legendary bands like Def Leppard, Motley Crue, and Guns n Roses set the tone with a lot of leather, even bigger hair, and accessories like leather bracelets and gloves.

Denim jeans and tops were also popular when it came to rockers of the 80s. Often they were acid washed or ripped, and they were usually paired with some sort of sleeveless top that showed off some cool tattoos.

Rock fashion in the 80s often showed a lot of skin, and the wild fashion choices definitely matched the rollercoaster lifestyles of the rock bands of the day.

80s Hip Hop Fashion

The 1980s was also the golden era of hip hop, and with the emergence of superstar groups like Run DMC and N.W.A. so gave birth to what we know today as 80’s hip hop fashion .

80’s hip hop fashion was all about looking cool but at the same time letting people know you weren’t meant to be messed with. It had a underground feel, but also some flashy and over the top features.

For men Starter Jackets was a must have, along with accessories like a big dookie chain , four finger rings , and a trucker hat of your favorite sports team. Bucket hats were also popular along with some fresh white Adidas or Reebok sneakers to complete your 80s hip hop fashion look.

For women denim jeans and jackets were in, but they also wore starter jackets as well (unisex fashion). Also accessories like dookie chains, big gold earrings, gold rings, and gold bracelets were necessary to accentuate the 80s hip hop look. Hip hop superstars like Salt n Pepa heavily influenced hip hop fashion for women in the 1980s.

80s Punk Fashion

For the more rebellious folk, the 1980s also was a time for great punk fashion. This was for the most daring and un-conforming in society. 80s punk fashion was bold and outrageous, and it let people know you didn’t care at all about society’s rules or what other people thought!

For men black leather pants and jackets were in. Often these had metallic features or sequins on them, as well as patches or other loud designs. Torn jean pants were also popular, as well as any tartan clothing . Sleeveless shirts were also often worn under these jackets, and the outfit was topped off usually with some Doc Martens leather boots .

For women tight fitting tops and leather jackets were fashionable. Also anything fishnet (tops or leggings) were popular, as well as mini skirts that were often made of leather. Black leather boots were also very popular, along with fingerless gloves and loud makeup to complete the look.

As for 80s punk fashion hair, just like other genres of 80s fashion, generally the bigger the better. Men often sported mohawks or variations of mohawks that were often dyed loud colors like pink, orange, or red. Women also had large mohawk type hairstyles, though many also preferred large perms as well.

80s Women’s Fashion

Women’s fashion during the 1980s also ran the spectrum from cute and conservative, to bold and loud. Many would say that 80s women’s fashion was much more daring because they could take their looks a lot further. Unlike their male counterparts, women could take their 80s style to greater heights with the plethora of accessories and makeup available to them.

However despite their wide latitude of choices, they also had core fashion items that helped define women’s fashion in the 1980s.

Oversized Tops

For example oversized tops was all the rage which was made popular by many celebrities like Jennifer Beal in movies like “Flashdance”. The oversized poorly fitting top let people know you didn’t play by society’s rules. These tops often could be neon colored if you were going out with friends, but they could be stylish as just grey like it was in the movie when lounging at home.

Power Suits

On the flip side business fashion was taken to new heights in the 1980s with the popularity of Power Suits . When it came to suits, traditionally we thought of it as a fashion being reserved for men. However the 1980s saw the empowerment of women, and we saw powerful women like Princess Diana, Nancy Reagan, and Margaret Thatcher all popularizing this fashion trend.

In the 1980s women were no longer relegated to the home, they were front and center in the world of business and politics, and Power Suits was a fashion that let the world know you were a serious player.

Another popular fashion trend for women in the 1980s were Jumpsuits . These were one piece outfits that went from head to toe that could be worn both casually or for formal occasions. These came either with or without sleeves, and typically were cinched at the waist with a belt. They also were sometimes worn with a jacket for a more formal look.

Though Jumpsuits started off as a unisex fashion, by the time the 1980s rolled around it was typically worn more by women.

Puff Sleeve Dress

A unique fashion for women in the 1980s was the Puff Sleeve Dress . These were basically dresses with inflated sleeves, and they were typically worn for special occasions like prom or weddings.

However puff sleeves were also available for casual wear such as blouses, though when we think of the fashion we typically imagine the dresses that worn by celebrities like Joan Collins, Linda Evans, and Brooke Shields.

Bubble Skirts

An interesting women’s fashion of the 80s were Bubble Skirts . These were skirts that basically “poofed” out at the bottom and formed a bubble look. These were typically seen as a part of formal dresses, though they were sometimes seen in casual wear as well.

Iconic women like Princess Diana and Naomi Campbell were just a couple of women who made the fashion popular in the 1980s, and it is a look that is definitely unique when compared to contemporary fashion trends.

High Waisted Jeans

Another 80s fashion trend popular with women were High Waisted Jeans . These were sometimes referred to as “Mom Jeans”, and they are so named because they button high over the waist. This was a popular trend among women in the 1980s because the style was both comfortable and made their legs look longer.

Dolphin Shorts

Dolfin Shorts (aka Dolphin Shorts) were a brand of thigh high shorts that were popular with women in the 1980s. These were great for leisure wear and perfect for basically any outdoor athletic activity. However the short length of Dolphin Shorts made them controversial, with many schools banning them in the late 1980s.

However despite the controversy, they still remained a popular choice among teenage women and young adults as a way to keep cool during summer months.

Animal Print Clothing

Animal print clothing was another popular 1980s fashion trend for women. Of course we are not talking about real fur, but rather faux animal prints that made you look stylish and a bit wild.

When it came to animal print, you could literally find them on any item out there. From tops to pants, to purses and hats, during the 80s animal print clothing was everywhere.

Another popular women’s 80s fashion trend was “Polka Dots”. This pattern of clothing whether it was in a skirt or a blouse was a way for women that were more on the conservative side to add a little edgy flare to their outfits. Fashion icons like Princess Diana made polka dot clothing en vogue, and women across the world took notice.

Crop Tops And Mini Skirts

In contrast 80s women’s fashion could also be bold and loud, and many pop icons like Madonna and Cyndi Lauper wore crop tops and mini skirts often accompanied by an excessive amount of jewelry.

Bold Makeup

Furthermore 80s women’s fashion trends of the day include using bold colors and glitter for their makeup choices. When it came to 80s makeup looks subtlety was something often left behind by the women of the 1980s, and along with your crazy outfits and excessive jewelry, your face needed to match your oversized personality.

Stretch Stirrups

For the ladies when it came to pants, during the 1980s stretch stirrups were quite popular. These were pants that would hook your heel at the bottom, and women liked them because they believed it made them look taller and slimmer.

Of course we couldn’t talk about 80s women’s fashion unless we mentioned spandex. In the 1980s spandex was everywhere. You could wear it casually going to the mall or for your workout at the gym.

Leg Warmers

And lets not forget every hip woman’s 1980’s fashion go-to leg warmers that despite looking odd today, was quite common to see anywhere from the gym or at the mall.

80s Men’s Fashion

When it came to 80s men’s fashion we need to realize it was a different era. In the 1980s men were macho and masculine. Celebrities like Tom Selleck, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, and John Travolta were examples of a very alpha male culture that men wanted to imitate.

If you were a man in the 1980s, chances are you had a thick 80s moustache and grew chest hair that peaked through your shirt, or you spent all day at the gym trying to get jacked. Skinny and lean men are much more celebrated today, but back in the 1980s things were different.

In the 1980s men were big, hairy, and macho. Many today would consider this culture to be “toxically masculine” but that’s just how things were back then.

That being said men’s fashion in the 1980s was also quirky and sometimes bordered on the ridiculous.

Here are some of the most notable men’s fashion trends from the 1980s.

Slogan T-Shirts

The 1980s was all about self-expression, and what better way to express yourself than with a Slogan T-Shirt . These were t-shirts that basically had large bold letters on them. Typically featuring a slogan or support of some political cause, they were a very popular way to be fashionable and heard in the 1980s.

Lacoste Polo Shirts

Not everyone in the 1980s subscribed to outlandish and bold neon fashion, there were quite a few who preferred the popular and much more conservative “Preppy Look” at the time. And a staple of this look was the Lacoste Polo Shirt . These polos let people know that you came from money, and they were a core staple of any rich person’s wardrobe.

The Lacoste Polo Shirt went well with khaki pants and some Sperry Top-Siders , and was perfect fashion for the yacht club to the tennis court. And if you were feeling extra feisty, you could wear them with popped collars for an even more rebellious look!

Sweaters Tied Around The Neck

And we couldn’t mention Lacoste polos and not mention the infamous Sweater Tied Around The Neck fashion trend. If you wanted to take your preppy look to the next level, you rocked this style to make sure everyone knew you came from money. Simply wrapping a sweater around your neck while wearing a Lacoste polo unleashed your maximum preppy superpowers.

Miami Vice Suits

When Miami Vice hit the air in 1984 the show would change fashion forever. Every week viewers would turn in to see Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas in their Miami Vice Suits taking on the criminals of South Beach.

These suits typically had matching blazers and pants, and they were paired with a pastel undershirt. Besides being great for fighting crime, it was a stylish way to dress for a night out on the town.

Silk Shirts

Likewise in the 1980s the Miami Vice lifestyle was all the rage, and with that also came the rise in popularity of silk shirts . Though not the most practical style of clothing to own (they were notoriously difficult to maintain), the look they gave you was unlike any other piece of clothing out there.

Silk shirts of the 1980s often had bold and wild patterns, and it was a popular choice for fashionable men when it came to a night out on the town.

Muscle Tees

The 80s was all about masculine male culture, and along with the rise in popularity of health and fitness during the 80s, we saw the biggest and buffest among us wearing Muscle Tees . These were made popular by celebrities like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone, who were the biggest action movie stars of the 80s.

If you had a buff bod and wanted to show it off, the best way to do it was to workout in a muscle tee at your local gym.

Bomber Jackets

Bomber Jackets have been around since the early 1900s, but it wasn’t until movies like Top Gun in the 1980s where these jackets became massively popular. Men in the 80s saw movie stars like Tom Cruise rocking a Bomber Jacket while saving the day, and the rest as they say is history!

The Bomber Jacket is not only a fashionable choice, but it is comfortable and protective as well. It’s no wonder that it was such a popular 80s fashion trend for men at the time.

Hawaiian Shirts

An unlikely but popular fashion in the 1980s were Hawaiian Shirts . Though their roots can be traced back all the way to the 1920s, it wasn’t until the 80s where stars like Tom Selleck in Magnum P.I. put these floral shirts front and center.

These shirts were typically bright colored and short sleeved, and also featured patterns like flowers or trees, as well as various tropical activities such as surfing or sailing.

Parachute Pants

In the 80s Parachute Pants were big, they were baggy and they were what you had to wear if you wanted to dance and move easily. They came in many different colors and even had fake zippers and pockets that added something special to the outfit.

Zubaz Pants

Zubaz pants was also a thing due to their popularity amongst the fitness and pro-athlete community.  The Zubaz Pants trend flourished in the 1980s because it was the heyday of big muscle movie stars like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone. People were starting to take fitness more seriously, and thus the fashion that came along with that lifestyle.

If you wanted to look and feel great at the beach, you needed a pair of Jam Shorts (or Jams for short). These were the preferred choice of fashionable men when it came to beachwear in the 1980s.

Jam Shorts stood out from the crowd because they featured bright colors and quintessentially 80s designs. They were also great to lounge around in, making them a good choice when you were away from the beach as well.

Letterman Jackets

If you were a high school jock a popular men’s 80s fashion was the Letterman Jacket which let your classmates know you were one of the popular kids. You earned your way onto the football team, and you needed to remind everyone (often daily) that you were a superior physical specimen.

Members Only Jackets

Another popular 80s fashion trend were the hugely popular Members Only Jackets . If you had one of these, people knew you were serious when it came to your clothing. It gave the wearer status as the jackets were far from cheap.

If you were into fitness and wanted to showoff your washboard abs, another fashion trend in the 1980s popular among men was the Crop Top which was basically a cut off shirt that showed off your midsection. It may seem odd today, but during the 1980s nobody batted an eye when men walked around wearing these, and if you were fit, it was probably a turn on for the opposite sex.

Short Shorts

If you were really feeling yourself as a man, another 80s men’s fashion trend were uncomfortably short shorts which were also perfectly acceptable at the time. These were shorts that probably used half the material that they should’ve, but was made socially acceptable because macho celebrities like Tom Selleck, Sean Connery, and John Travolta made them cool to wear. I mean if Magnum P.I. wore them, they must be perfectly masculine right?

80s Clothes Needed Accessories

No matter what 80’s fashion trend you followed, no outfit was complete without the right accessories. There were numerous must-have 80s accessories that were key to being en vogue, and the 1980s may be the decade where fashion accessories were the most emphasized.

What was also prevalent when it came to 80s accessories was not just the types, but also the amounts. For example you didn’t just wear one bracelet, you might have worn 5-7 of them on each arm.

Same with necklaces, one wasn’t enough, and it was quite common to wear 3-5 necklaces with your outfit. It wasn’t uncommon to wear anywhere from 10-15 accessories at a time which seems quite outlandish by today’s standards, but perfectly normal during the 1980s.

Besides the quantity, 80s accessories were often very unique to the decade, and even to this day we recognize these to be synonymous with the era.

Shoulder Pads

Huge shoulder pads let people know you were serious, and it wasn’t uncommon for people to wear two pairs of shoulder pads at any one time. Any time you wore a suit, it wasn’t complete unless you had shoulder pads, and they gave you the confidence you needed to tackle whatever it was you were dressed for.

Beaded Jewelry

Another popular 80s women fashion trend was to accessorize outfits with beaded jewelry . During the 80s beaded jewelry whether it was bracelets or necklaces were quite popular. They were stylish but also inexpensive, and the latter point made them explode in popularity since they were easily accessible especially to a younger demographic.

Again with this accessory quantity was key. Often women would wear multiple beaded necklaces and bracelets to create a misfit vibe that would add some chaotic flare to their 80s fashion ensemble.

Cross Necklaces

During the 1980s cross necklaces were big. They were a way that you could express your religious beliefs, but in an edgy and provocative way. Madonna made cross necklaces mainstream during the 1980s as she often wore them and utilized religious symbols in her music.

Huge Earrings

Another 80s fashion must have accessory for the ladies were large and often gaudy earrings.  Wearing huge earrings meant you had status and you wanted to be noticed. Some were so large they were nicknamed ‘Door knockers’ and would be so big they were shoulder length.

Fingerless Gloves

Another women’s 1980s fashion accessory that was often seen were fingerless gloves .  These gloves became increasingly popular thanks to the large number of pop and punk stars who were seen wearing them during performances or in print media. 

Music icons like Michael Jackson and Madonna were just the tip of the iceberg when it came to celebrities that rocked them during the 1980s, so it’s not surprising that they became trendy amongst the youth as a must have 80s fashion accessory.

Slouchy Socks

A uniquely peculiar fashion accessory during the 80s were Slouchy Socks . This was a look by taking 3 or more pairs of socks and layering them over each other. If you wanted to go the extra mile, you could match the colors of the socks to the outfit you were wearing.

This trend was popular among teenagers and young adults, and it is a fashion trend that is definitely uniquely 80s.

Trucker Hats

If you were on the go and didn’t have time to fix your hair, you could just plop on a Trucker Hat and be on your way. These hats had mesh backs and typically featured your favorite logo or slogan prominently on the front.

They were a popular 80s casual fashion that was both unisex and functional. They looked great and protected you from the heat, and often came in a bunch of colors and designs you could match to any outfit.

Ray-Ban Sunglasses

And of course your 80s fashion outfit wouldn’t be complete without a cool set of sunglasses. When it came to 80s style, there was nothing more iconic than a fresh set of Ray-Ban Sunglasses (either Wayfarers or Aviators) that made you look too cool for school.

Celebrities like Tom Cruise wore them in legendary 1980s movies like “Risky Business” and “Top Gun” and they would instantly become an 80s fashion classic.

Cazal Sunglasses

And while the mainstream were flocking towards Ray-Ban Wayfarers and Aviators, there were those that preferred Cazal Sunglasses or “Cazals”. These were luxury boxy sunglasses that were popular among the growing hip hop crowd in America.

Popularized by famous wearers like Run DMC and Spike Lee, if you had Cazals people knew that you had made it, because these sunglasses though fashionable, were not cheap.

And of course if you had a nice pair of Ray-Bans or Cazals, you needed a fashionable way to keep them from falling, and for that the 80s gave us Croakies . These were neoprene straps that you could attach to the frames of your sunglasses so they would stay securely on your head.

They often came in bright neon colors and dazzling prints, and they were just another way to combine convenience with fashion.

Swatch Watches

Of course in the 80s you needed to also have a fashionable watch, and a popular choice during the time were Swatch Watches (or Swatches). When these came out in the early 80s there was really nothing like them out there. The colors were bright and the designs were bold, and they were an immediate hit.

The Swatch Watch was fashionable and also affordable, and they often came with interchangeable faceplates so you could change the look of your watch to match the outfit you were wearing.

Popular 80s Hairstyles

Of course when we talk about 1980s fashion we have to talk about the epic hairstyles. Just as iconic as the clothing were the hairstyles of the 1980s .

The 1980s was all about big hair for both men and women, and it wasn’t uncommon for people to sport puffed-up hair styles that were almost as wide as their shoulders. Men and women spent millions of dollars on hair products of the 1980s like Aqua Net and Mousse to create larger than life hairstyles that could withstand hurricane force winds!

So what were some popular hairstyles of the 1980s?

Perm Hairstyle

One of the most popular hairstyles for women in the 80s was the “perm hairstyle”. The perm hairstyle was one that was quite tedious to do as it involved chemicals and curling irons, but women did it anyway because it was in style and all the rage. Celebrities like Barbara Streisand, Meg Ryan, and Cher were all women that helped make this hairstyle popular during the 80s.

Side Ponytail

Another popular women’s hairstyle during the 80s was the side ponytail . Basically it was just a ponytail you tied with a scrunchy or other hair tie that lopped off to one side of your head, and the ease of creating this look added to its popularity. The side ponytail was a favorite of younger women, and the hairstyle showed off your fun and quirky side.

Feathered Hair

Although a unisex hairstyle, 80s feathered hair was more popular among women than men. The hairstyle got its name because of the very airy “feathery” look, and it remains one of the most memorable hairstyles for women that we think of during that time.

Celebrities like Farrah Fawcett and Heather Locklear helped popularize the hairstyle during the early 80s, and it was a great choice if you preferred a more “conservative” hairstyle over your more daring counterparts.

Crimped Hair

Another popular trend for women during the 1980s was the crimped hairstyle . Women would use hair crimpers to create this wavy zigzag look, and it was particularly popular among younger women.

Celebrities like Alyssa Milano and Jodi Foster were just a few of the prominent women that rocked this hairstyle during the 1980s.

Though it did take a bit of work, the hairstyle looked cool and matched a lot of groovy fashion of the day.

While ladies had the perm hairstyle, men were also big hair fans as well during the 80s. Rock bands and celebrities made larger than life hairstyles en vogue for men during the time.

It was clear the 1980’s was a decade where ‘The bigger the better’ was king, and hair was no exception. Big hair bands like Motley Crue, Bon Jovi, and Def Leppard all contributed to the big hair trend for men during the 80s.

Another big hairstyle for men was the 80s mullet haircut . These days we usually stereotype mullet haircuts with country folk, but back in the 1980s the mullet was fairly mainstream. The “Business in the front, party in the back” hairstyle permeated American culture, and many celebrities like Patrick Swayze and Rob Lowe rocked this hairstyle legitimately as sex symbols!

The Jheri Curl

However no discussion of 1980s hairstyles would be complete without mentioning the Jheri Curl and all it’s glistening glory. This hairstyle was popular in the black community, and was rocked by prominent black celebrities like Michael Jackson and also featured in hit 80s movies like “Coming To America” where Eric LaSalle’s character sported the style for millions to see.

Is 80s Fashion Coming Back?

From time to time we all spot 80’s clothing in a high street clothing store, or on a catwalk model, but while this style of clothing is not as big as it once was, it is making somewhat of a comeback.

Because we now love all-things retro, more and more people are finding an appreciation for 80’s fashion, which means those huge earrings, big tops, leg warmers, Members Only Jackets and shoulder pads could find their way into your wardrobe once more.

Also more and more people are beginning to throw 80’s theme parties and events, and 80’s fashion is always popular during the Halloween season. So if it’s 80’s fashion tips you’re after, please check out the rest of this site for more in depth information on 80’s style as well as the rich culture that was in our opinion the greatest decade of the 20th century.

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The 80's fashion era.

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                          The Fashion Era I chose to write about is the 80's. This was a time when it was fashionable to have the big hair, and crazy outfits that clashed but looked acceptable. I chose the 80's because it is a personal favorite of mine. I wish I were a teenager in the 80's because the trends then were funky and fun. .              The styles of the 80's are very distinct from any other era because this was the only time when "as much as you can is more" as opposed to "less is more". The more bracelets you could fit on your arm, the more hairspray you use to get your hair up, the more eye shadow you could get over your eyes, and the more lace you could get on your clothing was fashionable. Now as little makeup as possible, sleek hair, and a little bit of jewelry is fashionable. The 80's were very exaggerated in their styles; huge holes in the knee of jeans, big ruffles, neon colors, and high top sneakers are among many outrageous fashions. The fabrics used in the 80's wasn't much different from the fabrics used today except that a lot of lace was used in the 80's and now lace is mainly for lingerie. All clothes were mass-produced, but most often the customer would make alterations to their clothing to make it as funky as desired. Hand made garments were just as acceptable as designers. .              The fashions of the 80's fit into people's lifestyles because they both can be described by one word; crazy! Society was outrageous and was accepting of people's differences more than any other previous era. The only event that had a big impact in the 80's was the explosion of The Challenger shuttle. Everybody remembers where they were and how they felt when they heard about this significant event in 1986. The fashion industry wasn't really affected by this event, but my guess would be that maybe astronaut suits became popular that following Halloween. The music of choice in this era was punk rock and pop. Madonna was a driving influence of fashion in the 80's.

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• Grade Level: Undergraduate

6. Australian National Cinema

It`s freaks and monsters [...] confirmed the unflattering image of Australia as an uncultured, untutored, unsophisticated place, full of bumpkins and possibly inbred wolf-wits.7) The Australian Ocker films' of the the early 70`s such as "The Adventures of Barry McKenzie- and "Alvin Purple- confirm this distasteful cinematic era. The whole ocker film era was not a basless celebration of non-culture, but rather a reflection of the de-dominization process occuring at the time. ... They demonstrated just who Australians were by providing a [...] culturally different foil, showing who they...

• Word Count: 7147
• Approx Pages: 29

7. Libertarianism

Despite the fact the since 1968 Americans have elected the every presidential candidate that pledged to support a smaller government, the "federal budget has risen from $178 billion to 1.6 trillion." (6:191) Much of the government we see today began nearly seventy years as black Thursday in October of 1929 dawned not only the collapse of our economy a new modern era of government regulation. ...

• Word Count: 7038
• Approx Pages: 28

8. Libertarianism

• Word Count: 7034

Most Ridiculous '80s Things We Want to Forget

T he 1980s brought us some undeniably awesome things. Like Guns N' Roses, "Back to the Future" and Princess Diana. We are thankful for that.

But not everything in the '80s was awesome. The decade also delivered some absolutely terrible trends. In the race to be louder, wilder and more creative, some absurd fads were taken a little too far. 

These are the most ridiculous 1980s trends. 

Giant Scrunchies

Famously seen in:  "Heathers"

Listen, we love scrunchies. They're definitely gentler on the hair than wristbands, even if they don't have as much hold. But why did they have to be so gigantic? Yes, the '80s loved everything to be big and loud, but some of these scrunchies looked half the size of a human head. 

The 1980s had a knack for getting things that were OK and taking them way too far. The trend is coming back in the 2020s, most notably sported by singer and actor Jojo Siwa.

Acid Wash Jeans

Famously seen in:  Early punk fashion

Acid wash jeans started as a punk protest against consumerism. Punks would splatter their jeans with bleach or simply keep wearing old and worn-out jeans rather than buy new ones. As it always happens, the worn-out look became trendy, and it wasn't long before stores started making acid wash jeans. 

The irony of buying new pants that looked old was not lost on anyone, but nobody cared because fashion comes before logic. Although the trend hasn't exactly disappeared completely, it has never regained the jean throne it once held.

Slap Bracelets

Famously seen in:  Every elementary and middle school in the 1980s

It's a bracelet that you slap on. That was enough to make every kid in the '80s want an entire collection. Sure, you could always kill time slapping the band on and off, but the novelty of it wore off pretty quickly. Besides, the bracelets weren't actually pretty. 

As with most children's fads, slap bracelets had a short but sweet life.

Stirrup Pants

Famously seen in:  Every aerobics studio in the 1980s

What was the deal with stirrup pants? They were the precursor of the legging and the jegging, except they had a little hole that you looped around your heel, purportedly to keep the leggings from riding up. They were made for horseback riding at the beginning of the century but then became part of street fashion in the '80s.

The issue is that they ended up pulling your pants down, and it was uncomfortable to wear shoes and socks with them. If it's not going to look good, it should at least be comfortable. Stirrup pants lasted well until the mid-1990s, at which point we collectively decided to simply make better leggings. The trend isn't completely gone, but it is mostly obsolete.

Rah-Rah Skirts

Famously seen in:  "Heathers" (yes, it had everything)

The so-called rah-rah skirts were pretty much ruffle skirts that were meant to imitate the style of cheerleading uniforms (hence the name). We will be honest and just say that, outside of cheerleading practice, these skirts almost never look good. 

The ruffles are unflattering, and the look feels somewhat childish. The style pretty much died down in the '90s, but it did come back for a brief moment in the early 2000s. Note: If Wynona Ryder can't pull it off in "Heathers," neither can you.

For more ridiculous things from the '80s, check out FamilyMinded.

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The Complex, Gender-Bending History Behind ‘Florals for Spring’

Essayist Olivia Laing delves into the surprisingly subversive lore behind the motif.

We got married at a University of Cambridge college, in a 15th-century hall decorated with Pre-Raphaelite exuberance in the same unusual black, red, and green palette as the dress. There were heraldic roses and other botanical motifs everywhere you looked, rising up the walls and swarming across the painted ceiling. It was like entering a fantastical Eden, at once traditional and anarchic.

Flowers are often coded as sweetly feminine, especially in fashion, but their historical use is far stranger and more subversive. Before I became a writer, I trained as an herbalist, falling deep under the spell of medieval herbs, with their bewitching floral associations. Flowers had once formed a kind of secret language, an arcane code that only an adept could read. Bouquets, paintings, even dresses could carry a hidden message, by way of the humble plants they contained.

While I was researching my new book, The Garden Against Time: In Search of a Common Paradise , I came across a historical study with the beguiling title of Queen Elizabeth’s Wardrobe Unlock’d . It was an account of the marvelous dresses the Tudor queen had worn, many of them densely embroidered with flowers, which broadcast a coded message about her virtues. The dress worn by Elizabeth in the famous Hardwick Portrait includes pansies for humility, lilies for purity, and roses to emphasize her Tudor lineage. They appear on a dress swimming with floral, animal, and even monstrous life. It wouldn’t look out of place on a catwalk now, perhaps worn by Gwendoline Christie at Maison Margiela .

It was William Morris who brought the lost language of flowers back into everyday circulation. He’d pored over medieval herbals as a child, and their flowers reemerged in his fluid, fertile prints. Morris wanted everything to be as beautiful as possible, and he covered the staid bedrooms and stiff drawing rooms of the Victorian world with a restless profusion of marigolds and roses, chrysanthemums and lilies. His flowers encoded a subversive dream of a shared Eden, a secret message he even managed to install in the Throne Room of St James’s Palace.

The Garden Against Time: In Search of a Common Paradise by Olivia Laing

There’s a similar sort of subversion going on in the clothes of Steven Stokey-Daley, a young British designer much loved by Harry Styles. Stokey-Daley is a gay working-class man who draws his inspiration from the elitist and highly coded uniforms of British public schools. His label S.S. Daley deploys the distinctive shapes and styles of an aristocratic wardrobe, creating a gorgeous Brideshead Revisited world of dressing gowns, flowing shirts, and rowing blazers. It’s not so much an emulation of privilege as an exposure and reclamation of how power is worn.

Since presenting his debut collection in 2020, Stokey-Daley has incorporated flowers into his work, often using 16th-century botanical prints. One of my prized possessions is an oversize S.S. Daley men’s shirt, finely striped and covered in an angular tracery of orange poppies. His flowers spell out a distinctive and defiant queerness, disrupting the conventional language of gender.

Simone Rocha’s spring 2024 collection was also awash with gender-bending florals. She sent both male and female models down the catwalk in shirts and jackets cunningly folded to create outsize floppy roses. Some models carried roses; others had rose transfer tattoos on their legs. The pièce de résistance was a series of tulle dresses stuffed with real roses. “They smelled amazing,” she told me. Rocha is a keen gardener, especially of roses, and it felt natural to incorporate the flowers she loves into her clothes. What excited her was “to contrast the natural with the man-made. In particular, the stuffed rose dresses were almost to mimic the boning of a garment, but trapping it and exposing it in tulle.”

This is the kind of floral fashion I love. Queen Elizabeth I would have understood its appeal: clothes that are like walking inside a private garden, in bloom summer and winter alike.

Olivia Laing’s new book, The Garden Against Time: In Search of a Common Paradise, is published by W. W. Norton.

A version of this story appears in the June/July 2024 issue of ELLE.

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Updated: Request for Papers: The Body, Fashion, and Popular Culture - NEPCA Hybrid Fall Conference 2024

The  Northeast Popular Culture Association (NEPCA)  The Body, Fashion, and Popular Culture  Area invites submissions for NEPCA’s annual conferenceto to be held online and in person at Nichols College, MA, October 3 – 5, 2024 . Virtual sessions will take place on Thursday evening and Friday morning via Zoom. In-person sessions will take place on Friday evening and Saturday morning and will be broadcast to conference registrants via Zoom. Time zones are US Eastern Standard Time.

Body and Culture  is concerned with the human body as text, both literal and discursive, and how the body’s production of meaning is socially, culturally, historically, psychologically, economically, affectively, and/or politically located. The meanings that culture writes onto bodies, the origins and constructions of those meanings, and the impact those meanings have on bodies so inscribed, become pertinent questions. We welcome topics of any nature dealing with the body — in the body’s most diverse meanings — including the absence of such.

Fashion and Culture  is concerned with what covers and surrounds the body. All areas and aspects of style, fashion, clothing, design, and related trends, as well as appearances and/or consumption including the: history, aesthetics, online marketing/branding including celebrity/influencer retailing, youth stylings, psychological/ sociological aspects of dress, image, including construction of personal and cultural identities, in addition to areas relating to purchasing, shopping or alternative sourcing of fashion.

Topics of interest for 2024 can include, but are not restricted to:

• The Fashion of Costumes: Performing characters across genres and eras
• The Body within Fashion: Identity, Slippages, and More
• The Business of the Body: Age, Skincare, and ‘cosmetic’ surgeries
• Celebrity Influencers, Trend-setters, and the Fashion Mongers
• Fashion and the Adolescent Body in Popular YA Literature
• On the Screen: Fashion in Film and other Visual Media
• The Met Gala aka "The biggest fashion event of the year"

 This call will be open until June 15, 2024. You can submit your proposal at this link , which will ask the following questions about your proposal:

• Proposal Type (Single Presentation, Panel, Roundtable)
• Modality (in person or virtual)
• Subject Area
• Working Title
• Academic Affiliation (if any)
• Abstract (250 words)
• Short bio (50-200 words)
• Accommodations
• Preferences for when to present

 If you have questions about the NEPCA Conference please see the  2024 Conference Page or feel free to reach out to NEPCA’S  The Body, Fashion, and Popular Culture  Area Chairs:  Angela Whyland, MA at  [email protected] ; Hannah Sophie Schiffner, Zeppelin University at [email protected] ; Protichi Chatterjee, MA, Jawaharlal Nehru University at [email protected] .

Note: Roundtables allow a group of participants to convene with the goal of generating discussion around a shared concern. Roundtables typically involve shorter position or dialogue statements (5-10 minutes) in response to questions distributed in advance by the organizer. Most of the roundtable session time should be expected to be discussion. Submissions for a Roundtable should follow the general guidelines for a panel proposal.

Hip-hop bling is the thing at a luminous new jewelry exhibit

“Ice Cold” celebrates the cultural impact and brilliant style of rappers from Run-DMC to the Notorious B.I.G.

H ip-hop jewelry has gone by many names over the past 50 years . “Bling-bling” crystallized into “ice,” which melted into “drip” as rappers went from adorning their necks with gold chains and knuckles with four-finger rings to decking out their teeth and wrists in diamonds. One-upping your opponent in a rap battle couldn’t be done with lyrical prowess alone. You also had to look fly. As inner-city rappers sought global respect for their street poetry as a reputable art form throughout the ’80s and ’90s, so too did up-and-coming immigrant jewelers who found a commonality in their hustle to attain the American Dream.

At New York City’s American Museum of Natural History, 66 culturally priceless heirlooms are now on display as part of “Ice Cold: An Exhibition of Hip-Hop Jewelry.” Sean M. Decatur, the museum’s president, told The Washington Post “Ice Cold” was a “natural fit” for the Meister Gallery inside the Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals, which has previously hosted three jewelry-themed exhibits. To him, the gems “tell an interesting broader cultural story.”

“When you are from a people who come from a history where the right to express one’s identity was constantly being questioned, challenged and diminished, it takes on special meaning to present yourself in a particular way that is so deeply tied into one’s own understanding of self,” Decatur said of the pieces that reflect Black and Latino diasporic experiences.

Old-school fans will recognize Public Enemy’s ’80s leather medallion featuring its logo of a Black man caught in the crosshairs of a gun sight to raise awareness about police brutality. Aficionados will spot the legendary yellow gold Jesus piece that the Notorious B.I.G. rapped about in his 1997 hit “Hypnotize.” Onlookers can “lean back” and admire Fat Joe’s 14-karat white gold and diamond Terror Squad logo necklace to learn about how hip-hop crews grew into music collectives by the early ’00s.

“Ice Cold” is an extension of hip-hop journalist Vikki Tobak’s 2022 coffee-table book of the same name, which features more than 300 pages of classic photos and heartfelt essays showcasing what “stuntin’” really means to rappers. The author, who worked as director of publicity and marketing at Payday Records in the ’90s, felt it was important for fans and critics alike to see physical representations of hip-hop’s undeniable presence up close.

“The fact that it’s inside of this museum that’s dedicated to the history of mankind, I really saw the magnitude of placing this kind of work in that kind of context and putting all these new eyes on it,” Tobak said.

W ith cases named after songs such as “Money, Power & Respect” and “U See Us,” the curator emphasized that the jewels don’t necessarily signify decadence. “Ice Cold” shows a kaleidoscopic spectrum of stories — from the time when making it was “all a dream” to memorializing a fallen friend.

“Artists have fully stepped into their power,” Tobak said. “They really understand that what they wear is often just as important as their music. ‘U See Us,’ is named after the Nipsey [Hussle] song, and it’s meant to speak to how all eyes now are on hip-hop for everything — style, fashion, music, politics even.”

The Style section

Tobak, whose family immigrated from Kazakhstan to Detroit in the ’70s, thinks “Ice Cold” is especially timely as the gatekeepers of couture fashion houses and legacy jewelers have not only welcomed tastemakers such as A$AP Ferg and Tyler, the Creator into the fold, but have also taken inspiration from classic hip-hop chain styles.

“You think about the way that hip-hop has been embraced by the luxury world just in the past 10 years and what it means for jewelry,” Tobak said. “Certain link styles you’re starting to see in mainstream culture. I think we needed this past 10 years to tell that additional layer.”

A$AP Ferg’s finery

F erg, a founding member of the A$AP Mob hip-hop collective, used to walk past Tiffany & Co.’s flagship store on Fifth Avenue on his way home to Harlem from the High School of Art and Design. “When you don’t have the money to actually buy something, you don’t feel comfortable walking through these stores,” he said. As a teenager, then known as Darold Ferguson Jr., he designed crystal-studded pendants that got his friends robbed due to how realistic they looked. In 2018, Ferg made history as Tiffany’s first hip-hop brand ambassador.

At “Ice Cold,” the “Plain Jane” rapper’s 18-karat white gold and diamond Tiffany T bracelet glistens next to a more sentimental piece — a custom IF & Co. “Yamborghini” necklace. Inspired by the Lamborghini logo, the Ben Baller -designed pendant is made of 14-karat white gold with 65 carats of white VVS diamonds and a custom Hermes link diamond chain to honor the late Mob member A$AP Yams. Ferg said designing and buying chains is “just another extension of your soul.”

“Whenever I buy jewelry, it has a purpose,” Ferg said. “[We’re] not just spending mad bread on things. We’re mimicking our forefathers. You think about Egypt, the gods, King Tut, Mansa Musa — the richest man in the world — Black man. We’re just mimicking who we are. We’re kings and queens.”

Roc-A-Fella Records logo pendant

W hen Jay-Z raps “got the hottest chick in the game wearin’ my chain,” Roc Nation senior vice president Lenny “Lenny S” Santiago flashes back to the moment he snapped a photo of Beyoncé sporting her husband’s Roc-A-Fella necklace. The 14-karat rose gold and diamond pendant, made by the often name-dropped Jacob “the Jeweler” Arabo, depicts the record label’s iconic logo — a vinyl record with a bottle of champagne and a cursive letter R.

“It represents what Roc was,” Santiago said. “They were getting money, they were buying jewelry, they were popping champagne. That logo became so famous because of what was built. So, forget about what the actual emblem is. It’s what it represents . And it represented independence. When you look at it, you think of the whole Roc-A-Fella to Roc Nation empire.”

Jam Master Jay’s Adidas pendant

B ack in 1986, when kids wanted to sport Run-DMC’s signature Kangol hats and tracksuits, Bronx native Santiago said he was more intrigued by the group’s ability to broker hip-hop’s first endorsement deal with Adidas. His sentiment comes full circle at “Ice Cold,” where Jam Master Jay’s 14-karat yellow gold chain with a black enamel Adidas pendant is featured in the exhibit’s entryway case.

Today, he admires how hip-hop artists have used their business acumen to take the B-boy from the streets to the C-suite, with high-profile collaborations between the likes of Pharrell Williams and Louis Vuitton.

“Nobody would have thought [of] that in the ’70s and ’80s when rappers were just wearing thick gold rope chains,” Santiago said.

Nicki Minaj’s Barbie pendant

I ndian jeweler Ashna Mehta created Minaj’s 2022 18-karat white gold Barbie pendant encrusted in 54.47 carats of diamonds and bright pink enamel. She said via email the exhibit recognizes “how the tradition of adornment is alive and well in modern times.” The heiress to the Indian-Belgian jewelry company Rosy Blue grew up in New York and Dubai, where she said hip-hop’s irresistible style was fully embraced across cultures.

“The pieces are not just accessories,” Mehta said. “They are historical artifacts of our time. As a woman in this industry, creating for another woman who has carved her path in such a male-dominated field is profoundly meaningful. It’s more than just adornment. It’s a celebration of feminine strength, resilience and leadership.”

Pendants with pizazz

D esigner Alex Moss believes his craftsmanship sets a new standard for sophistication. The Toronto native of Armenian descent thinks “Ice Cold” makes a statement that hip-hop jewelry is “art at the highest level.”

“It’s in the same room they’ve had exhibits for Van Cleef, for Cartier, for Harry Winston,” Moss said. “The times are changing. It’s not about 100-year-old jewelry anymore. This is today’s jewelry.”

“Ice Cold” features some of Moss’s most notable pieces, such as A$AP Rocky’s 14-karat gold EXO grenade pendant clock, Drake’s 18K white gold “Crown Jewel of Toronto” pendant with yellow and blue diamonds and Burmese rubies and the bellhop pendant for Tyler, the Creator. The $500,000 14-karat gold pendant and chain has 186 carats in diamonds, 60 carats in sapphires and more than 23,000 handset stones.

“After I put that one out, I think everyone pretty much woke up and said, ‘Who is this kid?’” Moss said.

Pharrell Williams’s grillz

U nlike Moss, who entered the jewelry industry in 2016 without any contacts, 27-year-old grill maker Elan Pinhasov grew up in the family business — Gabby Elan Jewelry. His father, Gabriel, immigrated from Israel in 1990, and over the years, he used his dental training to design more comfortable, custom mouthpieces for the likes of Ol’ Dirty Bastard from the Wu-Tang Clan, Dua Lipa, J Balvin and, most recently, Rihanna . But one particular customer can’t get enough of Gabby Elan designs. “Ice Cold” features two blinged-out grillz owned by Pharrell — a 14-karat white gold set with ruby pavé surrounded by white pavé diamonds from 2006 that Pinhasov estimates cost Williams about $10,000, and a 22-karat yellow gold set with yellow natural pavé diamonds from 2021 for $40,000.

“The [yellow diamond] set I think was originally intended for the Met Gala,” Pinhasov said, noting that the artist wanted bigger stones than those placed in the initial design. “So we have this set [at the exhibit] as kind of like a prototype, and the set that he currently has, has diamonds that are twice the size.”

Pinhasov said his father spent decades making a name for himself in the heart of Brooklyn at Albee Square Mall, formerly a hip-hop hot spot for jewels and rap battles. But the young designer encouraged him to move the business to the Diamond District in October 2018 to keep up with the competition. Having spent summers, weekends and even after-school hours selling gems since 2013, Pinhasov doesn’t see the flashy ornaments as a fading trend anytime soon.

“You can wear the most expensive watch, you can wear the most expensive shoe, any piece of jewelry, but everyone’s first impression is looking at someone’s face,” Pinhasov said. “If they smile and see a magnificent set of grillz, it sticks your attention to that forever.”

“Ice Cold: An Exhibition of Hip-Hop Jewelry” runs through Jan. 5, 2025. American Museum of Natural History, 200 Central Park West, New York. Tickets for nonresidents from $16 to $28. www.amnh.org .

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Opinion Guest Essay

The Nerve of Madonna to Pull It Off, Again

Credit... Pablo Porciuncula/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Supported by

By Mary Gabriel and Kristin J. Lieb

Ms. Gabriel is the author of “Madonna: A Rebel Life.” Dr. Lieb is a professor at Emerson College and the author of “Gender, Branding, and the Modern Music Industry: The Social Construction of Female Popular Music Stars.”

• May 16, 2024

Eighteen years ago, Madonna observed : “Once you pass 35, your age becomes part of the first sentence of anything written. It’s a form of limiting your options and almost putting you in your place. For women, naturally.” She was 47 when she said that and intent on challenging the cultural script that suggested women, especially female performers, had a use-by date.

“Why is that acceptable?” she asked the music writer Brian Hiatt nearly 10 years later, still battling critics who told her to dress her age, act her age — in short, pack it in and retreat from the spotlight because she was past her prime. “Women, generally, when they reach a certain age, have accepted that they’re not allowed to behave a certain way. But I don’t follow the rules.”

To the question “Is she still relevant?” her Celebration Tour, which concluded this month, is proof that she is. Madonna performed before the largest audience ever gathered to watch a female artist and mounted the single biggest free stand-alone concert in history: 1.6 million people turned Rio de Janeiro’s Copacabana Beach into a dance floor on May 4. According to Billboard , her six-month, 80-show tour grossed $225.4 million, making her the only woman in history to gross more than $100 million during six concert tours. (The only solo male in that category is Bruce Springsteen.)

But there’s so much more to her triumph than numbers. That a 65-year-old female pop star pulled off this tour and, despite our increasingly intolerant times, the performance was her most relentlessly and delightfully queer since 1990’s groundbreaking Blond Ambition Tour would be unimaginable, except that it was Madonna. The Celebration Tour proved that Madonna wasn’t afraid of drawing attention to her long career; she owned it proudly.

All of her past selves showed up, in role and in costume, to help celebrate the many ways she has evolved and the many ways she and her collaborators have explored and expressed gender throughout the years. It was a beautifully inclusive, encouraging spectacle. If history is a guide, the social and artistic ramifications of her performance will extend well beyond the numbers and long after her tour.

Madonna’s 1985 Virgin Tour, her debut, included only 40 shows in North America and grossed about $5 million. But its impact on young lives is immeasurable. The young women and girls in her audience were on the cusp of unleashing their sexual selves and embracing their independence, which is what made them so terrifying to a broader society intent on keeping them polite, passive and manageable.

Madonna’s message to her young audience was: Embrace your power, dream big and dare to be your own damned self. That message would resonate through a generation and across the globe, as aspiring Madonnas grew up to be politicians, lawyers, doctors, teachers, members of the armed forces, Third Wave feminists, riot grrrls and pop stars themselves.

Madonna was, in fact, the lead author of the female pop star playbook, and she continues to write the unexplored and perilous back end of it while artists like Olivia Rodrigo and Billie Eilish adapt the front end and more established stars like Beyoncé and Taylor Swift refine what’s possible in the middle. Madonna’s continuous career represents a universe of possibility for their own, despite the entertainment industry’s willingness to jettison midcareer women in favor of artists with younger faces and bodies.

But for women not named Madonna (or Beyoncé or Taylor Swift), growing older and maturing in public is much more fraught. Older men are considered wise, but older women are often ignored or discounted. Thanks to the intervention of the pharmaceutical industry, men are encouraged to have an active sex life into their 80s. The idea of older women having sex remains, for many, repellent.

Madonna has challenged our notions of what a woman should do and be on all those counts: She chooses to age as she sees fit, she says what she believes loudly and forcefully, and she is as proudly sexual as she was in 1985.

With her Celebration Tour, Madonna demonstrated night after night for six months that an older woman can exhibit power and strength — joyfully, generously and defiantly. Her glorious performance was perhaps even sweeter when we recall that hip and knee injuries disrupted her Madame X tour four years ago and a bacterial infection threatened not only the Celebration Tour but also Madonna’s life.

Forty years ago, Madonna showed audiences, particularly girls and women, that they could mute the killjoy chorus keeping them from self-realization. On the Celebration Tour, Madonna doubled down on this idea, encouraging fans to follow their hearts, minds and inner freaks by both being herself onstage and employing diverse and talented dancers to carry that message in their own convincing and resonant ways.

If this were the last tour of Madonna’s career — and we sincerely hope it was not — she would retire as the most influential female pop star of all time, a legitimate legend who wowed audiences, defied expectations and broke records. Having served more than 40 years in the public eye, she could take a holiday, take some time to celebrate. It would be, it would be so nice.

The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. We’d like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips . And here’s our email: [email protected] .

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Kristin J. Lieb is a professor at Emerson College and the author of “Gender, Branding, and the Modern Music Industry.”

Mary Gabriel is the author of “Ninth Street Women: Lee Krasner, Elaine de Kooning, Grace Hartigan, Joan Mitchell, and Helen Frankenthaler, Five Painters and the Movement That Changed Modern Art” and ”Madonna: A Rebel Life.”

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