Like the fashion of all modern decades, 1980s fashion in popular culture incorporated distinct trends from different eras. Popular culture (or pop culture) is the Culture — patterns of human activity and the symbolic structures that give such activities significance and importance — This helped form a cultivating movement of style. The Punk look of the late 1970s was influential, rather as the late 1960s "hippies are cool" look had been in the 1970s. The most conservative, more masculine fashion look that was most indicative of the 1980s was the wide use of shoulder pads. While in the 1970s the silhouette of fashion tended to be characterized by close fitting clothes on top with wider, looser clothes on the bottom, this trend completely reversed itself in the early 1980s as both men and women began to wear looser shirts and tight, close-fitting pants. Men wore power suits as a result of the greater tendency for people to display their wealth. Brand names became increasingly important in this decade, making Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein household names. For the company see Polo Ralph Lauren. Ralph Lauren (born Ralph Lifshitz on October 14, 1939) is an American Calvin Klein Inc is an American fashion brand founded in 1968 by Calvin Klein. In the United States, Madonna was titled the "Material Girl" and many teenage girls looked to her for fashion statements. Madonna Louise Ciccone Ritchie (born August 16 1958 known as Madonna, is an American The popular movie Flashdance (1983) made ripped sweatshirts well-known in the general public. Flashdance is a musical / Romance film released in April 1983 and was one of the most successful films of the early 1980s Year 1983 ( MCMLXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar) The television shows Dallas and Dynasty also had a similar impact. Dallas is a highly popular long-running American prime-time television Soap opera that originally ran from 1978 to 1991 Dynasty is an American Prime time television Soap opera that aired on ABC from January 12 1981 to
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1980s in Fashion
New Romantic
The New Romantic was a New Wave and fashion movement that occurred primarily in British nightclubs. New Romantic was a short- lived Fashion and music movement that occurred primarily in the United Kingdom and Ireland during the very early 1980s New Wave is a Rock music genre that existed during the late 1970s and the 1980s The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located A nightclub (or "night club" or "club" is a drinking, dancing, and entertainment venue which does its primary business after dark New romanticism emerged in the UK music scene in the early 80s as a direct backlash against the austerity of the punk movement. Where punk railed against life in Britain's council estates, the New Romantics celebrated glamour and partied regularly at local nightclubs. The council house is a form of public or social housing in the United Kingdom. A nightclub (or "night club" or "club" is a drinking, dancing, and entertainment venue which does its primary business after dark The make-up was streaky and bold. The notoriously outlandish designer/club host Leigh Bowery, known for his exuberant designs, became a muse for artists such as Boy George and had grown a huge status in the early 1980s underground club scene. Leigh Bowery ( 26 March 1961 - 31 December 1994) was an Australian Performance artist club promoter, actor aspiring Boy George (born George Alan O'Dowd 14 June 1961 in Eltham London) is an English Singer-songwriter, who was part of the English New The early designer of the romantic look was Vivienne Westwood who designed clothing specifically for bands, such as Adam & the Ants and later developed the "pirate look. Dame Vivienne Westwood, DBE, RDI, (born 8 April, 1941) is an English Fashion designer largely responsible for bringing " The pirate look featured frilled "buccaneer" shirts often made of expensive fabrics. Piracy is Robbery committed at sea or sometimes on shore without a commission from a sovereign Nation (as distinct from Privateering One element of this trend that went mainstream and remained popular for most of the decade were short shirt collars worn unfolded against the neck with the top one or two buttons unfastened. Except in the most conservative communities this became standard casual wear for both men and women. With the exception of business suits, to wear one's collar folded appeared awkward or stuffy. Leggings were also very popular.
Valley Girl
Headbands became fashionable in 1982. The trend started in California and spread across the nation. Other associated trends were leg warmers and miniskirts. Leg warmers are coverings for the lower legs similar to socks but thicker and generally footless The miniskirt (often hyphenated as mini-skirt) is a Skirt with Leg warmers, which had long been staple gear for professional dancers during rehearsals, became a teen trend in 1982. Miniskirts returned for the first time since the early 1970s. These styles became associated with the Valley Girl trend that was popular at the time, based on a popular song by Frank Zappa and Moon Unit Zappa. Valley Girl (less commonly Val) is a term referred to affluent middle-class young girls living in the neighborhood of San Fernando Valley. Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21 1940 – December 4 1993 was an American Composer, Electric guitarist Record producer and Film director Moon Unit Zappa (born September 28 1967) is an American actress and musician The other fads soon spent themselves, but miniskirts remained in style and became an option for women's business suits throughout the 'eighties and early 1990swith dolly shoes
Power Dressing
Shoulder pads, popularized perhaps by Linda Evans from the soap opera Dynasty, remained popular throughout the 1980s and even the first three years of the 1990s. Linda Evans (born Linda Evenstad on November 18 1942 in Hartford Connecticut) is a Golden Globe -winning and Emmy nominated American Actress A soap opera is an ongoing episodic work of Fiction, usually broadcast on Television or Radio. Dynasty is an American Prime time television Soap opera that aired on ABC from January 12 1981 to The reason behind the sudden popularity of shoulderpads for women in the 1980s may be that women in the workplace were no longer unusual, and wanted to "power dress" to show that they were the equals of men at the office. Many women's outfits had velcro on the inside of the shoulder where various sized shoulderpads could be attached. Velcro is a brand name of fabric hook-and-loop fasteners. It consists of two layers a "hook" side which is a piece of Fabric covered with tiny hooks
The Dynasty television show, watched by over 250 million viewers around the world in the 1980s, influenced the fashion styles in mainstream America. Dynasty is an American Prime time television Soap opera that aired on ABC from January 12 1981 to The show, targeted towards females, influenced women to wear jewelry often to show one's economic status. Synthetic fabrics went out of style in the 1980s. Wool, cotton, and silk returned to popularity for their perceived quality.
Men's business attire saw a return of pinstripes for the first time since the 1970s. The new pinstripes were narrower and subtler than 1930s and 1940s suits but similar to the 1970s styles. Three piece suits gradually went out of fashion in the early 'eighties and lapels on suits became very narrow (similar to 1950s styles). While vests in the 1970s had commonly been worn high with six or five buttons, those made in the early 1980s often had only four buttons and were made to be worn low. Neckties also became narrower in the 1980s and skinny versions appeared in leather. Button down collars made a return, both for business and casual wear.
Meanwhile women's fashion and business shoes returned to styles that had been popular in the 1950s and early 1960s with pointed toes and spiked heels. Some stores stocked canvas or satin covered fashion shoes in white and dyed them to the customer's preferred color. While the most popular shoes amongst young women were bright colored high heels, a trend started to emerge which saw 'Jellies' - colorful, transparent plastic flats - become popular.
Dancewear
The popularity of aerobics and dance-themed television shows and movies created a dancewear fashion sense - professional dancewear, such as leggings and leg warmers, were worn as streetwear. The 1983 film Flashdance popularized ripped sweatshirts for women that exposed one bare shoulder. Year 1983 ( MCMLXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar) Flashdance is a musical / Romance film released in April 1983 and was one of the most successful films of the early 1980s Leotards were also worn during this period and became colourful. A leotard is a Skin-tight one-piece garment that covers the torso and body but leaves the legs free
Other dancewear inspirations included Olivia Newton John's Physical video and Jane Fonda's line of aerobic videos. Olivia Newton-John, AO, OBE (born September 26 1948) is a Grammy Award -winning and Golden Globe -nominated English-born Jane Fonda (born December 21 1937 is an American Academy Award winning Actress, Writer, political activist, former Fashion
The Miami Vice look
The 1980s saw an explosion of colourful styles in men's clothing. The growing popularity of the Miami Vice television series saw men wearing casual t-shirts underneath expensive suit jackets - often in bright or pastel colours. Miami Vice is an American Television series produced by Michael Mann for NBC. The t-shirt with designer jacket look was often accompanied by the "designer stubble" look that was popularized by Don Johnson in the TV series Miami Vice along with a propensity to wear shoes without socks. Don Johnson (born Donnie Wayne Johnson, December 15 1949 Personal life Relationships and family At 22 Johnson began a four-year liaison
One popular look for men in the late 1980s was Hawaiian shirts. The Aloha shirt is a style of dress shirt originating in Hawaii. Often they would be complemented with sport coats with stitched looks. They were often gray and white, and were worn for both casual and business settings. When worn in the business setting, they were often worn without a tie.
The Thriller look
The Thriller look was inspired by Michael Jackson's record breaking album Thriller. Michael Joseph Jackson (born August 29 1958 is an American musician entertainer and businessman Thriller is the sixth Studio album by American pop musician Michael Jackson. Teenagers would attempt to replicate the look of Jackson, which included matching red/black leather pants and jackets, one glove, sunglasses, and jheri curl. The Jheri curl (often incorrectly spelled "Jerry curl" or "Jeri Curl" is a Hairstyle that was common and popular in the African American
Leather jackets popularized by Michael Jackson and films like The Lost Boys, often studded and left undone to create a messier look. A leather jacket is a type of Clothing, a Jacket made of Leather. Michael Joseph Jackson (born August 29 1958 is an American musician entertainer and businessman The Lost Boys is a 1987 American comedy - Horror film about two young Arizonans who move to California Oversized, slouch shouldered faded leather jackets with puffy sleeves from Europe caught on. Gloves, sometimes fingerless, would also accompany the jacket. Late in the decade plain brown aviator jackets made a comeback, styled after World War II fighter pilot jackets. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Already popular aviators were joined by other forms of sunglasses. It was not unusual for sunglasses or shades as they were known, to be worn at night. Sunglasses or sun glasses are a visual aid variously termed Spectacles or Glasses, which feature lenses that are coloured or darkened to prevent strong
Madonna
In the 1980s, rising pop star Madonna proved to be very influential over female fashions. Madonna Louise Ciccone Ritchie (born August 16 1958 known as Madonna, is an American She first emerged on the dance music scene with her "street urchin" look - short skirts over leggings, rubber bracelets,fishnet gloves,hairbows, long layered strings of beads, bleached hair with dark roots, and head bands. In her Like a Virgin phase, millions of teenage girls emulated her fashion example that included brassieres worn as outerwear, huge crucifix jewellery, lace gloves, tulle skirts, and boytoy belts. Like a Virgin is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released on November 12, 1984 by Sire Records
Gloves, sometimes lace and/or fingerless were popularized by Madonna, as well as fishnet stockings and layers of beaded necklaces. Another club fashion for women was lingerie as outerwear. Prior to the mid-1980s it had been taboo to show a slip or a visible bra strap in public. A visible undergarment had been a sign of social ineptness. In the new fad's most extreme forms, young women would forego conventional outer-garments for vintage-style bustiers with lacy slips and several large crucifixes. This was both an assertion of sexual freedom and a conscious rejection of prevailing androgynous fashions.
Rap Music and Designer Sneakers
Converse shoes were popular in the first half of the 1980s. Air Jordan basketball shoes made their debut in 1984. "Air Jordan" also refers to a nickname for Michael Jordan Air Jordan, known colloquially as Air Jordans, Jordans, Athletic shoes had been worn as casual wear before, but for the first time they became a high priced fashion item. The National Basketball Association banned these shoes from games when they first debuted, which increased their cachet. Soon other manufacturers introduced premium athletic shoes. Adidas sneakers took the decade by storm, popular amongst teenagers and young men. WikipediaManual of Style (trademarks, which says "Lowercased trademarks with no internal The Adidas sneaker was popularized by the Run DMC song My Adidas. Run-DMC was a pioneering hip hop group during the 1980s founded by Joseph "[The Reverend] Run" Simmons, Darryl "D Nike had a similar share of the market coming out with Air Max and similar type shoes. High-tops, especially of white or black leather, became popular. The high-top is a Shoe that extends significantly over the wearer's Ankle.
Ensembles featuring the colors of Africa (green, yellow and red) became wildly popular among African Americans, mainly named kente cloth. African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa Kente cloth, known locally as nwentoma, is a type of fabric made of interwoven woven cloth strips and is native to the country of Ghana, where it was first In the urban hip-hop communities, sneakers were usually worn unlaced & a large amount of gold jewelry as well as headwraps donned the young of the eighties. Jewellery (also spelled jewelry, see spelling differences) is a personal Ornament, such as a necklace ring or bracelet made from Gemstones
Hair Metal
By the late eighties, acid-washed jeans and denim jackets had become popular with both sexes. Acid washing is the process of chemically bleaching the denim, breaking down the fiber of material and forcing the dye to fade, thus leaving undertones of the original dye evidenced by pale white streaks or spots on the material. This became associated with the heavy metal trend (called "hair metal" in later decades for the large frizzy coiffures worn by both male and female enthusiasts). Glam metal (also known as pop metal) is a sub-genre of Heavy metal music that arose in the late 1970s and early 1980s in the United States.
Severely bleached and ripped jeans, either manufactured purposely or done by hand, become a popular fashion trend, being a main component of glam metal music acts such as Poison. Jeans are Trousers made from Denim. Mainly designed for work, they became popular among Teenagers starting in the 1950s. Glam metal (also known as pop metal) is a sub-genre of Heavy metal music that arose in the late 1970s and early 1980s in the United States. Poison is an American Hard rock band that achieved great success and popularity in the late 1980s and early 1990s Although gay men have often been thought of as trendsetters in the fashion world, elements of gay fashion exploded into the mainstream in the 1980s. The outdoor look, such as the wearing of huge hiking boots, jeans and flannel shirts in the city caught on, drag styles for men and butch styles for women spread into straight society. Tattooing and piercing began to enter the mainstream.
Preppy Dressing
Conservative teenagers, especially in the United States wore a style that came to be known as "preppy. The Official Preppy Handbook (1980 is a Tongue-in-cheek "reference guide" edited by Lisa Birnbach and written by Carol McD The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Preppy, also spelled preppie, is a chiefly North American adjective or noun traditionally used in relation to northeastern private University-preparatory schools " Preppy fashions are associated with classic and conservative style of dressing and clothing brands such as Izod Lacoste, Brooks Brothers, Polo Ralph Lauren. Izod Lacoste was a brand name licensed by Lacoste to Izod from 1952-1993 Brooks Brothers is the oldest surviving men's clothier in the United States, founded in 1818 Polo Ralph Lauren ( is American Fashion designer Ralph Lauren 's luxury Lifestyle company An example of preppy attire would be a button-down Oxford cloth shirt, cuffed khakis, and loafers. Also popular were argyle sweaters and vests. It was also considered "preppy" to wear a sweater tied loosely around the shoulders. In the 1980s, preppy fashions featured a lot of pastels and polo shirts with designer logos.
Hairstyles
Sideburns of the 1970s saw a massive decline in fashion in 1980, big and eccentric hair styles were popularized by film and music stars in particular amongst teenagers. There was generally an excessive amount of mousse used in styling an individual's hair which resulted in a desired shiny look and greater volume, some mousse even contained glitter. Hair mousse is a toiletry added to hair for extra volume and shine Hairpsrays such as AquaNet were also used in excess. In 1984 sideburns made a comeback but were slightly thinner and shorter, and better groomed than those of the 1970s, lasting until the end of 1986. These sideburns were usually (but not always) used as an add-on to the Mullet haircut. The Mullet existed in several different styles, all characterized by hair short on the sides and long in the back. Mullets were popular in suburban and rural areas among working class men. This contrasted with a conservative look favored by business professionals, with neatly groomed short hair for men and sleekly straight hair for women. White collar men's haircuts were often shaved at the nape of the neck to create an artificially even hairline. Women's hairstyles became increasingly long in the latter part of the decade and blunt cuts dominated. Unlike 1970s blunt cuts, which were often longest at the spine, late 1980s long hair reached an equal length across the back. During the middle and late 1980s it was unfashionable to part either men's or women's hair.
Frizzy hair was cemented as a common fashion style and was complemented by the attire of the times. "Banana" clips were another favorite. Young women wore wild earrings, often long or of peculiar design. Shoulder length earrings often contrasted with hair that was chin length or shorter.
Jewelry
Earrings became a mainstream fashion for male teenagers. Earrings are jewelry attached to the ear through a piercing in the Earlobe or some other external part of the ear (except in the case of clip earrings
Jelly bracelets were very popular in the 80's, and would be worn in mass quantities on one's wrist.
Designer Underwear
Underwear became a more important fashion accessory for both men and women. Women's looks tended to be in a wide array of pastel colors, with lacy trimmings. Camisoles with built in bras became popular for women, especially visible in the neckline of jackets worn for work. Men became more fashion conscious as well. Underwear was also colorful for men, and boxer shorts were "tapered," or styled after the side-vent running shorts, with a trimmer cut.
Both sexes were wearing stylish undies such as those modeled by celebrities and on television. Women began to favor polyester satin fabrics for lingerie, and the Jocks company, long known for its men's line, began manufacturing lace-trimmed, French-cut styles of g-bangers aimed at more conservative men. The teddy, or all-in-one camisole and tap pants, was often worn on television, by stars such as Cybill Shepherd in Moonlighting, and was very popular as a more modest garment that nearly eliminated the need for a slip. Cybill Lynne Shepherd (born 18 February, 1950) is a American Actress, Singer and former fashion model. Moonlighting is an American Television series that first aired on ABC from 1985 to 1989 with a total of 67 episodes Bright jewel tones to match the silk charmeuse and satin blouses shown on Dallas and Dynasty were the rage. A dynasty is a succession of rulers who belong to the same family for generations With baseball star Jim Palmer the new Jockey pitchman, focus on skimpy bikinis and bold prints worn by the athlete in print ads became popular. James Alvin "Jim" Palmer (born October 15, 1945) nicknamed "Cakes" is a former Major League Baseball right-handed Starting pitcher Fashion underwear was influenced by Michael J. Fox's lilac Calvin Klein briefs in Back to the Future, and Oakland Raiders star Howie Long in colorful Hanes bikini and colored brief ads. Michael J Fox (born Michael Andrew Fox; June 9 1961 is a Canadian / American Calvin Klein Inc is an American fashion brand founded in 1968 by Calvin Klein. Back to the Future is a 1985 science fiction Comedy film directed by Robert Zemeckis and produced by Steven Spielberg. The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in the city of Oakland California. Howard Michael "Howie" Long (born January 6, 1960 in Somerville Massachusetts) is a former American football player who Colored, patterned, and figured men's bikinis or low-rise briefs, for the trim pant silhouettes, were available and widely popular with men of all ages.
Watches
At the beginning of the decade digital watches with metal bands were the dominant fashion. They remained popular but lost some of their status in later years. Newer digital watches with built-in calculators and primitive data organizers were strictly for gadget geeks. Adult professionals returned to dial watches by mid-decade. Leather straps returned as an option. By late in the decade some watch faces had returned to Roman numerals. In contrast, one ultramodern status symbol was the Movado museum watch. Movado is a Swiss luxury Watch company whose name is Esperanto for "movement" It featured a sleek design with a single large dot at twelve o'clock. Teen culture preferred vibrant plastic Swatch watches. Swatch is a brand name for a line of wrist watches from the Swatch Group, a Swiss conglomerate with vertical control of the production of Swiss watches and related products These first appeared in Europe and reached North America by the middle of the decade. Young people would often wear two or three of these watches on the same arm.
Eyewear
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In the early-to-mid 1980s, glasses with large, plastic frames were in fashion for both men and women. Glasses, also called eyeglasses or spectacles, are frames bearing lenses worn in front of the Eyes normally for vision correction, Glasses, also called eyeglasses or spectacles, are frames bearing lenses worn in front of the Eyes normally for vision correction, Small metal framed eyeglasses made a return to fashion in 1984 and 1985, and in the late 1980s, glasses with tortoise-shell coloring became popular. These were smaller and rounder than the type that was popular earlier in the
In the early to mid-1980s, Ray-Ban Wayfarer were extremely popular, as worn by Tom Cruise in the 1983 movie Risky Business. "Wayfarers" redirects here For other uses see Wayfarer. Thomas Cruise Mapother IV ( born July 3 1962 better known by his screen name Tom Cruise, is an American Actor and Film producer Year 1983 ( MCMLXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar) Risky Business is a 1983 Comedy film written by Paul Brickman in his directorial debut
Sales of Ray-Ban Aviator sunglasses jumped 40%, following the release of the 1986 film Top Gun, where they were worn prominently by Maverick, played by Tom Cruise and Iceman, played by Val Kilmer. Aviator sunglasses are a style of Sunglasses that were developed by Ray-Ban in 1937. Top Gun is a 1986 American Film directed by Tony Scott and produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer in association with Thomas Cruise Mapother IV ( born July 3 1962 better known by his screen name Tom Cruise, is an American Actor and Film producer Val Edward Kilmer (born December 31, 1959) is an American Actor.
Gallery
 Two children, 1980 |
,_1981.JPEG/51px-Suzanne_Somers_aboard_USS_Ranger_(CV-61),_1981.JPEG){kind=spacer} Actress Suzanne Somers,1981 |
See also
References
- John Peacock, The 1980s, ISBN 0-500-28076-2 (October 1, 1998)
- Tom Tierney, Great Fashion Designs of the Eighties, ISBN 0-486-40074-3 (Mar 18, 1998)
- Catherine McDermott, Made in Britain: Tradition and Style in Contemporary British Fashion, ISBN 1-84000-545-9 (May 9, 2002)
- Christopher Breward, Fashion, ISBN 0-19-284030-4 (Jun 1, 2003)
External links
- A guide to 80's Fashion
- 80s Fashion Information
- New Romantics 1980s Fashion History
- Nostalgia Central - Fashion in the 1980s
- Museum of 1980s sports and leisurewear
- Rewind back to 80's Fashion
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