If we look at the fashion outfits around us, we can see that many of them are inspired by the 80’s fashion. In order to understand the trends better, let’s take a look at the 80’s style and see what heritage they have left us. The style of the 1980s was influenced by both the punk look of the late 1970s and the hippy look of the 1960s. Brand names such as Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein became very important in that period and pop stars like Madonna became fashion icons for the teenagers. Popular television shows “Dallas’ and “Dynasty" also influenced fashion.

The main features of the 80’s fashion were: bold make-up (popularized by the New Romantic movement which included adepts such as Boy George), miniskirts (the “Valley Girl" trend, based on a popular song by Frank Sinatra), dancewear like leggings and leg warmers, jelly shoes, neon clothing and Preppie clothes. TV had a major influence on the fashion styles. For example, the show “Dynasty" made shoulder pads for women and excessive jewelry popular. Ripped sweatshirts for women, that exposed one bare shoulder, were popularized by the 1983 movie “Flashdance". Another influential television show was “Miami Vice", which inspired many men to wear casual T-shirts with expensive suit jackets, in bright or pastel colors. Hawaiian shirts were also part of the popular fashion outfits for men. About the material used, wool, cotton and silk were in high demand.

As they always have, celebrities influenced the 80’s fashion. Perhaps the most inspiring trendsetters were Michael Jackson and Madonna. Many teenagers were influenced by Michael Jackson’s look, wearing leather pants and jackets and sunglasses. Madonna also inspired many teenage girls with her style. Fans imitated her fashion outfits, wearing short skirts over leggings, rubber bracelets, head bands, brassieres worn as outwear, crucifix jewelry, fishnet stockings and lace gloves. An interesting thing to mention would be that lingerie worn as outwear was no longer a social taboo, as it had been before the mid-1980s. It wasn’t shameful anymore to display one’s slip or a bra strap in public. Vintage-styles bustier and lacy slips were worn as outwear in a manifestation of sexual freedom.

Converse shoes and Adidas sneakers also became popular in the 80’s fashion. Acid-washed jeans and denim jackets were trendy in the late eighties. But perhaps the most spectacular aspects of the 80’s style were the big and eccentric hairstyles, frizzy hair with excessive volume. About accessories, shoulder length earrings were very fashionable among young women. To sum it up, fashion outfits in the 80s were original, colorful and glossy.

Why do we love 80’s fashion? Maybe it’s because it was colorful and rebellious, because it was more than fashion but the expression of a lifestyle and culture. Today, as the retro look is trendy, we can inspire ourselves from the 1980s fashion outfits. Babydoll dresses, polka-dots, biker shorts of cotton or spandex, hooded jackets, colored tights, leggings and slogan T-shirts are trendy again. This doesn’t mean that we will all once again dress like Madonna and Michael, but merely extract elements from the eighties style and insert them tastefully into contemporary fashion. If you are a fan of the eighties, enjoy it. If not, you may be surprised to discover that 80’s fashion had its good parts.