The grand 80’s

The 1980’s were a decade of bold style, colors, and silhouettes and heaping amounts of permed hair. the 80’s were genuinely all about fashion, the decade was undisputedly a time to be alive when it came to the clothes. It wasn’t just the clothing that became historic, but the women who made these looks their own are the same ones we draw inspiration from today. The 80’s gave us Princess Diana’s revenge dress and signature turtlenecks-under-sweater moments, as well as Madonna’s corsets and tulle and layered jewelry.

The Number Nineteen

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The 80’s was a vibrant and glamorous decade, with trends spanning ripped tights and biker jackets, polished oversized blazers and poof skirts, like it or not, the 80’s are back in full force. From shoulder pads to power suits and all that’s in between, some of the era’s key looks are making a major comeback in fashion. Influenced by pop, rock and hip-hop music culture. The era’s style was all about pushing the boundaries with loud and edgy pieces from designers like PRADA and Hugo Boss.

Get inspired by taking a look back at some of the most memorable and defining style moments of the decade. Forget less is more with 80’s, more is definitely more, and making a statement is always the way to go.

(Pictures used in this post are for the reference only, all copyrights belong to the respective owners of the images. Image sources include but not limited to – google, IG, respective fashion magazines, fashion designers, fashion models and fashion brands)

Turtlenecks –

the most popular clothes worn back in 80’s included polo shorts and turtlenecks. Turtleneck is exactly the kind of street style we noticed last fashion week.

Off-the-shoulder –

These women did not invent the trend, but they knew how to do it right for sure.

Shoulder pads –

The power shoulder moment.

Leopard print –

They absolutely owned this trend.

Corset belts –

The corset may have started out as an undergarment, but it’s become a pretty fashion forward statement piece in recent years.

Polka dots –

From Princess Diana to New York fashion week, massive polka dots were commonplace in the 80’s, while they came in all sorts of color combination, the most popular print utilized big black dots on a white background.

Rhinestones and Sequins –

Sequins began to be widely used by popular musicians like The Supremes and it continued to be popular into early 80’s.

Aerobic Gear –

The aerobics craze influenced designers to create fashion with materials like lycra, spandex and other body-hugging fabrics. The movie Flashdance inspired women to wear tight clothing.

Leather Jackets –

The 80’s saw many leathers and leather like styles, pants often paired with oversized, bulky leather jackets and questionable hairstyles:)

Biker shorts –

Cycling shorts became a fashion statement, worn by everyone from Madonna and Sarah Jessica Parker to Princess Diana.

Sheer clothing –

80’s fashion was all about the laces, ruffles and sheer pieces, these fabric styles added zeal to the simplest of the outfits making it totally eye-catching moment.

Liquid Gold –

Metallic clothes and accessories were a futuristic fashion trend back in the 80’s.

Gold hoops and gold buttons –

Eighties’ earrings were large and dramatic. Oversized hoops were a staple for any 80’s woman. Gold disc earrings were particularly fashionable which also complemented large vintage gold buttons that graced jackets and suits.

Two-piece skirt set –

The female leader of the British conservative party, Margaret Thatcher in her power suit quickly became one of the most well-known symbols of the 1980’s. Suits worn by Thatcher were usually single-color toned jacket and skirt, that ends below the knee. Today we call this trend as coordinated sets.

The jean style –

Double denim is another trend often credited to the 80’s. The ultimate “cool” look, the trend was all about dressing top to bottom all in denim material, mixed of acid wash, denim jackets and jeans. Wearing everything denim may sound a bit extra, but the trend has actually come back.

Graphic tees –

Everyone loves a good graphic tee. T-shirts were the way to express yourself back in the 80’s. Whether it was a graphic from your favorite movie, artist or you’re advocating for a certain cause. Some of the most favorable graphic tees were the ones you see at Disney World where everyone’s wearing some kind of Disney shirt. A mickey mouse print or the one that says “Hakuna Matata” on it with all the characters from the original Lion King. Some even combine graphic t-shirts with message shirts, showing a logo/graphic and a slogan, such as Nike and their catchphrase “Just Do It.” graphic tees became the own way of expressing clothing.

Layered Jewelry –

Pearl, gems and chunky gold patterns dominated the looks throughout the decade. From oversized earrings to huge, beaded necklaces and wooden pieces layered together to create a bold statement.