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.

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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.

By the mid-80s, pop music stars like Cyndi Lauper were ushering in an entirely new style — one that many people associate with the 1980s to this day.

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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.

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Society’s love for brand was epitomized by its inexplicable love for wearing Coca-Cola brand clothing in 1987. MTV had a huge impact on fashion, as teens across the U.S. were tuning in to watch music videos starring wildly dressed celebrities. Suddenly it became much easier for a fad to spread across the country faster than wildfire.
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.