How to Dress Like Madonna in the '80s

Madonna, a superstar pop icon that women and girls have idolized and adored for decades, is an inspiring woman for a Halloween costume. She has changed her look over the years but her first look in the 1980s was the messy chic look that caught on like wildfire with women dyeing their hair and dressing in a Madonna-inspired style.

Things You'll Need

• Madonna CD
• Leggings
• Short skirt
• Bustier top or black tank top
• Black lace fingerless gloves
• Black ankle boots
• Biker-style leather jacket (optional)
• Curling Iron
• Big lace hair ribbon
• Black eyeliner and eyebrow liner
• Red lipstick
• Bangle bracelets
• Long necklaces (Crosses and religious symbols)
• Dangling earrings

Instructions

1. Put on a Madonna CD. This CD should be from the 1980s. Madonna released several albums during the 1980s. These CDs include "Madonna" (self titled album), "Like a Virgin," "True Blue," "Who's that Girl," "You Can Dance" and "Like a Prayer." An early CD or cassette is recommended for getting into the mood to dress like Madonna in the 1980s.

2. Dress in the clothing that Madonna would have worn in the 1980s. Leggings were popular under short skirts and Madonna made popular wearing bustiers for shirts instead of hiding them as a piece of underwear. If Madonna wasn't wearing a lace bustier she wore a tight black tank top or a similar type of shirt. Leather ankle boots and lace fingerless gloves should be put on next for the full Madonna of the '80s look.

3. Slide on some jewelry. Bangle bracelets, dangling earrings and necklaces adorned Madonna in the early 80s when she was onstage and offstage. Bangle bracelets should be placed on both wrists and several necklaces with different religious-themed pendants should be worn to get the total Madonna look. Long dangling earrings were also popular during the time and Madonna wore those with crosses and hearts.

4. Curl your hair with a curling iron to get a wavy, soft curl. Madonna had numerous hairstyles in the '80s but the image that lingers was the early '80s image of Madonna with blond highlighted curls, swept up into a ponytail with a large lace bow. After curling the hair to get a soft, wavy style, place the large lace ribbon behind the neck and below the hair. Pull up the ends and tie into a bow. This can be a bow on the top of the head or tied tighter over a pony tail. The lace ribbon should be tied into a big bow.

5. Put on makeup to complete the look. Madonna's makeup was done with basic enhancements, especially to the eye area, using eyeliner and eyebrow liners. Outline the eyes with the eyeliner to get a dramatic eye. Highlight the eyebrows using the eyebrow liner. Use the eyeliner pencil to add a beauty mark just above the left lip. Wear a dark shade of red lipstick to complete the transformation into one of the greatest pop icons of the 20th century.

Tips & Warnings

• Add a leather jacket on top of the bustier to add another '80s touch to the Madonna outfit.

• Know some Madonna songs. If you are going to dress like her, especially at a party, you may be asked to sing.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish