How to Dress for a 1980s Party
The 1980s is a great theme for a party because there are so many distinctive fashion trends from that decade to choose from when deciding what to wear. Long hair was popular for guys in the '80s, especially mullets. Women wore big poufy hair with ribbons or short spiky cuts. Hairstyles and fashions for both sexes were so off the wall that you can easily achieve a look that says 1980 even if you can't track down exact clothing replicas. With some tape, safety pins and a few tweaks here and there, you can even use modern clothing to create a fabulous 1980s look. Does this Spark an idea?
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- Safety pins
- Thick tape
- Sunglasses
- Headband
- Jean jacket
- Tight jeans
- Eyeliner
Instructions
-
-
1
Visit secondhand shops and vintage and used clothing stores to search for items such as stirrup pants, acid-wash jeans, loose button-down shirts, high-top sneakers, short lacy gloves, granny boots, aviator jackets, and tops or sweaters that have shoulder pads.
-
2
Shop for modern fashion accessories that can be restyled to meet 1980 fashion criteria. Accessory items for women include glittery hairpins or barrettes, big bows, headbands, bandannas, and thick belts. Accessories for men include aviator sunglasses, and headbands or bandannas.
-
-
3
Hunt for current fashion items in modern stores such as jean jackets, long sweaters, tight jeans and leg warmers that you can combine with other clothing items to create a 1980s look. You may be able to find some lacy underwear and lacy socks similar to those that Madonna made popular during the '80s.
-
4
Make minor adjustments to some of the clothing you already have to create a look for the party. If you have long black leggings, you can use thick black tape to make them look like stirrup pants. Tuck some padding underneath the top of your bra strap to create shoulder pads; you may have to use a safety pin to attach the outer padding to the shoulder of your garment. Flip up the collar of your jean jacket and blouse to give your modern clothing an '80s look.
-
5
Put together a 1980s look for a guy by applying some dark eyeliner, wearing tight jeans (with high tops if you can manage), a long-sleeved white shirt and a tailored sports jacket or aviator-type jacket. Roll the cuffs up on both the white shirt and the jacket so that the white rolled sleeve covers the bottom roll of the jacket. Pop the shirt collar, throw on some sunglasses and you are ready to party 1980s style.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
For women, if you can't find any appropriate shoes to wear, take a pair of flat canvas sneakers, remove the shoelaces and replace with frilly lace.
References
- Photo Credit Disque vinyle eighties image by Olivier Poncelet from Fotolia.com
