Style Ideas From the '80s
The 1980s was a decade rich with colorful makeup and big hair. Bold accessories and clothes were often inspired by music superstars like Michael Jackson, who combined a one-gloved hand with tight black jeans, a red sports jacket and a tight white T-shirt. The "MTV Generation" was influenced by music stars; this trend inspired businesses to start marketing to youths and eventually led to a younger age of consumerism. Does this Spark an idea?
-
Hair
-
Whether long, short, colored, big or flat, each decade features its own spin on hair. Full of flash and pizazz, the 1980s flared into action with frizzy bangs that stuck up high into the sky. Curls and color were often added in multicolored, crimped styles. Women often dyed their hair platinum blond and added glitter. For men, the style was generally long in the back, a mullet, and shorter on the top, generally to the middle of the forehead.
Accessories
-
Bold was definitely the "it thing" in the 1980s, and that didn't stop with accessories. Big clothes were often augmented by large hoop earrings and slap bracelets. Rainbow beads and colorful braces enforced the bright tone of the decade. Music superstar Flavor Flav inspired his own style with the clock necklace, which took off in pop culture, but the necklaces weren't as large as Flav's, which were similar to the size of a wall clock.
-
Tops
-
Shirts and jackets were perhaps the style most-inspired by music groups. Shirts were sometimes left with one shoulder exposed. This was an especially popular look among women dressing up for a date. The shirts often accompanied matching socks and thick belts. Men wore sleeveless pastel shirts, chains on leather, rock band T-shirts and rolled sleeves. Jean and black-leather jackets were all the rage in a decade inspired by music videos such as Micheal Jackson's "Thriller," which featured fresh looks that were eventually emulated.
Bottoms
-
Whether it was tight stonewashed jeans or parachute pants, both snug and loose extremes were adorned throughout the 1980s. The decade also featured the introduction of the mini-skirt, a style that would be fashioned decades later. Headbands and other exercise gear were often worn with the colorful spandex in a culture intrigued by fitness.
-
References
- Photo Credit Dick Luria/Photodisc/Getty Images
