Dress Clothes of the '80s
The free-spirit, peace-loving days of the 1970s quickly gave over into the ambitious "Me" decade of the 1980s. As power and money became status symbols of importance and women began to focus on their careers, people began to dress more professionally. The bright colors and over-the-top fashions of the '80s applied to dressy looks as well as casual fashions. Nightlife in the '80s was filled with outrageous dressy styles.
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Power Suits
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The 1980s were all about dressing for success. As women began to climb the corporate ladder and more regularly achieve executive roles at work, the power suit replaced the softer look of a skirt and sweater, allowing women to hopefully be taken more seriously in the workplace. The style consisted of a skirt that was fairly fitted and ended at the knee or below, a blouse or camisole-type top and a jacket with giant shoulder pads. These suits were worn in every conceivable color, from dark and conservative to very bright and colorful.
Puffy and Frilly Dresses
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When women dressed up for a night on the town in the '80s, bigger was better. That motto covered everything from their hair to their jewelry and clothes. Dresses of all types, from daily wear to formal were made with as much embellishment as possible. Big shoulder pads were a given and bows were often placed on the bodice or on the back of a dress. Ruffles were often arranged around the waist and hips or in tiers from the waist to the bottom of the dress with the hemline often being lower in back and shorter in front.
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Dressy Fabrics
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Dressy blouses and jackets were often made from shiny materials in the 1980s. Silk and satin were two fabric types used to make the beloved bright colors of the era pop even more. Dresses were also made from taffeta, which was stiff enough to allow the ruffles on a dress to stand out. Metallic materials like gold and silver lam'e were seen in dresses, blazers, trench coats, skirts and shirts. Patterns were a big trend in '80s dress clothes and women wore dresses with polka dots, checks and bright floral designs for many dressy occasions.
Men's Fashions
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Men's dress clothes had a certain amount of flair as well in the '80s. Skinny ties were in vogue for much of the decade. One particular look that caught on with many men was the skinny, square-end knit ties. These ties were worn with cotton or linen blazers with the sleeves pushed up to the elbows and the collar turned up. Color was big with the guys in the '80s just as it was with the women. Men's dress jackets were seen in every bright color imaginable as well as in patterns such as stripes or checks.
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