1980s Fashions for Female Teens

The preppy look was a 1980s fashion trend.

The 1980s were defined by excess. Seemingly, everyone identified with the motto "more is more." In no aesthetic area was this more obvious than fashion. The '80s were all about layering, volume and power dressing. It was all about attitude. Shoulder pads, popped collars and piles of jewelry became hallmarks of the time. Teen girls, who are often the most ardent trend-followers, embodied these looks to the hilt. Here's a look back at the most memorable styles.

The Preppy Look

Following the re-publication of the 1950s standard-bearer "The Preppy Handbook," the preppy aesthetic became prominent. The style included polo-style shirts with popped collars, cable-knit sweaters wrapped around shoulders, pleated chinos, over-sized blazers and loafers.

Volume, Power Dressing and Shoulder Pads

Appealing to the "more is more" axiom, '80s fashion embraced volume. Skirts were full, pants were baggy and hair was big. Power dressing was one style of voluminous dressing. It operated on the belief that a woman could assert her power by dressing in sharp, bold ways. As a result, shoulder pads became ubiquitous in women's fashion. The trend trickled down throughout the age groups and designers incorporated the element into females' outerwear, blazers, dresses, blouses and even T-shirts.

Layers and Workout Gear

Layering was likewise an attempt to add volume. One outfit might comprise 10 components featuring combinations like two pairs of socks with sneakers, a tank top and T-shirt under a sweatshirt and an over-sized blazer. Asymmetrical fashion aimed to display all the different pieces in the ensemble. Often, the elements in such outfits would include knits commonly regarded as workout wear like T-shirts and tank tops. This aesthetic became prominent thanks to the movie "Flashdance," whose main character split her time between welding and dancing.

New Wave Punk, New Romantic

One of the decade's extreme trends was the punk genre referred to as New Wave or New Romantic dressing. The style was extreme in every regard; for instance, neon colors often were paired with black. People ripped, tore or cut their clothes to expose skin. Hairstyles were often multi-leveled, perhaps shaved on one side with locks spilling over shoulders on the other side, which was partially dyed a fluorescent shade. The style became prominent in the New York and London club scenes. Many notable musicians of the time like Cyndi Lauper were ambassadors of the New Wave look.

Bright Colors

The '80s were a Technicolor decade. No color was too bright to be worn, and no combination of colors was too extreme. Neon and fluorescent colors were especially frequent, particularly in the punk look. Preppies -- who also desired vivid colors -- often sported brightly hued polo-style shirts with popped collars. Hair, makeup and accessories were equally as striking, and many ensembles would often be a rainbow of colors from head to toe.

References

• Like Totally 80's: What Did People Wear in the Eighties?