Fashion in the 1980s
If you were born in the 1980s, then you are too young to have appreciated the glamour, the incredible make up and the style war that went on as part of every day life. However, you are not too young now to enjoy that retro look as 80s fashion, with all its frills and thrills, is back !
The 1980s was an amazing time for fashion and for using ‘the look' to make a statement. An example was shoulder pads in women's clothing, where fashion lines were in competition with each other to include the broadest shoulders possible, in attempt to rival the physique of the man and give the women a look of domination and power. Remember Crystal Carrington of Dynasty. It was all about big hair with flicks and curls of all dimensions, emphasis being on ‘the bigger - the trendier'.
We had wet look perms which were adorned mostly by men, but particularly by celebrity footballers of the time. Women's clothes included pedal pushers, which we tend to refer to as crop trousers nowadays. We had ‘ra ra' skirts, a revival of the 60s mini skirt, with several frilly layers of fabric worn above the knee and some not so attractive creations, such as the ‘puff ball skirt' which I'm appalled to see has made a come back today. Some things should remain in the past !
Fashion was so important back then, not saying that it isn't now, but it was the era of the ‘New Romantics' and of ‘anything goes'. People wanted to make a statement not just with their clothes but with their hairstyle, make up and personality and the times allowed them to do just that. People were able to freely and without criticism, experiment with not only their look but with who they were and indeed, who they aspired to be. With no preconceived ideas, anything was acceptable and men and women alike could pretend to be their alter ego; by day a just the checkout girl in the local grocery shop, but by night a tribute to Madonna.
The 80s were influenced in so many ways and by so many people; spanning from the world of entertainment, to our Royal Family and even from our own government. Our leader of the day; ‘Margaret Thatcher', was very much influential to fashion. She was a role model, or even more importantly an icon, for women from all over the world. Her message was one that told all women ‘yes you can' and which let men know that women could and so they had better watch out as women were no longer prepared to be just the hidden driving force behind the great male leader, but that they wanted to be even greater leaders themselves. She was known as the ‘Iron Lady' being fearless of those who opposed her and the power suits she wore assisted in her demonstration to the world that she was a force to be reckoned with.
Princess Diana was our other great icon for power dressing of the decade. She was a role model for all women, introducing the well dressed look to the younger women as well. Her sharp cut suits and neck scarves, expressed a glamorous yet sexy look that was followed, albeit worshiped, by a nation.
The 1980s was a time of controversy; 1980 saw the first Olympic Games to be staged in Eastern Europe, Moscow being the site of the main events. However, it was an uncomfortable Olympics as the USA and 64 other countries boycotted the games due to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Typically and childishly, at the subsequent USA Los Angeles games in 1984, the USSR and 14 supporting Eastern Bloc countries did not compete, their return message to the USA for their avoidance of the previous games.
Cinema remained a huge focus and style driver with movie stars nfluencing us significantly.
Towards the latter part of the previous decade we had seen big screen smash hits such as Star Wars, with women of all ages wanting to mimic the famous Princes Leia buns. The 80s brought its own iconic movie classics to our screens with one of the most remembered and endeared being the 1987 romantic hit Dirty Dancing.
To this day the music and late great Patrick Swayze, are remembered fondly. So much so that the closing song of the movie ‘The time of my Life,' which made No.1 in the pop charts at the time, has been played as the first dance at weddings ever since and indeed still looks to be going strong well into the next decade.
When we visualise the 80s and reminisce, we tend to think of Boy George with his heavy make up, long braids peaking under a black hat and a white flowing tunic. Alternatively, we get dreamy over Adam Ant (alias Stuart Goddard) as the dandy highwayman charming all the ladies with his sexy smile. Madonna struck her first pose in the mid 80s, but unlike some who sadly faded away into the archives of consumer's vinyl music collections, Madonna remains to this day to be one of the world's greatest ever female music artists.
All these stars had a great influence on how we dressed, what colours we chose for our hair that week and importantly about the way we thought. They gave us the confidence and self assurance to be who we were, unashamedly and unconditionally and in the years since, society has accepted dashing men with make up and the sexy but demure women in a tailored suit and neck tie.
Today in 2010 you see many men wearing a pink shirt to work, fastened by a floral tie and there is no suggestion at all that his interests may not lie with women. Sharp suits are still adorned by women, although the current trend has the shoulder pads just a little less severe.
The 80s was an era truly responsible for so many attributes of today, as was the 60s and 70s alike, however, the 80s was a time of more diverse change and acceptability then any of its predecessors and opened the way for the future of expression, liberation and above all style.
© Yvonne McCormick 2010
