We’re taking a deep dive into fashion and seeing the same kind of styles go in and out of fashion, time and time again. If you are over the age of 20, you have probably seen at least one full cycle of fashion already, and this only increases with age.
The 80’s were a time of free spirits, video games and great music. The fashion only mimicked the awesomeness that was this period of time. Which is why It is no wonder this era of fashion keeps being modernized over and over again. Style icons from Madonna, Demi Moore and Adam Ant were all the rage when it came to fashion and music. Although the looks can never 100% be recreated, how have people been modernizing them?
Today we’re going to be looking at the 80’s and seeing how this iconic decade of fashion is still applicable in the 21st century.
What is 80’s fashion?
Athletic wear
Athletic wear in the 80s fell into two very different categories. You had the people who were wearing vibrant, patterned and very tight leotards over some sport leggings, or you had the people who were wearing the baggy flares sweatpants and a matching hoodie.
These were two polar opposite groups of people who stretched and adapted a trend and made it work for them. You had people who were getting into their home workout DVDs with their leg warmers in tow. Or you had people who were all about comfort and cool, listening to some 80s hip hop bands.
Women’s suits
The 80s were huge for women as they started to make up more of the workforce. Women in the workplace meant that fashion had to adapt and change so that they had something to wear to the office too.
They took the suit that men wore and gave it a bit of a feminine twist. This suit was taken in at the waist to give it more shape. The trousers were also elongated and cut wider, or they were taken a little way up the leg and nipped in at the ankle. Women were wearing suits that had oversized jackets, cropped jackets or simply with a blouse.
The trend of the 80s was definitely taking the arguably boring male suit and making it more fun and adapted to women’s more diverse style.
Denim
Denim has been one of the most versatile and well-loved fabrics out there and has been around for decades. However, it was the 80s that made this fabric a fashion statement. Jeans started to become cool to wear rather than being the traditional workwear for farmworkers which is where they originated.
The 80s saw the high-waisted jean become a huge trend, something that we’ve carried through with us today. Although it may have disappeared in the early 2000’s it was sure brought back with a bang. First implemented into skinny jeans and then implemented into baggy jeans.
Leather
Leather is another fabric that became super cool to wear in the 80s. People were wearing leather jackets to keep warm and look cool in the wintertime. It also saw people branch out to wearing leather vests or leather trousers if they wanted to go all out – another thing that’s held on today!
21st century adaptations of 80’s fashion
In the 21st century, we’re seeing a lot of the trends from the 80’s come back around in fashion. When you look at the list above, you can see that a lot of the clothes that were fashionable back then are identical to things that are fashionable now.
Of course, a lot of them have had a glow up in the years since then. We have seen the athletic wear of the 80’s be toned down a little – you wouldn’t see many people going around in neon spandex one piece, but it wouldn’t be totally insane to see it either!
Denim and leather are fabrics that are always going to be in style in one form or another. Denim changes a lot as different cuts of jeans go in and out of style. The baggy jeans that are coming back into fashion now would not have been commonplace in the 80’s. However, a looser fit of mom style jeans is always going to be a staple of women’s wardrobes, and these are very similar to the style of jeans we would have seen in the 80s decade.
The 80s was a great decade for both music and fashion and is still influencing us today. From old school music videos, films, social media influencers to TikTok trends, the trend will never die and will only be adapted into more modern outfits.
Which era will influence the new age next?
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