CLOTHING IN THE 1980S
Clothing and fashion trends are one of the most iconic and important cultural markers of any decade, with the 1980s being no different. As vintage and retro styles make continual comebacks, original pieces of clothing from the decade are highly sought after in thrift stores and by clothing resellers.
The clothing of the 1980s built upon previous decades’ trends and styles. Some of the decade’s most iconic fashion hallmarks are the bright colours and loud patterns that appeared on clothing. Bright neon colours adorned everything from sportswear to formal wear, with suits appearing in vibrant colours like Citron Yellow.
In part due to the popularity of fitness and aerobics trends in the 1970s, sportswear in the 1980s started becoming more common and in turn, more acceptable to wear outside of athletic activities – 3even gaining the name “athleisure.” Tracksuits, for example, were initially popularized by Adidas in the 1960s as clothing worn over competition outfits to keep athletes warm but grew to be an immensely popular athleisure fashion staple two decades later (with a neon colour twist, of course).
Air Jordan 1, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Jordan#/media/File:Air_Jordan_1_Banned.jpg
CELEBRITY CULTURE
Celebrity culture also had a big part to play in the rise of athleisure fashion. Air Jordan 1s were the first in what would become an extremely popular line of basketball shoes that still thrives today. The first version of the shoe was released in Michael Jordan’s rookie year of 1984, when he was playing for the Chicago Bulls. Jane Fonda’s workout tapes helped bring the leg warmers she wore in her first home workout VHS into mainstream fashion.
Miami Vice Poster. Courtesy of IMDB
THE INFLUENCE OF MEDIA
The media also heavily influenced fashion during this time. The styles seen in Miami Vice influenced many trends of the 1980s. Characters were frequently seen wearing t-shirts under pastel-coloured suits, helping popularize Italian dresswear in North America. The loafer style shoes worn by Don Johnson also gained traction. Brands, such as Rolex and Ebel, fought for product placement contracts to get their watches on the television detectives’ wrists. When Ray-Ban sunglasses appeared on the show in 1984, sales skyrocketed by 720,000 units.
THE WORKPLACE
Another formal wear trends seen in the 1980s were bigger shoulder pads in both men and women’s clothing. As more women entered the workspace, many adopted typically male styles, with this trend eventually becoming known as “power dressing”. This style was meant to highlight women’s ability in the professional world as many still faced heavy discrimination in the workplace. One notable fan of this style was England’s Margaret Thatcher.
Caroline Greville-Morris, Vintage.es , https://www.vintag.es/2017/05/from-punks-to-new-romantics-1980s-music-gangs.html
RISE OF SUBCULTURES
The 1980s had many different subcultures outside of the mainstream as well. Punk culture was not just a fashion trend, but held many ideologies regarding politics, consumerism, and culture. Punk was also tied with many music groups, both in North America and Europe. Punk has been said to be anti-materialist; rebelling against excess in music, fashion, and western culture. Perhaps the most iconic part of punk clothing is denim or leather jackets that are heavily customized by their wearers. These garments may have additional fabric, patches, and pins added to them. For footwear, Dr. Martens boots and surplus military boots were popular choices. Hip-Hop fashion was also popular in the 1980s. Many sought to emulate hip-hop DJs and rappers through their fashion. These artists often wore sportswear like tracksuits and sneakers, bomber jackets as outerwear and bucket hats, and gold chains as accessories. The prominent display of high-fashion brands, such as Louis Vuitton and Gucci, were also popularized through this subculture.
These different fashion trends all worked to cement the many different types of fashion in the 1980s. These trends would go on to inspire later decades of clothing, with things like sportwear remaining popular, while bright neon colours gained a reputation for being “Retro” and evoking a sense of nostalgia for the 1980s.