Always Something There to Remind Me
December 24th 2007 08:33
The 80’s Fashion Revival.
Let me begin by saying that I was born in 1980 and I am thus a proud lover of everything 80’s…well, almost everything. Cyndi Lauper, yes, frizzy bangs, no. Some great music came out of that era, some good flicks too, but to be honest, the fashion left something to be desired. Remember leg warmers, fluoro headbands, oversized T-shirts, stonewash, whitewash, beauty moles ala Madonna, fingerless gloves, cropped jumpers, mesh half-shirts, and scrunchies? You probably do because they are all suddenly back in fashion, well, maybe not the scrunchies, but pretty much everything else.
If you’re adventurous, you’re probably wishing your older sister had held onto her legwarmers, huh? And although stores like Supre do a vast range of 80’s styles and prints, there is a special place in every fashionista’s realm of respect for true vintage pieces. A stonewash cut off denim vest actually worn once by Belinda Carlisle? Swoon. But this can be difficult and expensive. The trick is buying some basic pieces that you can team with vintage pieces to create an original yet neo-80’s look. Nobody is going to break out the Snoopy knee length jumper just yet….give it time. But rainbow coloured shoelaces, fluoro headbands and glitter are all great options as a starting point. You can also break out the sewing machine, puff paints and the rhinestoner because D.I.Y is what 80’s fashion is all about.
However, you don’t want to look like Olivia Newton John circa ‘Let’s Get Physical’, even if the plan is to actually get physical tonight, and you certainly don’t want Mr. T turning up telling you to ‘quit your jibber jabber’. As with any fashion trend, it really is all about confidence and the ability to feel comfortable in what you are wearing. So when you’re standing in front of the mirror, looking yourself up and down in hot pink leggings, lime green push down socks, a Wham T-shirt, and colour coordinated sweatbands, think about how you will feel when you’re standing in the middle of Oxford Street. Are you going to be singing Roxette’s “She’s Got the Look” or Queen’s “Another One Bites the Dust”? And remember; nobody wants be wearing their sunglasses at night.
The 80’s was a time of great decadence and extroverted self-expression, see Tim Burton’s Batman – the Joker is a perfect example of the era’s respect for colour and loud, abstract images. The Wheelers of Walter Murch’s Return to Oz are also wonderful homages to 80’s punk rock and who didn’t want to look like Molly Ringwald or Phoebe Cates? In fact, 80’s movies are a great place to start if you don’t have access to any old magazines or your sister’s fashion archives. The internet is also a winner. It was all about bold statements. Logos and trademarks were huge at the time (if anyone finds an original Pepsi T-shirt please call me!) and it was a very commercial era. No wonder then that it has recently come back with a vengeance – like a Die Hard film.
If you’re tentative, I would suggest starting small. A checked headband, some leggings or an oversized T-shirt is a good start. Good fashion is about comfort and expressing who you are. If you are going to get out on the town and be lingering in dark corners like a mouse, that’s no fun at all. However, if quirky is your middle name, book in for a break dancing class, and dust off the stonewash jeans and the crimper because the 80’s are like totally bitchin’.
Let me begin by saying that I was born in 1980 and I am thus a proud lover of everything 80’s…well, almost everything. Cyndi Lauper, yes, frizzy bangs, no. Some great music came out of that era, some good flicks too, but to be honest, the fashion left something to be desired. Remember leg warmers, fluoro headbands, oversized T-shirts, stonewash, whitewash, beauty moles ala Madonna, fingerless gloves, cropped jumpers, mesh half-shirts, and scrunchies? You probably do because they are all suddenly back in fashion, well, maybe not the scrunchies, but pretty much everything else.
If you’re adventurous, you’re probably wishing your older sister had held onto her legwarmers, huh? And although stores like Supre do a vast range of 80’s styles and prints, there is a special place in every fashionista’s realm of respect for true vintage pieces. A stonewash cut off denim vest actually worn once by Belinda Carlisle? Swoon. But this can be difficult and expensive. The trick is buying some basic pieces that you can team with vintage pieces to create an original yet neo-80’s look. Nobody is going to break out the Snoopy knee length jumper just yet….give it time. But rainbow coloured shoelaces, fluoro headbands and glitter are all great options as a starting point. You can also break out the sewing machine, puff paints and the rhinestoner because D.I.Y is what 80’s fashion is all about.
However, you don’t want to look like Olivia Newton John circa ‘Let’s Get Physical’, even if the plan is to actually get physical tonight, and you certainly don’t want Mr. T turning up telling you to ‘quit your jibber jabber’. As with any fashion trend, it really is all about confidence and the ability to feel comfortable in what you are wearing. So when you’re standing in front of the mirror, looking yourself up and down in hot pink leggings, lime green push down socks, a Wham T-shirt, and colour coordinated sweatbands, think about how you will feel when you’re standing in the middle of Oxford Street. Are you going to be singing Roxette’s “She’s Got the Look” or Queen’s “Another One Bites the Dust”? And remember; nobody wants be wearing their sunglasses at night.
The 80’s was a time of great decadence and extroverted self-expression, see Tim Burton’s Batman – the Joker is a perfect example of the era’s respect for colour and loud, abstract images. The Wheelers of Walter Murch’s Return to Oz are also wonderful homages to 80’s punk rock and who didn’t want to look like Molly Ringwald or Phoebe Cates? In fact, 80’s movies are a great place to start if you don’t have access to any old magazines or your sister’s fashion archives. The internet is also a winner. It was all about bold statements. Logos and trademarks were huge at the time (if anyone finds an original Pepsi T-shirt please call me!) and it was a very commercial era. No wonder then that it has recently come back with a vengeance – like a Die Hard film.
If you’re tentative, I would suggest starting small. A checked headband, some leggings or an oversized T-shirt is a good start. Good fashion is about comfort and expressing who you are. If you are going to get out on the town and be lingering in dark corners like a mouse, that’s no fun at all. However, if quirky is your middle name, book in for a break dancing class, and dust off the stonewash jeans and the crimper because the 80’s are like totally bitchin’.
| 91 |
| Vote |
subscribe to this blog
