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Shoulder Pads
Shoulder pads emerged as a very popular item of fashion throughout the early 80s with everything from dresses to blouses featuring puffy shoulders. Shoulder pads gained their popularity from American shows like Dallas and Dynasty where they were commonly worn by women and it was said that a woman’s power could be measured by the height of her shoulder pads. Dynasty stars Joan Collins and Linda Evans were the poster women for this trend - growing the popularity of shoulder pads immensely. -
Princess Diana Wedding Dress
Possibly the most iconic event of the 80s was Princess Diana and Prince Charles’s marriage. Diana played a very influential role in the fashion industry and her wedding dress reflected just that. Diana emerged absolutely dripping in cream silk taffeta, gigantic puffed sleeves, a fluffy veil, & a 25-foot train - features which were very fitting for a wedding in the 80s. Diana’s dress influenced a decade of big and bold wedding attire of puffy sleeves, full skirts and even headpieces. -
People mixed athletic wear into their everyday attire
Carrying on from the late 1970s trend for sportswear and encouraged by a fitness craze, people increasingly wore stylish gym wear in their everyday lives. Jennifer Beals and Olivia Newton-John were major 80s trendsetters turning exercise gear into streetwear. Among the 'Let’s Get Physical' (1981) inspired accoutrements were headbands, leg warmers, spandex, slouchy socks, and leotards with matching tights. People were taking attire reserved for aerobics and into schools, malls, and even at work. -
Hawaiian Shirts emerged
Hawaiian shirts quickly grew into popularity and Tom Selleck is said to be the culprit of this trend. Men of all ages idolised American actor Tom Selleck, who played Hawaii’s coolest private investigator in the show ‘Magnum P.I’ (1980-88). 2 of Magnum’s looks which were easy & inexpensive to emulate were the iconic moustache and Hawaiian shirt. Sales of these shirts skyrocketed during the show’s run, with Magnum’s original Aloha Shirt considered the holy grail of Selleck-inspired button-downs. -
Emergence of Designer Jeans
The designer jean trend is still prevalent today, and we owe that to the 1980s, when Calvin Klein, Gloria Vanderbilt, and Jordache were among the biggest names in denim. But no logo defined 1983 better than the Guess triangle, sewn firmly into the back right pocket. Although people wore all kinds of Jeans in the early 1980s, jeans were often high waisted, cuffed, and slightly baggy - this was when ‘mom jeans’ really became a thing. -
Arrival of Karl Lagerfeld
In 1983, Lagerfeld stepped into Chanel's headquarters and essentially saved the fashion brand, because after the death of Chanel the company had focused on producing fragrances, and profits began going downhill. Karl Lagerfeld became the Artistic Director of CHANEL. He brought life back into the Cruise collections, introduced the Métiers d'art and pre-collections, restored Haute Couture to its former glory, and created the CHANEL Ready-to-Wear collection we know today. -
The influence of musician Madonna
Through her music and appearances in MTV shows, Madonna became a large music icon many would argue had the biggest influence on fashion in this decade. It’s hard to know where to begin with the number of trends in which Madonna is single-handedly responsible: Crop tops, big ribbon hairbands, mesh shirts, messy hair and lace gloves are just a few of the now-iconic looks which millions of fans around the world began to replicate. Many stores began selling Madonna licensed clothing and accessories. -
Men loved rock and roll inspired fashion
In the mid to late '80s, men's fashion was influenced greatly by the decade's many glam-rock bands, spawning accessories like leather jackets and studded belts. Musicians and bands like Guns N' Roses, Queen, AC/DC and Bon Jovi were all heavily popular in the rock music industry, thus largely influencing the fashion of their fans during this time. -
The influence of musician Michael Jackson
In the 1980s, Michael began a fashion revolution for himself, embracing leather jackets, chunky belts, armbands, sequins, hats, straps, ties, patches, sunglasses and even makeup. He essentially immortalized military gear and those iconic sparkly gloves, and basically started the trophy jacket trend in the '80s. There’s no doubting that “Bad,” Michael Jackson’s 1987 smash hit, gave him his rebel reputation along with the moto jacket he wore in the song’s music video. -
Sports Brands grew into popularity
By the late 80s, Nike had grown into one of the most profitable clothing companies in the world and heavily grew into popularity among the younger audience particularly in the male demographic. Like Coke vs. Pepsi, Reebok vs. Nike was the athletic wear battle of the decade but with the help of celebrities like Michael Jordan, Nike won the war. In 1988, almost every child had to have a pair of Air Jordans and a Chicago Bulls basketball cap and Micheal Jordan is to thank. -
Heading into the '90s, people made a case for wearing faux fur
Real animal fur peaked in the '80s until people began to realise the impacts this was having on animals lives. In 1989, many people protested the fashion industry's use of real fur, which resulted in a number of faux-fur designs becoming trendy. Fashion designers began producing large amounts of full faux fur coats some designers even replicated animal prints like Leopard Print.