Quite a Feet — The Rabbit’s Foot
There were so many hot accessories in the 1980s: everything from ribbon barrettes to gummy bracelets and from leg warmers to nameplate necklaces. But there was one hot trend in the early 80s that made its way onto belt loops, purse zippers and keychains everywhere – both boys and girls enjoyed this fashionable item: the rabbit’s foot. Ah, yes. Where to begin with this weird wonder? The rabbit’s foot was supposedly a symbol of good...
Put a “Le” in front of it! Our obsession with all things European in the 80s
In the 80s, anything and everything European was considered très chic – ESPRIT, Swatch, Lacoste, Z. Cavaricci, Frusen Glädje; you get the idea. I was talking with friends the other night about it—how we felt swept away walking into the stark, modern white-ness of a Benetton store. Apparently, all you had to do was put two little letters in front of a product name, and it suddenly sounded like you had to go through customs to get it....
Pantyhose in the 80s
Which came first: the pantyhose or the egg? Ladies, do you remember wearing pantyhose back in the early 80s? Of course you do because we all wore pantyhose; if we were wearing a dress or a skirt, we were wearing pantyhose. Because, you know, nothing beats a great pair of l’eggs. In fact, here I am on my first day of 7th grade wearing pantyhose. With my little, white Keds sneakers. In Florida. We didn’t call them nylons or...
Besties and Boyfriends – Gold Charm Fever
By Lori Ferraro In the mid 80s everybody was dripping in gold, the girls and the guys. From name plates to chains to initial rings to charm necklaces to ID bracelets with your name on it, the gold rush was on during those high school years. Having a B/F/F was like, the best thing ever. My best friend in 8th grade was Tracey, and everybody knew that. But in case you didn’t know that, we had this to tell you: Tracey wore half and I wore...
Patterned Shoelaces – My Saving Grace
By Karin Bell Go back to the early 80s, if you will, to a time of endless wonder and fashion possibilities. Back when we made our own fashion rules; we laughed in the face of conservative clothing. Ha! You non-cushioned shoulders! Ha! You deflated pants! In the midst of all the laughter, I was battling a dilemma…deprived was I of those awesomely cool Air Jordans or Adidas Grand Slams that would have made me cool. I had Keds....
Gold Chains in the 80s
The 80s were all about glitter and shine; and what’s shinier than gold? It makes perfect sense, then, that gold chains would be all the rage in the mid-80s. Perhaps Spandau Ballet said it best in their 1983 hit, Gold: Gold Always believe in your soul You’ve got the power to know You’re indestructible Always believe in, because you are Gold This particular fashion trend transcended gender, and guys were just as likely to...
Underoos: The Underwear That’s FUN to Wear!
By Julie Anderson In the late seventies, Larry Weiss came up with a really great idea: print superhero costumes onto kids’ top-and-bottom underwear sets. In retrospect, it was marketing genius, but the idea was rejected by Hanes and then dropped by Scott Paper company. Fruit of the Loom, which had been lined up to supply the blank underwear for screen printing, stepped up and bought Underoos in 1978. It was a wise decision....
Press-on Nails
By Julie Anderson It’s 1987. You need to be full-on glamorous (for, like, prom or homecoming) which means shoes dyed to match your gown, pantyhose, a labor-intensive hairdo involving LOTS of styling products, and long, polished nails. However, back in the eighties we didn’t have a Star Nails in every strip mall. Sure, fancy salons had manicurists who could give you acrylic tips, but after springing for our Dyeables and our dates’...
Twist a Beads!
By Julie Anderson We appreciated color coordination in the eighties: shoes, belts, jewelry, hair accessories, and eyeshadow all needed to be in the same color family. Hot pink and turquoise, hunter green and maroon, black and yellow: we liked to MATCH. An awesome way for an eighties girl to achieve full-on matchiness was with twist a bead (also called twister bead) necklaces. With a wardrobe of the inexpensive, colorful strands and...
Elastic Belts
By Julie Anderson An 80s girl’s silhouette was one of extremes: wide shoulders and full sleeves, baggy or skin-tight pants, and, often, a sharply defined, high waist. Elastic belts were an awesome accessory because they always fit snugly, while letting us breathe. What better way is there to rein in a blousy big shirt or slouchy shaker sweater over leggings? And when we wanted to tuck our shirts in, we needed belts that would sit up...
Bermuda Bags
By Julie Anderson Q: What’s reversible, preppy, utilitarian, and totally 1980s cute? A: Bermuda bags! They were totally perfect for girls and young ladies in the 80s. Not exactly go-to-work “professional” in style, but very nicely tailored. Each came with a fabric cover that buttoned on to wooden handles. You could reverse that canvas or corduroy cover easily, and also switch it up with entirely different covers. Navy, pink, green,...
2011 Spring Break – 80s Beach Fashions
We are just back from a trip to the beach, and one thing is clear: the 80s have hit the sand this Spring/Summer season. While we saw many 80s themes ranging from paint splatter to ruffles, there were two stand out trends that were everywhere and SO 80s—Neon and Wayfarers. So, as you are planning your summer wardrobe and getting ready for your own trip to the beach, be sure to pack these 80s essentials. You will be totally rad and...
Friendship Pins in the 1980s
by Jeffrey A. Garoutte If you were a girl during the 1980s, you probably were given friendship pins . . . and, more than likely, you created a multitude of your own and gave them away to all of your girlfriends as well. Friendship pins have been a long-standing, easy craft item for decades and, even today, there are web sites dedicated to nothing but friendship pins and the patterns that the tiny beads can make by placing several of...
Square-End Ties
It Was Hip to Be Square Lest we think that all 80s fashions trends of note were for the ladies, let’s not forget the guys and their totally 80s fashion trends. It wasn’t just us girls and our shoulder pads and leg warmers that screamed THE EIGHTIES. Men had their own 80s fashion moments and one not to be ignored is certainly the knit, square-bottomed tie. These ties were ubiquitous and available in every imaginable color....
Jelly Shoes aka Jellies
If you haven’t ever owned a pair of jelly shoes, here’s the lowdown. They are easy and comfortable to wear. They are made from PVC plastic, allowing them to be made into any color. They can even be infused with glitter. And, the fact that they are made out of plastic makes them great for anything water related. In the 80s, I had them in a wide range of colors and styles, some casual and some dress jellies (that’s right, I just...
