Designer Jeans
By Julie Anderson In the eighties, we totally valued designer labels. We knew that having that stallion’s head or question mark-triangle on our blue jeans’ back pocket would ensure our lasting popularity. Designer jeans were pricey, sure, but in the 1980s we were happy to save our pennies (and beg our parents shamelessly) for that perfect pair of high-waisted denims. Here are the Big Four designers of blue jeans in the eighties:...
80s New Wave Hairstyles – The Cure for Boring Hair
The general statement that fashion is cyclical has been proven time and time again as hairstyles from the past have made their way back into the mainstream. At the same time, just a few years ago many fashion industry experts said that the 80s were possibly the worst time for fashion. But the decade of excess has resurfaced and can be seen in everything from movies to fashion to hair. Most notably, the hair styles of the 80s are...
You’re Such a Bow Head!
By Julie Anderson So, what was a bow head, exactly? In mid-eighties parlance, it meant a girl who wore a huge bow in her hair. Since hair was generally pretty big in the 1980s, no demure little hair clip would work; we needed hair accessories that would stand up to our perms and teasing. It was a preppy look in general, although there were edgier deployments of the hair bow. Bows in general were huge (literally AND figuratively) in...
Blue Eyeshadow – 80s Eyes in an Instant
With neon clothes, hair elevated to new heights and shoulder pads a-plenty, it is no surprise that 80s ebullience translated into makeup trends as well. And, what better way to make a bold and sassy fashion statement than with blue. It was an era defining makeup look. No 80s makeup bag was complete without a variety of azure and cobalt shadow, liner and mascara choices. I mean, really, one shade of blue couldn’t possibly cover the...
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...
The BeDazzler
By Julie Anderson Got a boring tunic or jean jacket? Some Keds or a baseball hat that could use spiffing up? A purse that whispers “plain” instead of shouting “AWESOME”? Don’t be dull, baby – be DAZZLING! http://youtu.be/amicrtFYgVQ We were all about glitz and sparkle in the eighties. The BeDazzler, an As Seen on TV product, added sparkling gems and metal studs to pretty much any fabric item. Create your own design and, with the...
Warm Fuzzies: Sweater Dresses of the 80s
By Julie Anderson It’s back to school time, so of course you’ll want to scope out Seventeen magazine for their fall fashion preview. Let’s see, tartan plaids, suede slouchy boots, stirrup pants, chunky plastic jewelry, big shirts, and… SWEATER DRESSES, of course. Check out an 18-year old Whitney Houston (photo 41 of 72) modeling the trend on the cover of Seventeen back in 1981. Sweater dresses were cozy and slouchy. We loved...
Feather Roach Clips
Back in the early 80s, feathered roach clips were all the rage in my elementary school. They were coveted prizes at the county and state fairs. Between rides on the Himalayan and the Swinger, you and your girlfriends might have won them by, say, tossing a ping-pong ball into an aluminum milk jug or playing Whack-a-Mole. (Meanwhile, the dudes were angling for framed mirrors sporting images of a Trans Am or Def Leppard.) These feathered...
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...
In Search of Clear Skin
By Julie Anderson It’s the mid-1980’s, before Proactiv, before even Retin-A. However, even way back when Reagonomics was in full swing, women wore makeup (often LOTS of it) and teenagers got acne. We needed products to cleanse our pores, dry our pimples, and make us look all fresh and dewy and clean, at least until we spackled on some more Maybelline. I asked my husband this morning what products he used to wash his face in the...
Luscious Leather Looks of the 80s
By Julie Anderson We LOVED leather in the 1980’s. Oh, yeah. We loved it skin-tight, ruffled, and pleated. We loved it zippered, studded, fringed, and candy-colored, for jackets, pants, skirts, and dresses. Leather ROCKED! As a Hair Band Rock Star outfit, leather biker jackets were a no-brainer. We changed up the colors and fit in the eighties, but the basic biker tough guy look, with wide lapels, snaps, and zippers, remained intact....
Making Scents of It All in the 80s
We loved designer fragrances in the 1980s! Remember, this was before every starlet and pop singer put her name on her own special concoction; we left it to designers to work their magic and celebrities to sell it. One little whiff would let us know if you were team Gloria or team Giorgio, or even a brazen Enjoli girl. Check out these great vintage perfume commercials of the 80s. All sell a slightly different version of fabulous,...
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,...
Extreme Makeovers: 80s Style
by Julie Anderson Who doesn’t love a dramatic, life-altering makeover? From these awesome 80s makeovers, we learned that we didn’t have to, like, learn stuff and change on the INSIDE. Changing our APPEARANCE was the only requirement for a huge burst of personal improvement. Turns out that a crimping iron, lots of Maybelline makeup, and the removal of a layer of clothing or two were really all it took to go from drab to...
Puffed Sleeves
By Julie Anderson QUESTION: What do Sugar Smacks, the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, Jiffy Pop, and the sleeves of 1980s ladies’ garments all have in common? They were all really, REALLY, puffed. I actually remember feeling dismay when sleeves stopped being puffed. They felt uncomfortably restrictive, weirdly fitted. Just WRONG. But styles change, sure enough, and once we were in the 90s, puffed sleeves (along with their soul sister, big...
