'80s Fashion: An Individualist Mind-set
Fashion in the 1980s depicted people trying to find themselves and separate themselves from everyone else; individualism rather than conformity. Men wore heavy make-up and long hair, while women wore short hair and layered clothing (3). A juxtaposition existed both between different types of fashions and between what was expected of a certain group (i.e. men and short hair, women and long hair) and what they actually wore.
Top Ten Trends (31).
Shoulder Pads
Mini Skirts
Leg Warmers
Huge Earrings
Fingerless Gloves
Parachute Pants
Members Only Jackets
UNITS (a popular one-size-fits-all clothing store)
Stretch-stirrup pants
Oversized tops
Fashion Icons in the '80s
Though 1980s fashion was all about individualism, everyone clamored to copy other people. Celebrities like Molly Ringwald, Madonna and more influenced '80s trends more than anything else, and when they started a trend, women all over the country followed. So was it really individualism...or was it conformity to an individualist idea?
Molly Ringwald (28)
As a teen icon in movies like The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, and Pretty in Pink, Molly Ringwald inspired individualism and quirky style for young girls with her mix of masculine and feminine fashion and her DIY looks. Both on and off screen, her over-sized florals, high-waisted skirts, layered tops, padded blazers and print-mixing set her apart fashion-wise and inspired others to follow in her footsteps on fashion individualism.
Madonna (1)
Every girl in the '80s wanted to look like Madonna. Madonna pioneered both the messy chic look and the sexy vixen look in the '80s, and girls everywhere followed suit. First with messy wavy hair, layered over-sized tops, cropped leggings and skirts, and layered accessories; then, at the end of the '80s, with bustiers and bras, Madonna influenced '80s fashion forever.
