Fashion in the 80's
Timeline of the 80's
1980 -- Through Time - Many designers in the 80's looked back through history to find inspiration, spanning from the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the Victorian era and the Peruvian Indians for something "new". Others looked to the future instead, designing clothes that looked like uniforms for space travel.
1982 -- Cutbacks - A worldwide recession hit in 1982, so many fashion designers changed their focus to be more subdued and durable. As well as this, a growing number of women in the workforce called for pantsuits and the power dressing that would become popular later.
1986 -- Wool and Fur - A long woolen coat emerged as a favourite fashion of 86, becoming a link in the fashionable "everything goes" chain. The fur of choice was undoubtedly mink, as women moved into better paying positions, and could afford to buy better furs.
1987 -- Short Skirt - When fashion collections came for 1987, many were surprised to see an almost unanimous decision to support bringing back the short skirt, and women everywhere began baring their knees again.
1989 -- Jackets - The fashion focus in 1989 was on jackets, as a main part of most women's wardrobes, made of wool, linen, and silk. A few designers opted for small shoulder pads, and the designs varied greatly: ranging from short and swinging to long and stretched.
1980 -- Through Time - Many designers in the 80's looked back through history to find inspiration, spanning from the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the Victorian era and the Peruvian Indians for something "new". Others looked to the future instead, designing clothes that looked like uniforms for space travel.
1982 -- Cutbacks - A worldwide recession hit in 1982, so many fashion designers changed their focus to be more subdued and durable. As well as this, a growing number of women in the workforce called for pantsuits and the power dressing that would become popular later.
1986 -- Wool and Fur - A long woolen coat emerged as a favourite fashion of 86, becoming a link in the fashionable "everything goes" chain. The fur of choice was undoubtedly mink, as women moved into better paying positions, and could afford to buy better furs.
1987 -- Short Skirt - When fashion collections came for 1987, many were surprised to see an almost unanimous decision to support bringing back the short skirt, and women everywhere began baring their knees again.
1989 -- Jackets - The fashion focus in 1989 was on jackets, as a main part of most women's wardrobes, made of wool, linen, and silk. A few designers opted for small shoulder pads, and the designs varied greatly: ranging from short and swinging to long and stretched.
From the theatrical flourishes of Vivienne Westwood to Katharine Hamnett’s slogan T-shirts; from Madonna’s underwear to Margaret Thatcher’s power suits — the 80's saw as many fashion styles and statements as there were parties and protest marches where you could wear them.
The early 1980's were very different from the rest of the decade, with parts of the late 1970's carrying over. The early 1980's saw a minimalist approach to fashion, with accessories less of an importance, and practicality was considered just as much as appearance. Clothing colors were subdued, made in basic colors such as varying shades brown, tan, and orange, directly contrasting the bright fluorescent colours that appeared in the 70's. The fitness craze of the 1970's continued into the early 1980's. Everyday women's street-wear worn in the early 1980's included ripped sweatshirts, leotards, sweatpants, tights and tracksuits. In the 1970's, more women were joining the work force, and by the early 1980's, working women were no longer considered an anomaly. As a way to announce themselves as equals in the job market, women started to dress more seriously at work. Popular clothes for women in the job market include knee-length skirts, slacks, a matching blazer, and a differently coloured blouse. Women's fashion in the mid 1980's became more colorful approximately around 1985. This included long wool coats, long flared skirts, tapered pants, designer jeans, spandex cycling shorts, long and bulky sweaters, jumpsuits, leather trench-coats, fur coats, extremely large scarves, beanies, leather gloves, and dresses worn with wide or thin belts, all with bright, colourful patterns. The television shows "Dallas" and "Dynasty" had an impact in the area of the increasingly over-sized shoulder pads. Shoulder pads, made popular by Joan Collins and Linda Evans from the soap opera "Dynasty" were commonly worn from the mid 1980's to the early 1990's. After 1987, the short skirt was the only length supported by fashion designers. Although skirts of any length were acceptable to wear in the years before, almost all of the attention was given to the short skirt, especially among young women and teenage girls. Shoulder pads became smaller and smaller closer to the 90's. |
|