Remembering the 80''s

[fire&ice]

O.K. - this is for Mara since obviously we lived a different 1980''s realities.

Rope rings, large belt buckle w/ interchangable leather bands, pearls - all fake of course. shell earrings - ad nauseum shell buckle. I kinda still like the Carole Duplaise black & pearl necklace. Beads, beads and beads (threw those out) twisted with a clasp.

Why I still have these are unknown to me. I finally gave my 1980 red bug eye sunglasses to a friend''s child for dress up. THOSE were hard to part with.

Maybe I was a nerd. I look down & those are super geeky - though I was styling in the glasses at the time.

Jenwill is probably correct about the age whilst in the 80''s. I graduated from College in 1981 - married three years later. I think I was trying to enter the adult world & had no time for off the shoulder sweatshirts. Though, I do remember a green khaki flirty shorty skirt a la Cindi Lauper.

When I think of those styles, I think of the movie "Despretely Seeking Susan" - should be a cult classic for the 1980''s.

Definitely TONS of shoulder pads - I never did it total Dynasty style - but I can remember some friends to that extreme. Shoulder pads entered into the ninety''s. I do remember guess jeans - wasn''t that closer to the 90''s?- I always wore tight jeans - 70''s, 80''s, 90''s & when I can now.

O.K. - another bad fashion statement - blue suit (no other color would do, white or off white shirt WITH A FLOPPY BOW TIE.

That''s my 80''s rememberences - NOT PRETTY BY ANY MEANS. I do remember extreme indulgences of the 80''s. Lot''s of people doing coke. Thinking back, maybe the 80''s were rather extreme.

For Rhino - I guess I always attributed the cluster rings to be derivative of the CRAZY INSANE diamond prices of the late 70''s first part of 1980.

Music I liked - Go Go''s, Gap Band, Sadly - Michael Jackson. Later in the decade - new age jazz.

Welcome to my 80''s reality - What''s yours?

 

[Mara]

definitely a different reality...mine is more similar to jenwill's comments in the other thread:

______________________

"All I know is, out here in CA as a teenager huge shoulder pads, too much hairspray, off the shoulder sweatshirts, really tight jeans (Guess if at all possible), legwarmers, reeboks, leotards ala jane fonda, too much make-up, and generally looking like anyone in the following movies:
Pretty in Pink
16 Candles ( the dance at the school gym epitomizes the look of my 80's)
The Breakfast club
Or looking like anyone in the GoGo's or dressing like Madonna. That was my 80's. "

_______________________

i was in my early teens during the 80's.

jelly bracelets, lots of teased hair, pegged jeans, flashdance sweatshirts, big gaudy colored earrings, socks matching the earrings, hot pink and lime green being worn together, acid washed jeans, flowered bongo jean shorts....WHITE JEANS....UGH. the list goes on.

music though, loved it all!!!! so while the fashions are so never coming back for me ....and jewelry AHHHH...gold and baguettes or lots of small diamonds making up a big one...JUST SAY NO!

 

[jenwill]

Ah- you were much more the ''Professional'' in the 80''s! Yeah- I was born in 70, so 80''s took me from 10-19 years old, which was a MUCH different look. Neon colors, parachute pants, going between the yuppy look of Izod double layered shirts with pearls and jeans to horizontal striped shirts and purple pants to the surfer look of vans tennis shoes and puka shell necklaces. Oh the memories!

your pic reminds me of the movie Working Girl with Melanie Griffith, or of Helen Slater in The Secret of My Success with Michael J Fox.

I remember Guess really getting popular in 1984/85, and getting my first pair in late 85 during my sophomore year of HS. I saved my babysitting money, because my mom said there was no WAY she was going to shell out $60 for jeans for someone, let alone for someone who was still growing!

 

[bluedawg]

LOL!
Great glasses.

I graduated HS in 1986 and therefore I have to re-live the hideous 80s fashions everytime I look at pictures of my teen years.

"Jellies" sandals that were very sweaty and blister-provoking

Those overdyed patterned jeans

Bad, bad hair (big bangs)

At least we had MTV. And my favorite Duran Duran member was Roger-- the drummer!

He''s the one in the middle.

 

[jorman]

I was born in ''79, so the 80''s meant something different to me. It meant Care Bears, Cabbage Patch Dolls, Skorts- tight biker shorts with flouncy skirts on top in crazy neon colors,curly shoelaces, Charm Anything- necklaces, sweaters, tight rolling jean shorts, Spuds McKenzie, fashion pins on jean jackets, hypercolor swimsuits, Peaches & Cream Barbie, Atari, Side Pony Tails, Jelly Sandals my mom would by in the grocery store than made my feet super sweaty, Slip & Slides, Punky Brewster, Jem & the Hollograms, etc.
I had a young mom though and I listened to all the "hip" 80''s music. I loved Madonna, Journey, Pet Shop Boys, Prince, Michael Jackson, Debbie Gibson, Tiffany, Richard Marx, Survivor, etc. I still know all the words.

Here is me in 1984.

 

[Kaleigh]

jorman, look at you, too cute!!!
For me I remember the following:
Fairisle sweaters
Lacoste shirts, collar up
Fake pearl necklaces
Espadrills
Ralph Lauren polo shits
The song Tainted love, don't know who the band was, I think it was their only hit
Guess jeans with the zipper by the ankle
Shirts with ruffles
Etc.....

 

[blueroses]

My ''80s were closer to Jen''s and Mara''s.....loved your photo though--makes me think of Tootsie, Heartburn, 9 to 5!!

I had very moussed bangs, very blue mascara, very drawn-upon keds, very large shoulder pads, very pegged jeans! Lots of silver bangles, friendship bracelets, skinny pants/jeans/jean skirts and BIG blousy shirts. Will try to find some appropriately embarassing photos.

 

[blueroses]

Kaleigh, it was Soft Cell! Love that! Lord, espedrilles.....!!

 

[fire&ice]

Date: 5/20/2005 5:19:21 PM
Author: kaleigh
jorman, look at you, too cute!!!
For me I remember the following:
Fairisle sweaters
Lacoste shirts, collar up
Fake pearl necklaces
Espadrills
Ralph Lauren polo shits
The song Tainted love, don''t know who the band was, I think it was their only hit
Etc......

Yes, much more my reality for casual. Are you from the Southeast? Maybe it was a regional thing.

Espardrills - forgot about those. My brother called them "nerd boots".

 

[Kaleigh]

blueroses,
Thank you I still love that song. Yes espadrills!! And they're making a come back!!

 

[Kaleigh]

F&I,
Northeast!!! I hate espadrills now!!!

 

[AChiOAlumna]

Date: 5/20/2005 5:10:17 PM
Author: bluedawg
''Jellies'' sandals that were very sweaty and blister-provoking

I also graduated high school in 1986!

Gawd!! How do I remember those!!! And do you remember the Jellies purses and bags that went with them? If they got too heavy, they would snap apart!

I also remember:

Purses;/wallets with velcro closures & iron-on logos
Roach clips as hair accessories
Legwarmers
Ripped T-shirts (thanks to Flashdance!)
Big hair
Name brand anything!!

Music:
Depeche Mode
The Cure

 

[jorman]

It''s ALL making a come back.
Derrick is a fraternity advisor (although he was never in one) and we were at a cook out they threw a few weeks ago. ALL of them had on polos -either Polo brand or Lacoste, some layered 2 different colors (lime green, and baby pink or blue and green) and most of them had popped up collars. What is the deal?

 

[Kaleigh]

jorman,
I forgot that we layered an oxford shirt with a polo shirt underneath always with the collar up.

 

[Kaleigh]

What were those pants called that had the elastic underneath your foot?? They were popular in the late 80''s???

 

[fire&ice]

Date: 5/20/2005 5:33:41 PM
Author: kaleigh
jorman,
I forgot that we layered an oxford shirt with a polo shirt underneath always with the collar up.

Maybe Preppies are immune to fashion trends.

I still wear my topsiders & L.L. Bean Bluchers (sp?)

It does seem though that Prep is back in force.

Jorman, that picture of you is adorable.

 

[fire&ice]

Date: 5/20/2005 5:37:03 PM
Author: kaleigh
What were those pants called that had the elastic underneath your foot?? They were popular in the late 80''s???

stirrup pants. That trend followed well into the nineties. VERY COMFORTABLE! Up until a VERY few years back, some women just couldn''t give up the trend.

I cringe when I see that look - baggy sweaters & stirrup pants. I wore mine with a longer tailored blazer from none other than J.Peterman, before Sienfeld fame.

 

[Mara]

oh my gosh baggy sweaters or loud patterned button downs with STIRRUP PANTS....that is a horrible trend i remember WAY too well and wore all the time..hee hee. i had about 10 pairs of the stupid pants and my mom wore them well into the 90''s...we had to finally sneak them away from her.

prep is very much in again, esp the alligator shirts, all the teenagers wear them. funny it looks cute on them...jcrew has a huge prep 80''s thing this year...which is why i haven''t bought a thing from them this season.

i do like espadrilles and the alligator shirt trends (though i would never wear one)! love espadrilles, though slightly more modern jcrewish versions.

 

[Kaleigh]

Thanks F&I,
For the life of me I couldn't remember their name. Stirrup pants, I too cringe at the sight of them now, although I had many of them!!!

 

[fire&ice]

I still own these Pappagalo esp.

I''m a hopeless clutterbug. Will they be back in style?

 

[sjz]

I graduated from highschool in 1981, and lived in the midwest. I was going to college and dating for the half of the 80''s. By the end of the 80''s I was becoming a grown-up by getting my first "real" job, getting married, and becoming a first time mother.

I was pretty much a "preppie" back in those days, and wore Calvin Klein very dark blue jeans with very straight legs, rolled up exactly once to a 2 inch cuff. Lots of polo shirts in pastel colors with a matching crew neck sweater tied around my shoulders. High top Pony basketball shoes or brown leather loafers. Short leather jacket with SHOULDER PADS. Extremely curly permed long hair, blue eyeshadow, and loads of Bonne Belle lip gloss.

When I went out on dates, mostly I wore short skirts and fluffy sweaters with SHOULDER PADS. Pretty much all of my earrings were hoops, and I wore a lot of Swatch Watches. The color of my panty hose absolutely HAD to match my sweater. My two favorite perfumes back then were Lauren and Annais Annais.

When I was working, I wore a white nurses dress, white hose, and white clog style shoes and navy blue cardigan sweater. Yup, nurses still wore white uniforms back then (I wish that they still did!)

The music I listened to was mostly rock music...REO Speedwagon, Styxx, Journey, Chicago, Fleetwood Mac, Genesis, and Hall and Oats. My favorite movies were AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN with Richard Gere and Debra Winger and DIRTY DANCING with Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey. My favorite TV shows were Knots Landing, Dynasty, and Falcon Crest.

 

[fire&ice]

Date: 5/20/2005 6:02:25 PM
Author: sjz
The color of my panty hose absolutely HAD to match my sweater.

Ub boy! Now I remember why I can''t remember some of the 80''s fashion trends. Yes, colored hose to matchy match your outfit. No one''s legs should be blue.

Funny, it''s not unusally for me to still wear my sweater around my neck. It''s more out of comfort than fashion statement now though.

 

[jorman]

Have any of you seen Napoleon Dynamite?
Hilarious!Goofy, obnoxius hilarious. I just loved it because of the 80''s style throughout. Caboodles, Stirrup pants, slide keds, Ha!

In my 4th grade school picture I have a side ponytail with a blue SCRUNCHY! I look like a water spout.
I had so many pairs of HUGE dangle earrings and hoops.... who would have thought they would be so cool again?

 

[Dancing Fire]

you guys are wrong about 80''s jeans.Jordache was teh hot item

 

[JCJD]

I was born in 1982, so my 80''s was more like jorman''s.

Jellies, stirrup pants, Tiffany (the singer, not the jeweler!), Debbie Gibson, NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK!!!!! Cabbage Patch, Pound Puppies, Popples, stretch pants, with and without stirrups, tight-rolled jeans, Scrunchies everywhere, big humongo hoop earrings, bangle bracelets a la Madonna, snap bracelets, oversize shirts, and Gem makeup on all the girls in 5th grade!

 

[sjz]

Date: 5/20/2005 6:09:46 PM
Author: Dancing Fire
you guys are wrong about 80''s jeans.Jordache was teh hot item

Yep, had a pair of those, too. Mine had silver piping on the back pockets. I also wore boys Levi''s. And...embarassed to say this...I briefly wore parachute pants and took a turn at BREAKDANCING!

! My younger brother was the one who was really good at that, though...I never got the hang of pop-lock and moon walking to be any good at it.

 

[jenwill]

Oooh, leSportsac purses got super popular.....had to have one! And now they are making a comeback!

In school I had the Trapper Keeper binder..to keep all of your papers in!

Mara- I remember the roach clips, but also barrette with ribbons braided into them, a big plastic comb in my back pocket to perfectly feather my hair, too many ''tails'' in people''s hair- boys and girls. Bizarre asymetrical haircuts.

Stirrup pants...man, you would think we would have realized that nothing makes your ankles look fatter than pants that go straight from the widest part of your leg stright into your shoe with no curving. But I wore ''em, until they wore out.

Jordache, Gloria Vanderbilt, OP beachwear, risky business RayBans, fun times.

 

[sjz]

I also remember the banana clip hair thingies instead of wearing a ponytail. It kind of made you look like you had a long mohawk hairdo or something. And you had to have bangs...ones that you fanned up over your forehead and used a bunch of hairspray on so that they would stay stiff and stand up all day long.

 

[NyssaLynne]

Another 1986 high school graduate here. I remember it much like everyone else has been saying. I cringe to remember all that feathered hair and the horrible amount of time every morning to get it that way.

 

[sjz]

F&I...I had a pair of glasses EXACTLY like the second ones down in the picture on your first post. I also still have one of those rope rings. It''s a really tiny thin one that I wore as a pinkie ring. I remember buying it at the mall.