Hints of the 1980's

[John in Covina]

Those that follow fashion will often comment on how a fashion style may get revived although often not wholesale but elements become part of a new offering that evoke days past. Items such as in pants the wax and wane of straight leg versus bellbottoms. In men's suits the shift from narrow to wide to narrow lapels or single versus double breasted coming into vougue. In casual wear ove the last 10 years or more we've seen elements of the 1960's and 1970's being brought out for revival attemps.

I was surprised to stumble across an iconic club wear item from the late 1970's that survived thru much of the 1980's being made anew by American Apparel, the American Apparel Disco Pant.

http://store.americanapparel.net/rsaah300.html

These are extremely faithful reproductions of the "Shiny Spandex Disco Jeans" with the detail of two pockets on the back side. Shiny Spandex Disco Jeans were originally introduced in the late 1970's quickly becoming a top disco club wear staple. Later in the 1980's the Heavy Metal bands and fans take to these as both stage and club wear. Also to be seen in film and TV of the time regularly on such as Charlies Angels, and by Erin Grey as Commander Dearing from Buck Rogers fame. These look a lot like those worn by Sandy (olivia Newton John) at the end of Grease.

I bought these Xmas 2009 for my 2 adult nieces and the girls wore them to go Clubbing in Las Vegas just days later hitting a number of the top nightclubs.I got them the Black, the Midnight Blue and the silvery Charcoal ones. They share clothes a lot and wear the same size so when the girl at the register said there was a big discount if I bought 3 pairs, I figure it would be OK. After wearing them to the Vegas clubs, both of them gave these Disco Pant(s) very enthusiastic thumbs up and found them to be really comfortable too. They are made from a rarely found heavy weight spandex that’s much, much heavier than say leggings. The girls also said they helped out by being economical, they really saved a lot of money not having to pay for drinks at the clubs.

Over the last year i have seen a number of times where some one, usually a girl or woman was reflecting some of the 80's style especially when it came to projecting what was then the consumate Rocker look.

Anybody else noticing 80's trends in fashions?

 

[Paisley]

Oh, definitely. Horizontal stripes, high and wide necklines, side gathers, longer shirt tails, and white collars on men's colored shirts (the Lee Iaccoca look).

 

[John in Covina]

You are right! Thanks for the reminder. The last time I went to the high end mall down in the OC I saw a number of displays of men's dress shirts with the white collars on the color shirt.

 

[Edward]

The 80s revival has been in full swing ovr here now since probably the mid-late 90s. Mostly the styles are popular among kids who weren't born then and thus don't remember just how awful the eighties were the first time round....

(Course, a few years ago my mother said much the same thing about me and my then developing predilection for fifties styles. Plus ca change.....)

 

[Paisley]

I remember most people in the 80s dressing middle-of-the-road. There were extremes, but most people didn't adopt them.

 

[John in Covina]

Actually, for me the 80's were quite fun I had a blast going to concerts and clubs to see live music. It was some very good times that I can reflect on with great fondness.

Out this way in Southern California with LA and Holywood considered rock & roll central the rock influence and MTV influence was quite pervasive. Funny thing was that Hollywood film would try to capitalize on the metal and punk scenes yet could never get any semblence of the way things actually were. The portrayal of these music scenes were always ridiculous and usually so over the top that it was the source of a lot of ridicule and humour more than anything else. (I still liked the idea of showing up with some pointy-ish black dress shoes , straight leg black jeans, white dress shirt, a skinny black tie and black leather motorcycle jacket. Sorta made me feel a bit like Rick Occasic from the Cars.)

 

[davestlouis]

The only thing that has changed in my dress since, say 1983, is that I wear pleats on my khaki's now, ratty Cole Haan loafers instead of ratty Weejuns, and subdued socks instead of wild ones...that's it. Oh, and I've gained 40 Lbs too.

I will say that eyeglass fashions have changed a lot...little frameless glasses now, big tortoiseshell geek glasses then.

 

[John in Covina]

I remember most people in the 80s dressing middle-of-the-road. There were extremes, but most people didn't adopt them.

*******
Out this way a lot of people were a bit more adventuresome with their dressing habits at that time. For the past 5 plus years there seems to be a certains safe sameness to everyones dressing habits from School kids on up. High school girls seem to have adopted a uniform of tshirt or simple blouse, jeans and ugg boots along with their hairstyle, probably 75% look like they were stamped out of the same mold and the same trend extends to their moms, it's all pervasive.

The skinny jeans points back to the 80's a bit.

 

[davestlouis]

The way my kids dress makes me think of the 70s...tight t-shirts with printing on them, and low rise jeans, hip huggers as it were.

The difference this time is...the girls are a lot chubbier now than they were in 1972, and it ain't attractive. I took my eldest daughter to college to move into the dorm 2 years ago, and I expected to see hordes of good looking coeds...yikes, there were lots of chubby girls in skintight clothes, kinda ruined the whole college nostalgia thing for me.

I watched a movie from 1987 last evening, Making Mr Right, and there was ample evidence of bad 80s fashion...big hair on the ladies, mullets on some of the guys, bad music, etc.