Fashion of the 1980s was characterized by a rejection of 1970s fashion. Punk fashion began as a reaction against both the hippie movement of the past decades and the materialist values of the current decade. The first half of the decade was relatively tame in comparison to the second half, which was when apparel became very bright and vivid in appearance. One of the features of fashion in the second half of the 1980s was the interest in alternative forms. In the 1980s, alternative trends became widespread. This phenomenon has been associated with such phenomena as street style, punk and post-punk. During the 1980s, shoulder pads, which also inspired "power dressing," became common among the growing number of career-driven women. Hair in the 1980s was typically big, curly, bouffant and heavily styled. Television shows such as Dynasty helped popularize the high volume bouffant and glamorous image associated with it. Women in the 1980s wore bright, heavy makeup. Everyday fashion in the 1980s consisted of light-colored lips, dark and thick eyelashes, and pink or red rouge (otherwise known as blush). Some of the top fashion models of the 1980s were Brooke Shields, Christie Brinkley, Gia Carangi, Joan Severance, Kim Alexis, Carol Alt, Yasmin Le Bon, Renée Simonsen, Kelly Emberg, Inès de La Fressange, Tatjana Patitz, Elle Macpherson, and Paulina Porizkova.

Women's fashion

Early 1980s (1980–1982)

Minimalism

Aerobics craze

Increased Formality

Professional fashion

Mid-1980s (1983–1986)

Bright colors

Power dressing

Late 1980s (1987–1989)

Consumer-friendly fashions

Asian fashion

Men's fashion

Early 1980s (1980–1982)

Athletic clothing

New wave influence

Preppy look

Country style

Mid-1980s (1983–1986)

Miami Vice/Magnum P.I. look and Michael Jackson's influence

Power dressing

Tropical clothing

Late 1980s (1987–1989)

Doc Martens

Parachute pants

Parachute pants are a style of trousers characterized by the use of ripstop nylon or extremely baggy cuts. In the original tight-fitting, extraneously zippered style of the late 1970s and early 1980s, "parachute" referred to the pants' synthetic nylon material. In the later 1980s, "parachute" may have referred to the extreme bagginess of the pant. These are also referred to as "Hammer" pants, due to rapper MC Hammer's signature style. Hammer pants differ from the parachute pants of the 1970s and early 1980s. They are typically worn as menswear and are often brightly colored. Parachute pants became a fad in US culture in the 1980s as part of an increased mainstream popularity of breakdancing.

Unisex accessories

Jewelry Watches Eyewear

Subcultures of the 1980s

Robert Smith of the Cure based his gothic look from Siouxsie Sioux's and being a guitarist in her band.

Heavy metal

Punk

New Romantic

Rockabilly

Rude boys and skinheads

Casuals

Skaters

Rap and hip hop

Preppy

Hairstyles

Women's hairstyles

Although straight hair was the norm at the beginning of the decade, as many late-1970s styles were still relevant, the perm had come into fashion by 1980. Big and eccentric hair styles were popularized by film and music stars, in particular among teenagers but also adults. These hairstyles became iconic during the mid-1980s and include big bangs worn by girls from upper elementary, middle school, high school, college and adult women. There was generally an excessive amount of mousse used in styling an individual's hair, which resulted in the popular, shiny look and greater volume. Some mousse even contained glitter. Beginning in the late 80s, high ponytails, side ponytails, and high side ponytails with a scrunchie or headband became common among girls from upper elementary, middle school, high school, college and adult women.

Men's hairstyles

By 1983, short hair had made a comeback for men, in reaction to the shag and mod haircuts of the mid- to late '70s. The sideburns of the 1960s and 1970s saw a massive decline in fashion, and many guys wore regular haircuts and quiffs. Beards went out of style due to their association with hippies, but moustaches remained common among blue collar men. From the mid-1980s until the early 1990s, mullets were popular in suburban and rural areas among working-class men. This contrasted with a conservative look preferred by business professionals, with neatly groomed short hair for men and sIeek, straight hair for women. Some men also wore bangs in styles such as regular frontal or side swept bangs but they were not as big as women or girls bangs. Hairsprays such as Aqua Net were also used in excess by fans of glam metal bands such as Poison. During the late 80s, trends in men's facial hair included designer stubble. Teenagers and young men with medium length hair often parted it down the middle or sides.

Image gallery