The Eighties Reinvention.

MONDAY 7TH JANUARY 2013
EIGHTIES FASHION

The eighties. Extravagant, Egotistical and electrical.
The decade that gave us the moonwalk, Pacman, E.T and the Rubik's cube. It was a complete techno boom with computers, boom boxes and videos at the dispense for normal folk.
the eighties saw the cold war end, the Berlin wall fall and the space shuttle rise. the years were full of celebration and the fashion trends reflected these culture changes dramatically. as after the depressing years of Berlin and other global epidemics, bright colours, structured shapes and wild hair were forcing there way through for all ages, classes and genders. the bright colours were followed by the connotation of the party lifestyle that the eighties had set, with techno, house, pop and hip-hop all being introduced and influctuated with the use of boom boxes, tape players and MTV.Music set the trend for the generation, with MJ in leathers THAT and one glove, Madonna in lace, puff ball skirts, distressed denim and Freddie Mecury with a mostache, mini skirt and pale pink polo neck. Other trends included shoulder pads, shell suits, neon, colour clashing, material mixing, headbands, high tops and a heap of jewellery. leggings, leg warmers and denim jackets where also key pieces. with many of these items reinventing themselves ready for s/s 13.
On the other end of the spectrum, there was the use of eighties power dressing adopted by some of our most famous female figures such as Margret Thatcher and Princess Di. The use of structured suits reflected the empowerment to women and how females can achieve more and succeed after the supporting years of the 60's and 70's. However there was also an axiety among high fashion brands as employment decreased dramatically in the UK, street style appeared even more popular with working class kids ripping there jeans and t-shirts to create and follow the latest trends and icons.
this intoxicating mix full of risk takers, trend setters and skin scrapers couldn't be complete without the most important piece...the hair! with a vibrant range to choose from, including the perm, the mullet, the jheri curl and the side pony with a dash of crimping.
With retro vintage making a racing come back in to London street style and also across the pond, these looks are becoming more popular and noticeable in the high street and the catwalk after a bubble up sensation. for s/s 2013 trend setting appearances are distressed and dip dyed denim, stacks of jewellery being layered and of course Neon! we are seeing a quick peek into the summer with hints of neon jewellery mainly being the lime green and pink appearing. this can be seen in stores such as Topshop and H&M on the high street and an impression for the upcoming catwalk shows in feb.

The Reinvention of the Eighties for 2012/13;
For some pinspiration, check out my Electronic Eighties and Neon Fashion boards on Pinterest, fashionlsmith ...