The Gallery: The 1980s
Ah, the ’80s! The decade that fashion forgot. It was all hairspray, blue eye make-up, huge plastic earring, ra-ra skirts, leggings in a range of hideous colours, legwarmers…
Well, sorry to disappoint you. I don’t have photographic evidence of any of these crimes against fashion.
As 1980 dawned, I was 6 years old. As we said farewell to the 80s and slipped into the 90s, I was 16.
At the start of the decade I was, obviously, wearing clothes that my my mum bought me. From Marks & Spencers. Always Marks & Spencers. I was a tomboy and often wore the same clothes as my brother (are you impressed, feminist, anti-pink readers?!).
As the decade wore on, I found my own style niche. After a brief flirtation with typical 80s fashion around the age of 13 – the colour mustard was involved, along with wide belts, BIG shirts and leggings – I paved my own fashion way.
I was a bit indie, a bit alternative, a bit grunge. No doubt this had a bit more of an 80s influence than I would care to remember. There was a hat without a crown (is that the word for the top bit?!) which I thought was the dogs doo-dahs. I had my hair poking out the top and thought I looked brilliant. Kylie Minogue had a very similar one. She probably looked a bit better than me.
Here, thanks to my mum and dad who gave me my old photo albums out of the loft a few years back, and with apologies to anyone else who appears, is my fashion through the 80s.
I’d forgotten about that hat!
Some fantastic pictures! I was born in 1982 so was little when it was the 80’s!
What a great post! Takes me back too, although I’m not as brave as you to put it into the public domain 🙂
OMG I bet you really fancied that last dude with the Kevin Bacon look!!! Uber funny!!!
lol the french exchange kids look hilarious! x
Brilliant pictures, I forgot about denim jackets being all the rage…I think i wore them well into the 00s!
The middle two pictures remind me of Marty’s picture in Back to the Future – the one that keeps fading! Great pictures!
Great snaps, the outfits are amazing hehe x
What a great collection of photos. Definitely the 80s!
What a great collection of photos thank you for sharing them!!
Brilliant pictures! Ra-ra skirts, I remember them. Used to have a few. Can’t believe I used to feel comfortable in a skirt once!!
CJ x
The hat did make me laugh, I remember people wearing things like that! I looked rather like those people in denim jackets with the spiky hair-sprayed bouffons! I was desperate for a ra-ra skirt and was finally allowed one at the age of 11…a courduroy one! PS That yellow Snoppy T-shirt really was BAD!
fab collection of photos – a journey through the 80’s.
Thanks very much, everyone!
Shona – I’m sure I had a photo of THAT hat, but I don’t know where – probably still lurking up my mum’s loft!Glad someone else remembers them, Suzanne! The Tshirt was dreadful, wasn’t it?
Very jealous of everyone who had a real ra-ra skirt, I had a poor imitation of one when I was 11 or 12. From M&S. Of course.
I think the fading picture effect is due to me taking photos of actual photos with my iPhone in artificial light with my own shadow cast over them, Nickie!
Saveeverystep – I SO didn’t. Thanks.
Brilliant pictures. Such memories.
Great pics!
Thanks very much for commenting, ladies! 🙂
some great photos, i believe we had similar denim jackets, god love a stone wash!
The stonewash is definitely best left in the past, isn’t it?! Thanks very much for commenting!