The 80's Are Back

Have you ever gone to a party, waltzed into a pub or a bar and saw the cool lads and lassies dressed in rags you thought were put down before the fall of the Berlin Wall? That is what we call retro fashion. Retro fashion consists of emulating the mainstream fashion dictates of an older time or generation and it's quite a tricky business indeed. Fashion is communication and one of it's main purposes is to create identity (ideally as something cool, chic or trendy). Retro basically takes the discarded byproducts of an older generation and turns them into a badge of uniqueness that transfers these concepts of cool or chic to the person wearing it rather than to the outfit being worn. You make the 80s cool, and not the other way around (even if that is the message promoted.) Having said that, there's nothing wrong in wanting to dress up as the members of Alphaville and strolling down the streets like you own the country.

What Went On in the 80s?

The decade was an interesting one for women, who were coming into their own with regards of their place and their rights in the workplace. The fashion spirit of the decade was one of minimizing flaws and maximizing power. It was an ethos were beauty was the means of expression for powerful and independent women and seen more as an extension of the personality of successful individuals. Makeup was therefore important if you wanted to be taken seriously both in the workplace and out of it. Not using makeup was related not with a natural beauty, but with being plain and not sophisticated enough.

Create your Own 80s Look.

The eighties look is not particularly hard to recreate as we also have a multitude of sources to draw from. Get a matching dress or skirtsuit and add shoulder pads (the bigger the better) preferably in a bright saturated color for a good start. Heels are mandatory with stilettos leading the front charge; hair should be big and fluffy but also tightly controlled and sculpted. Your face, more than any fancy dress, is the best way to show off your fashion sense if you are going for an 80s look. Start off with a smooth makeup foundation and powder, show off your eyes with a combination of bright eyeliner and deep eye shadow and finish up with a bright lipstick color and complementary liner. The smells are as important as the vistas and the eighties was all about powerful impressions. We suggest a strong oriental floral scent to go with your outfit.

Create your Own 80s Look.