refleXions - updated November 19, 2001

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Welcome to Fashions of the Eighties - Totally Excellent!

The Eighties.  The Reagan era.  In "The Establishment", Conservatism reigned supreme: the Wall Street Look with pinstripe suits and skinny ties for men -- and women were required to own the same pair of pointy-toed, spiky heeled pump in every color of the rainbow, and wear them with everything, including jeans.

 But there was another look out there that I call "The MTV Fashions".  If you were young in the 80's, and anything other than a Yuppie (Young, Upwardly Mobile Professional) or DINK (Double-Income, No Kids), there were a few basic looks to choose from, including:

Let's take a fond look back, shall we?

Like A Virgin Material Girl -- courtesy (of course) of Madonna (Ciccone),  She was widely copied and at first, I thought she had some competition from Cyndi Lauper, but I was wrong.  A young generation of girls put on men's boxers, wore their bras outside their shirts, tied black lace scarves in their messy hair, and applied dark, matte lipstick, emulating Madonna's shocking take on innocence lost. Madonna was a bride, she was sleazy, she was classic, she was funky. They wanted to be all that, just like her. Everytime they got her look "down", she reinvented herself, staying one step - sometimes several steps - ahead.

Chiseled Haircut Serious Makeup -  This look  involved a hairstyle that  was called, among other names, "The Laser Cut" -- short and spiky on top and sides with optional length in the back, but always featuring little triangular "sideburns" over the ears.  It was face-slimming and set off features, hence the need for mucho makeup and accessories.  This style included Cleopatra eyeliner (think Kohl) on upper and lower lids, unplucked eyebrows actually brushed into place in a upward motion (and sometimes "fixed" with hairspray or clear mascara), obvious blush applied in one big chunk from cheek to ear (again with the upward motion, we looked perpetually wind-blown), and topped off with big, fake, door knocker earrings (perhaps to hold us down). A good example of a woman who pulled it off was Olivia Newton John (while singing "Let's Get Physical"). The more extreme Chiseled Haircuts made women look very intense, like such as the looks worn by Sheena Easton and Annie Lennox. 

Perm Like A Brick House -  this look developed over time.  By the end of the 70's, women were sporting perms that basically looked like they had poodle fur on their heads.  Women would go get a perm and announce to the world that they loved the freedom of not having to do anything to their hair at all, just wash and go.  And that's exactly how they looked.  There were no options because the hair was the same length all over - really short. In the 80's, perms reigned supreme but expanded to include all different length and styles of layering.  One favorite was the "stacked perm".  The layers were longer up top and got shorter and shorter down the back so that the wearer got maximum "volume".  Volume was THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN THE WORLD. In order to maintain it, women used so much Aqua Net that the Ozone layer was nearly depleted.  It didn't matter if your hair was as dry as the Sahara, as long as you got some height. Some women added inches to their height!  Diana Ross had quite the perm during the 80's.  I think her hair must have left the room a full ten minutes after she did. The perm finally fizzled out at about the middle of the 90's, but not before "the spiral perm" had it's day.  Think early Mariah Carey, but we are ahead of ourselves here.

Red Leather -  This ensemble, a la Michael Jackson (Epaulets optional) and Eddie Murphy (in his Raw performance).  The look included a matching outfit of tight, red leather jeans and a red leather jacket that zipped up the front or in a diagonal sort of zip pattern. The average guy was  probably still paying off the credit card bill for the outfit when the look went out of style.

Miami Vice - this look was fun - epitomized by Don Johnson's shaggy surfer look, understated as the "beach boy with stubble" look of the early George Michael. The complete look included a white or natural cotton suit, tropical colored t-shirts, and signature "no socks". Loads of men went sockless. They probably ended up with smelly shoes and grossed out women who did not want to look at their hairy and untanned legs.

Men in Eye-Liner and Perhaps Lipstick - this look was a product of Boy George and Michael Jackson, along with a bunch of rockers. For some reason, rockers wore eye-liner and even lipstick, along with long hair. Even Hall and Oates had an album cover in which the boys were sporting makeup. It's a bizarre, intriguing look that Boy George had down pat and David Bowie elevated to an art form in his "Blue Jean" video.

So where did it all lead?  The Material Girl grew up and her taste became more refined. Somewhat.  Chiseled hair gave way to long locks and makeup went neutral and natural.  Women, for now, opt for shiny rather than big hair.  Leather is still hot, and always will be, but trendy 80's leather can't pass for a classic style. Tip - buy black! (Although I have seen lots of great red leather in the stores lately - sans the multiple-zipper effect described here). Miami Vice is still nice - on reruns only, and not a lot of men wear eye liner anymore, except for Michael Jackson, who bears very little resemblance now to himself in the 80's.

Everything that goes around comes around, though. Better keep this for reference.