As many of you may be aware, the 1980’s for the fashion industry was a decade to remember. It was a decade of experimentation when bright neon outfits filled the streets and television screens, when acid-wash denim became the hot trend, and when musical icons dominated what was cool to wear.
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| Cindy Crawford |
For women more specifically, what came to be known as “power dressing” brought upon the increased use of oversized shoulder pads in jackets, coats, dresses, etc. As women began demanding more equality in all aspects of their lives, women in the workplace became more confident and desired to dress the part. These women who aspired to fill higher management jobs wore empowering clothing that emulated masculine attributes like broad shoulders with the aid of padding and larger sleeves.
Outside of the workplace, more young women began wearing crop tops, tube tops, miniskirts, spaghetti strapped tops and dresses, and more. These styles were once considered unacceptable for women to wear, but were introduced in the '60s and continued to grow in popularity. These styles, which prevailed through the '80s, symbolized a resistance against the status quo and towards a future that met the demands of the feminist movement.
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| Salt-N-Pepa |
Additionally, popular musicians and genres played a major role in ‘80s fashion. Heavy metal artists were recognized by their leather jackets and acid wash jeans. Hip hop icons like Salt-N-Pepa and Big Daddy Kane popularized gold necklaces, earrings, and other jewelry. These trends were streamlined to the public with the increased use in television as well.
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I think this post recaps the fashion in the 1980's very well. As mentioned, "power dressing" consisted of women wearing tailored suits, jackets with padded shoulders, roll-neck sweaters, and knee length skirts. The original idea for this came during the 1920's with the Chanel suit. This was composed by a tight skirt and by a wool, collarless button-up jacket. Still, many women today carry on this style, such as Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton.
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_dressing
Before reading this post I knew that the 80's were a big decade for clothing, but I did not realize just how big of an effect it had on women. I was very surprised to read that this new "power dressing" routine actually gave women courage and power in the workplace, and it helped them move up the ranks. It is astounding that a simple piece of clothing can have such dramatic effects on gender stereotypes.
ReplyDeleteI thought this post was very informative and helped me better understand the motives behind the fashion trends of the 80's, especially for women. Many trends were copied from famous celebrities at the time such as Michael Jackson and his power jacket and princess Diana's power shoulder wedding dress. Celebrities influenced fashion and brought many unusual things into popularity in the 80's.
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https://www.marieclaire.co.uk/fashion/1980s-fashion-icons-eighties-fashion-80s-style-moments-61724