80s' Fashion for Men
The 80s saw a drastic change in the fashion world. Even before Lady Gaga went gaga over whacky outfits, the youth of the yore were already donning them. No, it wasn't over-the-top crazy. It was fearless. Eighties was all about fashion for expression. Even today, the fashion of that decade regularly influences designer collections but it wasn't the victim to just one trend. Experimentation was big and the men proudly strutted their stuff on the streets. The look was to go punk, preppy or sporty-casual but, "sexy" was the word of the day. The men of the 1980s modeled tanning lines, fine mustaches, tight bottoms, all shades of the color palette along with extensive accessorizing. In fact, many items of clothing seemed to be excluded from the attire like shirts with no ties and shoes with no socks.
You may bestow the credit for the drastic change in men's fashion, from the 70s to the 80s, to one of the most popular sitcoms of the time - 'Miami Vice'. It really does deserve an acknowledgment here for its contribution to men's fashion in the latter half of the decade. Apart from Don Johnson from the show, there were style icons like James Bond (of the 80s), Michael Jackson, Bill Cosby, Anthony Michael Hall, David Lee Roth, Mr. T, Boy George and George Michael. Each one of them sported a signature look that defined the trends of the 80s that inspired the choices of young men.
Hairstyles
Hair gained more attention than ever. It became an integral style of personal style and the 80s witnessed men sporting long-layered big hair that were generously back-combed, frizzy or curly, asymmetrical hairstyles, ponytails, Mohawks, quiffs and several variations of the mullet. Interestingly, hair parting became an outdated practice. They also experimented with hair bleach and bizarre hair colors, further accessorizing it with bandanas, headbands and black hats. Hair products like hair spray, mousse and gel became incredibly popular among men for the first time in hair fashion. Jheri curls suddenly became fashionable after stars like Michael Jackson began flaunting them.
It precisely depicted the spirit of the decade in fashion - new, unconventional and "the bigger, the better" with the sense of individuality thrown in the mix. The hairstyles sported by emo kids today draw inspiration from those of the 80s. Facial hair were also styled and big, thick mustache became quite popular among men of the era. One such example of a celebrity is the front-man of the band 'The Queen', Freddie Mercury, who triggered the fad among his male fans. Don Johnson made even the stubble look cool against his designer wear.
Clothing
The 80s' fashion for men was like a mixed bag that had skinny tights, leather pants and jackets, parachute pants (or hammer pants), leg warmers, very short shorts, ripped and stone-washed denims, frilly puff-sleeved shirts, oddly striped shirts, skinny neck ties, Hawaiian shirts, jams, nylon tracksuits in neon colors, members-only jackets, blazers with shoulder pads with Dexter shoes and converse sneakers. Each lasted for a span of few months and were quickly replaced with a new fashion rage. Let's take a look at fads typical of the 80s.
Going Punk
A new trend that caught attention in the 80s was the punk rock look that was mostly popular among the teens and young adults of that era. They dressed in tight black pants with several chains attached, sleeveless shirts or no shirts, dirty torn jeans, studded blazers, metal jewelry, dark makeup and colorful hairdos. There were many 'variations' of the punk look. It was an extremely unusual attire to go for but, nevertheless, it has been adorned time and again by rockstars. Did I miss makeup? Well, you couldn't have if you looked at a punk kid. The eyes were thickly lined with a black eyeliner on pale skin. The punk look was all about aggression and rage. Endorsed by bands like the The Sex Pistols, Guns N' Roses and Fear, their devout fans could often be seen wearing black tees that bore the names and logos of their favorite punk bands or just slogans. Also, the leather jackets were intricately customized and with the punk trend, tattoo art became popular. Combat black boots, especially Doc Martens, became characteristic of the punk kids.
Romanticism at its Peak
For a brief period, the clothes elaborately romanticized fashion itself. This anti-punk and anti-rock trend was brought in by artists like Ultravox, Japan, David Bowie and Boy George themselves with their classic lover-boy look as they sang romantic songs that epitomized love and stole millions of hearts. Decked with makeup and androgynous outfits, the concept of 'gender-bending' was introduced to the 80s' fashion of men.
They liberally embraced frilly shirts (thanks to Vivienne Westwood's "pirate collection" debuting runways the same time), buccaneer shirts, high-waisted tight pants, unbuttoned shirts, huge collars standing straight up (popped collar), Hussar-style jackets (like the ones Michael Jackson wore for his shows), feather accessories and tiny scarves worn around the neck made of soft materials that gave a feminine touch.
The Sporty/Casual Studs
Adidas was more popular in the 80s than you realize. After the fitness craze that hit the world in the 80s, those who followed none of the above trends for men were the guys you would be in trainers, tracksuits, headbands for an all-day sporty look or they would wear loose half-sleeved shirts, slogan tees, 'Relax' tees by Frankie Goes To Hollywood, jams, ripped jeans, baggy pants, keds without laces, high-tops (Chuck Taylors) and converse. These were mostly seen on school and college kids. Towards the end of the 80s, denims gained huge popularity among the masses and so did Levis. Other favored brands of the time include Calvin Klein, Nike and Reebok. People loved the denim jacket. All types of denims were favored - gasoline, stripped and acid-washed denims. Shirts too, came in different varieties - the paisley ones, sleeveless shirts, full-sleeved shirts but with sleeves slit all the way (kamikaze shirts), black-collar fully-buttoned shirts, long shirts, zipper shirts that diagonally.
The Preppies from Wall Street
It wouldn't be justified to miss out the 'yuppies' while I describe the 1980s' fashion clothing. They were the conservative ones who could be found at Ivy League universities and the corporate world. In fact, it was fairly easy to spot one out because of the preppy look - Oxford shirts, turtlenecks, polo t-shirts with collar popping out, khaki trousers, Penny loafers, duck boots, argyle socks, dress pants, suspenders or slim ties in leather or bold patterns, pine-striped linen suits, corduroys, plaid sweaters that were often worn tied around the shoulders with a slicked-back hairstyle. Miami popularized wearing plain tees with suits, most notably padded blazers.
The yuppies largely preferred dressing up in pastel colors. Brands like Ralph Lauren, Guess, Business Republic (now, a division of Gap) and Lacoste made it big among these clean-cut preppies.
Accessories
Accessories worn by the men in the 80s depended on the trend they were following. The punk junkies would always be ornamented with metal accessories like studs or earrings (on the left ear or both ears), safety pins on clothing, spiked or studded belts and chokers, long chains, lots of bracelets, piercings, leather wristbands, cuffs and black fingerless gloves with black leather booties and Doc Martens. Some could even be seen lacquered with black nail paint (yes, I am talking about the men here). That was probably the most body jewelry worn by men ever. But, the fingerless gloves were not just the prerogative of the punks. The new romantics or 'blitz kids' devotees wore lace gloves. The glove trend was probably made famous by Michael Jackson in his 'Billie Jean' video in 1983 and his fans would often wear a white glove on one hand.
The 80s was also the era in which Tom Cruise sported Ray-Ban's Aviator sunglasses in his first box-office hit 'Risky Business', also in 1983. Then, in 1986, he did it again in the movie 'Top Gun'. I do not need to tell what impact the movie had on that generation. He also made leather jackets famous among the studs who wanted to replicate the acting prodigy's cool macho style in his movies. Since the advent of cell phones, the popularity of watches has gone down but, the 80s was the decade of watches. There were all types of watches being worn, even around the neck. The upcoming hip-hop music scene brought with it the watch chains! The more sophisticated pocket watches were carried by the gentlemen clad in sharply cut three-piece suits (which also made a comeback from the 1970s but, with narrower lapels). In the mid-1980s, Swatch, the now internationally-renowned wrist watch company, manufactured plastic watches in lots of neon-colored swatches which were often worn several at a time. Some even glowed. You could also wear the Pop Swatch on your clothes! At this time, digital watches was a newly invented technology and it was all the rage throughout the decade of 80s. Neon colors weren't limited to watches and leggings. The men liked to adorn their wrists with plentiful neon-colored plastic bands and wear shades with bright frames too. What did go missing from apparel for a while were the socks. When the loafers came in vogue in the 1980s, men entirely skipped wearing socks.
Music had a huge influence on 80s' fashion for men. In 10 years, the world witnessed a variety of contrasting fads in clothing, makeup and hairstyles, some of which have made their way even in to the 21st century. It was truly the age that gave birth to modern fashion for men.
