1980s Men’s Fashions

’80s fashion was bold, bright and decadent. And that was just the men! In many ways, the 1980s were like any other decade, they just contained a little bit more of everything. Although the 60s and 70s had brough bright primaries and psychedelic combinations, the 80s had to up the ante with day-glo pink, orange and red (all in close proximity), and for me the stand-out colour: lime green – the neon version, of course. Fluorescent (aka neon) colours took over the decade, not just restricted to fashion, hair dyes and advertising.
Here’s a top-to-toe of some of the 80s classic men’s fashion choices.

Crowning Glory – the Mullet
Every bit as important as the gear was the hairstyle. 80s were synonymous with big hair – back-combed to within an inch of life and kept in place with gel and mousse. The subject of much ridicule, nothing shouts 80s more than the mighty mullet. Popular among jocks, movie stars and everyone in between, it consists of hair that’s short in the front and on the sides, and then long in the back. Also popular were heavy metal perms, spiky mohawks, slicked-back ‘dos, buzzcuts, and casual side parts.

Highlights and a Pierced Ear
Ear piercings and highlights were to 1980s what tattoos are today. Whereas some guys had indulged in the 70s, it was mostly hippies and more often than not a single ear. Punk in the late 70s had people piercing all manner of body parts, and all of a sudden a discrete stud in the ear was okay for even the most conservative of guys. And the likes of George Michael paved the way for blonde highlights as lads attempted to emulate this bronzed Adonis.

Shirts: Oversized Printed/Hawaiian
With loud patterns and bright colours, the oversized printed shirt was NEVER tucked in, and often worn unbuttoned over a figure-hugging sports vest. The more garish the better – the tropical designs turned it into a full on Hawaiian, as popularised by Tom Sellick in Magnum PI. Frequently teamed with a curly-perm and moustache.

Slogan and Logo T-shirts
Logo t-shirts were definitely nothing new in ’80s men’s fashion, but the decade saw merchandising and sloganeering go to extremes, as brands and logos all but took over the nearest apparel store or gift shop. Certain (cheeky) slogans made your attitude/affiliations perfectly clear and rock band shirts advertised your musical tastes for all to see.

Baggy Jumpers
At least 2 sizes too big, with the sleeve seam so far off the shoulder it nearly reached the elbow, the baggy jumper usually featured loud, contrasting colours and bold patterns, although not as loud as the women’s, whose sweaters often featured puffed sleeves or my personal favourite, the batwing sleeve.

Jackets: Bomber, Letterman or Leather
Even before Top Gun in 1986, leather bomber jackets were popular, as were their close cousin the letterman (or varsity) jackets, brought over here from the US via movies like the Breakfast Club, Teen Wolf, and the ground-breaking Thriller video from Michael Jackson. You weren’t officially an ’80s bad boy if you didn’t have at least one leather jacket, if not a closet full of them. Continuing a trend set forth by previous decades, the popular item was worn by bikers, punks, heavy metal rock gods, and pretty much anyone with a sense of fashion.

Double Denim

Started in the 70s with Status Quo being the poster boys, this scandalous pairing of blue jeans and denim jacket (and/or shirt) trended throughout the decade.

Tracksuits/Shell suits
It was definitely hip to be hoppin’ in any kind of sports gear, and the heavily branded, conservatively-coloured gym gear popularised by the coolest of hip-hop acts evolved into the most disastrous colour combinations (lime green and purple or pink was de-rigeur) in shiny, crumpled lightweight materials.

Power Suits
No list of ’80s men’s fashion trends is complete without the power suit – the choice suit for powerful businessmen or those who sought to become such, as popularised by Gordon Gekko in Wall Street. Power suits will only die when mob-films stop being made i.e. never. As much a uniform as it was a style statement, the most common examples delivered sharp cuts and wide shoulder pads, worn with brightly-coloured braces (known as suspenders across the pond). Designers like Armani Versace employed bolder colours and lighter fabrics than his predecessors.

Shoes: Sporty, high-top sneakers
Air Jordans struck a balance between fashion and function while paving the way for an industry-wide trend. Originally available as high tops, these more than must-have footwear, also turned Nike into the global behemoth it is today. Notable mentions go to the Converse Chuck Taylor and Adidas Tennis shoes such as the Stan Smith, Superstar, or Spezial.