So, the other day, I found myself diving deep into what adults actually wore back in the 80s. It wasn’t some random thought; I was helping my parents clear out their attic, and stumbled upon a couple of old suitcases packed solid with their clothes from that era. My first reaction was, “Oh, this is gonna be a laugh, all shoulder pads and neon, right?” Man, I was in for a surprise.
Once I started pulling things out, it hit me. It wasn’t just one look. It was a whole bunch of looks, all crashing into each other. It’s like people couldn’t make up their minds, or maybe they just wanted to try everything. Bold was definitely the word. Bold colors, bold shapes, bold everything.
I remember unearthing one of my mom’s old blazers. The shoulder pads in that thing were serious business. You could have probably used them as pillows. That was that whole ‘power dressing’ vibe, I guess. She worked in an office for a bit then, and she said it made her feel more confident. Sharp tailoring, trying to look the part.
Then there were the more casual bits. I found a pair of her old stirrup pants. Wow, talk about a flashback. She used to wear those with these massive, oversized sweaters. Lots of pastel colors too, I noticed. Pinks, light blues, mint green. It actually looked pretty comfy, not gonna lie.
And for the guys? My dad’s side of the suitcase was an education. Jeans, jeans, jeans. Some of them were so tight, I wondered how he even sat down. He laughed when I showed him a pair and said you could practically read the date on a coin in his pocket through them back then. Often, he’d just wear them with a plain white long-sleeve shirt, cuffs rolled up. Simple, but I guess it was a look. If he was feeling a bit more ‘preppy’, as they called it, out came the polo shirt.
Oh, and the jackets! My dad had this black leather jacket. He thought he was some kind of movie star in it, I swear. Lots of guys did. It was the cool-guy uniform. And it wasn’t just black; neon clothing was definitely a thing for some people, even adults, especially for sportswear or just accents. Bright pinks, electric blues, highlighter yellows. You couldn’t miss ’em.
Jewelry was another big one. My mom had bags of it. Chunky plastic bangles, oversized earrings. Nothing subtle about it. More was more, it seemed.
So, digging through all that stuff, I realized 80s adult fashion wasn’t just a single, easy-to-define style. It was a mix. You had the power-suit crowd, the pastel-and-big-sweater folks, the tight-jeans-and-leather-jacket types. It was a bit of a wild west for wardrobes, really. Some of it, I could see making a comeback. Other bits? Well, let’s just say some things are best left in the attic. It was a fun trip down memory lane, though, sorting through all that history.
