Hello my fellow fashionistas! Have you been feeling a little strapped for cash like myself of late? Missing your shopping trips to the high streets? Well, why spend big when your wallet is getting slimmer?! During the worst of economic times consumers tend to look for low-priced styles that remain both trendy and on point. Whilst the big houses of fashion such as Gucci, Burberry, Prada and Yves Saint Laurent have helped nurture an industry dependant on a wardrobe refresh each season, for the average of us fashionistas, that just isn’t possible!
Even when economies are booming and money is less of a worry, students and middle class consumers tend to try and get the most out of each item of clothing, stretching its lifespan as long as possible. When times get tough however, we tend to see an extreme example of extended use, unable to replenish our wardrobes as often as we may usually like to.
Each period of major global upheaval and economic downturn, gave rise to a distinctive and edgy style. Contemporary examples include the dark denim tones of the 1970s and 1980s and the revival of denim and the punk aesthetic in the late 2000s and early 2010s. When times get tough, the style gets edgy, bold and eye catching!
Are the 1980s making a comeback? Fashion designers seem to think so!
Let’s look at the 1980’s, a decade of two differing stories. Economic struggle, the cold war and the devastation of AID’s. Despite all this, what is the first thing most of us imagine when someone says “the 80s”? The STYLE of course! The 1980s, not too long ago to feel forgotten and just long enough ago to trigger a feeling of nostalgia, they are the perfect example of fashion during tough times.
Ripped jeans, denim galore, lots of patterns, bright colours and never to be ignored, big hair! The 1980s was a time when the young seen a world of struggle and responded with a style that was both liberating and exciting!
But it wasn’t all about trying to stand out, there was a practicality to all this madness. Denim was the staple of all 1980’s looks, denim jeans, denim jackets, denim shirts and denim bags. Why so much denim? Denim is a strong clothing material, it doesn’t rip as easily as cotton or polyester and the more ripped or discoloured it does get, the more vintage and unique it appears. As with leather it ages and tells a story. Patches to cover holes, rips in jeans that look like they were always there. Why throw your favourite jeans out because they have a hole at the knee, when now they look more fashionable than ever!
But theres another reason we should be examining the 1980s love for their fashion repurposing skills and finding multiple style uses. You see, for better or worse the 80s are back! Okay.. so we’re not dancing to Eurythmics and queuing up to watch Back to the Future at our nearest cinema, in fact even if we wanted to most of us couldn’t due to pandemic restrictions. The nostalgia though for the era and its styles has been creeping in for a few years now and word has it, that next years styles will be borrowing heavily from the days of crop tops and blue denim jeans.
Netflix has given us many hit shows set to the backdrop of the 1980s including, ‘Stranger things’, ‘DARK’ and ‘The Haunting of Bly Manor’ as well as the upcoming season of the ‘The Crown’ which will be entirely set during the tumultuous 1980s. Music throughout 2020 has seen the return of 80s beats and synthpop from artists such as Dua Lipa, The Weekend and Lady Gaga, but now the reborn 80s monster has its eyes on our fashion too!
The early previews of styles for 2021 unveil polkadots, bold patterns, shoulder pads, baggy trousers and jeans all back on trend. Denim Jackets and shirts have already been filling up our wardrobes for a few years now, so its not going to be hard to pull off the 1980s look for much longer.
As said already, whilst the 1980s were big and bold, they were also practical and inexpensive. The materials were strong and cheap and the looks interchangeable and long lasting. So it’s no wonder we are seeing a potential move by designers to this era of cheap, yet also long lasting clothing to woo buyers. It’s also no coincidence that this resurgence is happening in sync with a general nostalgia for all things 80s in music, film and television.
The 2020s look set to be a decade of challenges and struggles. The next few years seem likely to be a slight struggle financially for many of us as we squeeze those pennies just a little harder than usual. Many of us are already feeling a little down and deflated, as we ponder how long we must wait to live a life somewhat like we had been used to just a year ago, whilst the economic impact is yet to be fully felt. But don’t give up just yet, fashion is here to save the day/week/month/year!? Just as our parents embraced the whacky styles and cheap durable looks of the 1980s, it seems many of us are again destined to get the full 80s experience, with a few modern twists of course. So as well all sink our fashion claws into denim, shoulder pads, baggy jeans and turtlenecks, just be thankful of one thing! At least the mullet isn’t catching on just yet, but if barbers stay closed for much longer, we may all be rocking the mullet look in 2021!
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