Women's fashion trends
Unlike the 70s and 90s, in the 80s women's silhouettes had to be as slim as possible. Against the background of a narrowed waist, the shoulders were made as large as possible. Skirts were usually knee-length or mini. Dresses in the style of that time, like sweaters, suggested bare shoulders.
In those years, women wore both classic high-heeled shoes and sports shoes, but even sneakers and sneakers were decorated with all sorts of accessories. Party attire was much more formal than it is now. Accordingly, numerous decorations had to be used to create a suitable image.
For fitness and aerobics classes, ladies chose swimsuits and bodysuits, which they combined with a headband and leg warmers. For office wear, a suit with wide shoulders and the narrowest possible waist was selected. For its manufacture, shiny materials of noble shades were used. At the same time, the image was complemented by a rather simple blouse and jewelry.
The wardrobe of the 80s meant the mandatory presence of transparent tights. As a rule, they were worn with mini skirts. Regardless of age, every woman was sure to have a shiny dress with one bare shoulder and frills. Ladies wore this outfit to parties. These clothes were combined with high-heeled shoes and the brightest makeup possible. Numerous accessories complemented the look.
There were frills in the clothes. Such decorative elements were observed on dresses and blouses. It was this design element that Princess Diana loved, who became the founder of this trend. There were frills on everything possible. With their help, both business suits and jeans were decorated.
Eighties fashion also included the following elements:
- sparkles. They were used everywhere, sewn onto various items of clothing, scattered on the hair;
- animal prints. Images of exotic animals were applied to almost everything. It was at that time that clothes with prints in the form of snake, leopard, giraffe and zebra skin became especially popular;
- leggings. They were a successful replacement for classic tight-fitting trousers. They were combined with loose sweaters or large T-shirts;
- oversized sweaters. Velor models made in muted shades were especially popular;
- silicone shoes. Even famous fashion designers, including Jean-Paul Gaultier himself, gained incredible popularity and could not resist such a wardrobe item;
- velor tracksuits. This fabric was associated with luxury and at the same time was characterized by maximum comfort. Apparently, this is why it became so popular in the 80s. Tracksuits made from this fabric were worn not only during training. They appeared in bars and upscale restaurants;
- t-shirt. It has become one of the main wardrobe items. As a rule, they wore it with jeans or leggings. A characteristic feature of this clothing was the presence of inscriptions or logos;
- leotards and swimsuits. At that time, it was sports models that gained popularity, which were widely used by ladies for training;
- gaiters. They became the finishing touch when creating any image;
- jeans. Tight-fitting models have gained particular popularity, but loose, high-waisted options have also remained in demand. Regardless of the style, they were worn or completely bleached.
Also in the 80s, clothing style meant a denim jacket. Classic models with a short waist have gained particular popularity. They were combined with blouses or T-shirts, tight jeans. A denim vest was also appropriate.
Clothing style of the 80s - 90s
The updated, bright style of the 80s and 90s was preceded by a gray, monotonous period when the entire population dressed in clothes sewn in Soviet factories. Such products had monotonous styles, a poor number of models that did not distinguish people from each other. The new fashion has become, in the literal sense of the word, a real “explosion” of the desire for self-expression and standing out from the gray mass. Foreign fashion contributed to the appearance in wardrobes of denim and leather items, colorful, short tops with bare shoulders and navel, blouses and jackets with overhead hangers, socks and knee socks peeking out from shoes. It was fashionable to wear colored bows, ribbons and other headbands on the head. An important detail of those times were lace gloves, which served as a harmonizing component in a rebellious and defiant image. Fashionistas of that time used the only rule - a bright image is the key to coolness.
Men's trends
Since 1980, men have begun to pay significantly more attention to their appearance. Bright outfits appeared in the wardrobe, but still the stronger sex dressed more conservatively than the ladies. The bias was made more for comfort. Men's fashion was characterized by the following details:
- velor tracksuits. Such clothing in the style of that time was appropriate not only for women, but also for men, and became an everyday item of clothing;
- presence of logos. Fashion trends meant displaying style and exuberance. Accordingly, the choice was given to outfits with the logos of some brand or designer. For example, on clothes one could see inscriptions such as Coca-Cola, Harley Davidson, Nike or Gucci;
- bomber jackets. They have become one of the main items of men's wardrobe. Models made of both leather and nylon were appropriate;
- torn types of jeans. The active development of such musical trends as heavy metal and hard rock has led to the fact that these wardrobe items have become especially popular among men. Moreover, not everyone purchased branded items. It was quite appropriate to make several cuts yourself in suitable places. At the same time, the cuffs of the jeans were rolled up and thus the sports shoes were clearly demonstrated;
- Gucci brand sweatshirts. They have become popular among both the younger generation and mature men;
- T-shirts. Men wore both plain versions and models with inscriptions or prints;
- polo shirts. Clothing with stripes, made in pastel colors, has become one of the main attributes of stylish guys;
- parachute fabrics. They are easy to care for, practically weightless, and therefore began to be used for the manufacture of sportswear. As a rule, they had horizontal stripes. A chevron design was also appropriate;
- thick leather skins. Sports shoes had to be massive. For its manufacture, exclusively thick skins were used.
Also in demand among men were bright shorts called jams. Their length reached the knees. They were usually decorated with images in the Hawaiian style. These shorts were worn not only on the beach, but also in everyday life.
What was fashionable to wear in the 80s?
To train in the gym or do fitness at home, you need special uniforms. And if male bodybuilders, in general, did not bother with their appearance and trained in shorts and with a bare torso, then with women’s clothing it turned out differently. Because of aerobics, bright leggings, colored gymnastic suits and swimsuits, multi-colored windbreakers and sweatshirts have become popular. Also during the heyday of home training, a boom in cycling shorts arose.
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Due to the fitness craze, branded items from Nike, adidas, Reebok and Puma have become more in demand than ever. They not only played sports, but also went outside - for added convenience. And in the winter season, every self-respecting fashionista put on a puffy jacket or a full-fledged ski suit. Most of all we liked the bright models and the silver metallic finish.
World-class stars and public figures began to give preference to sports style. For example, Princess Diana, without even knowing it, awakened a love for fitness trends among many Britons.
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And the King of Pop Michael Jackson and professional American football player Joe Montana helped make Puma sneakers, LA Gear and Converse high-tops a staple of '80s fashion.
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During the warmer months, surfing clothing began to appear on the streets. Equipment manufacturers Quiksilver, Gotcha, Maui & Sons and Lightning Bolt promoted the sport as a lifestyle: active, fun and carefree. Therefore, designers quickly gained the trust of customers.
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Makeup Features
At that time, the makeup was bright, quite bold and incredibly heavy. The main emphasis was on the eyes. Bright blue or pink shadows were applied to the eyelids. Not black, but colored ink was also used.
The cheeks were also given special attention. Blush was always applied to them. At the same time, they chose pale lipstick. Naturalness was not in fashion. The base was made lighter by several tones, and the blush was applied in the thickest layer possible. Even the lips looked very unnatural, due to their outline with a pencil that was several shades darker than the lipstick.
Decisive, liberated, courageous
Perestroika makeup was not only bold in itself, it was intended only for the brave. This is how Honored Artist of the Kyrgyz Republic Svetlana Nazarenko recalls this: “The teacher caught me at school and said: let’s go wash the gloss off my lips! Do not rinse, but wash! And she wiped off the polish. I had several: carrot-scented, cherry-scented. I put on makeup and they scolded me.”
Little Vera from the film of the same name was also constantly scolded by her parents for her frivolous lifestyle. By the way, Vera is a typical beauty of perestroika: crazy bouffant, fishnet tights and plastic clips. But perestroika standards of beauty are not only about appearance. Behind the bright and daring facade there is character, ambition, new desires, far from the usual communist ideals.
And new standards of beauty have also appeared in cinema. Shyness, romance, soft facial features are no longer in fashion. actress, Honored Artist of Russia Olga Kabo says
, performer of the role of nurse Katya in the film “Night Crew: “My heroine Katya was a freedom-loving girl, very independent. She is young, but already working, and if all the other characters in the film were just hanging out and having fun in life, then Katya is the only heroine who had a profession and earned her living. Therefore, it cannot be said that she is frivolous.”
Perestroika cinema featured new types. Determined, liberated women who dream of a career, breaking stereotypes. film critic Alexander Shpagin says
: “The heroines of Zaitseva, the heroines of Gundareva - they are all very original, and in all of them there was a thirst for inner freedom. And finally this thirst came true. Because as soon as perestroika came, everyone went wild. At first there was nothing, there was some kind of chain. But then Little Vera appeared. And, although this image is rather negative, everything is quite sharp - not ironically, but harshly - but, nevertheless, Little Vera was somehow strangely chosen as a kind of matrix of freedom. Negoda is the first to be filmed in Playboy, everything is cool, and gradually it turns out that Little Vera is our everything.”
Hairstyles
Women, as well as men, began to curl their locks, fluffing and combing them to make them as voluminous as possible. Hairstyles at that time had to be curly, quite large and at the same time stylized.
The so-called retro has come into fashion. Hair began to be styled the same way as in the 60s, but new trends also appeared. For example, the so-called rattletail has gained popularity.
Scrunchies decorated with velvet bows, all kinds of sparkles and velvet have become especially popular. Hair was also often tied with a banana clip, leaving fancy ponytails on the sides.
Accessories
It was during this period that the maximum number of accessories was used. Not a single outfit could do without them. They became the distinctive feature of this decade.
An evening outfit necessarily required the presence of a massive necklace equipped with pendants, earrings hanging down to the shoulders, and all kinds of bracelets. A simple walk down the street seemed impossible without sunglasses and a large tote bag. During sports training, a boom box and a headband became mandatory attributes.
Jewelry in the 80s was quite massive. Moreover, this applied to both earrings, necklaces, and brooches. Bracelets were worn in stacks. People living in great wealth necessarily covered themselves with many precious stones and gold. At the same time, ordinary people preferred simple jewelry studded with rhinestones.
Teenagers were characterized by a special fashion. Among them, woven and silicone bracelets were popular, as well as necklaces made from beads and plastic watches.
All accessories had to be decorated. If it's a bag. Then it was necessarily decorated with stones or sequins. Even hair bands could no longer be modest. All kinds of bows and sparkles were appropriate.
And the makeup is thicker
Bright blue eye shadow, raspberry lipstick and thicker eyebrows. And, of course, a lot of mother-of-pearl. Makeup should be provocative! And your face should shine as brightly as possible!
“It was a kind of protest, of course,” says Tatyana Ivanova, a member of the Combination group.
. “We were young, we wanted to stand out somehow. But there was nothing special. Therefore, what? Iroquois, he drew some creepy arrows. They painted shadows with red and pink lipsticks and thought that we were beautiful, like goddesses.”
Mascara “Lenigradskaya”, foundation “Ballet”, powder “Carmen”, and if you’re lucky enough to get it, raspberry lip gloss “Dzintars” from the Baltics. Here are the typical contents of a woman's cosmetic bag during the Perestroika era. “Cosmetics weren’t like they are now - you walk into a store and your heart rejoices,” recalls Tatyana Ivanova. - And then there are only two types of shadows: brown and green, blue and blue. It felt like they were made from school chalk."
“Gypsies very often created these cosmetics themselves,” says publicist Galina Ivankina
. “They brewed it in their gypsy laboratories, made lipsticks, eye shadows and sold them. They knew the trend very well. In the 80s, pearlescent lipsticks were in fashion, and gypsy lipsticks were very pearly! There was such a percentage of glitter that the lipstick gave a phosphorescent effect!”
Recalls Svetlana Nazarenko, soloist of the group “City 312”, Honored Artist of the Kyrgyz Republic
: “I still remember how we bought lipstick for five rubles from the gypsies, and the gypsies traded at the Central Department Store. And the highlight is the pearlescent lipstick, it’s just wow! There were also Baltic cosmetics “Dzintars”, Bulgarian and Polish.”
In the late eighties, imported cosmetics appeared on sale. It was expensive, but there were no queues and no speculators. This is how former editor Yulia Saprykina
: “When all sorts of “diors” opened on Gorky Street, we stood in lines. They tried to ask for 25 rubles for French perfume, 45 rubles for Klima from Lancome. It was a real miracle!”
“Cosmetics sets were very much appreciated,” recalls publicist Galina Ivankina. – If today women buy everything separately, then back then Lancom’s three-story sets that had to be moved apart, and these huge palettes, like those of artists, were valued. It was the best gift for a friend or bride.”
“And when we painted our eyelashes with French mascara, it seemed to us that they were three times larger than with any other mascara,” says fashion designer Elena Suprun. – This was the effect of French cosmetics. She had a magical effect on women!”
Fashion trends in the USSR
In fact, it was during that period that the modern style began to take shape. This decade has become one of the most significant. At that time, spandex was widely used, and it was common to see women and men in velor suits. Everything from turquoise eyeliner to neon laces was considered appropriate.
The eighties became the era of the birth of style. Of course, now considering all the features of fashion of that period, many things seem strange, unacceptable and awkward. True, at that time such decisions were considered a way of self-expression. Everyone strived to create the brightest, boldest image possible, as fashion trends demanded. That is why everything, from clothing to small decorative details, was catchy, eye-catching, and maybe even somewhat provocative.
