Preliminary Research Paper 1980s oral history PDF

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oral history project 1980s fashion...

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Preliminary Research Paper Fashion in the nineteen eighties was much different than the fashion we have today. The fashion in this decade had a very big impact on how people dress in society now. In the eighties there wasn't just one style but a variety of different styles. This decade was also known for their power dressing, which was when women's clothing moved closer to men's in the world of business. Power dressing included smart suits, exaggerated shoulder lines, shoulder pads, shirts and neckties. I chose to write about the 80's and the decades many fashion types. This was a time when it was fashionable to have the big hair, and crazy outfits that clashed but looked acceptable. All the trends in the eighties were funky and fun! The styles of the 80's are very distinct from any other era because this was the only time when "as much as you can is more” as opposed to "less is more”. The more bracelets you could fit on your arm, the more hairspray you use to get your hair up, the more eye shadow you could get over your eyes, and the more lace you could get on your clothing was fashionable. The 80's were much exaggerated in their styles; huge holes in the knee of jeans, big ruffles, neon colors, and high top sneakers are among many outrageous fashions. The fabrics used in the eighties weren’t much different from the fabrics used today except that a lot of lace was used back then. All clothes were mass-produced, but most often the customer would make alterations to their clothing to make it as funky as desired. Handmade garments were just as acceptable as designers. The media had a direct influence on fashion with television, films, art and pop music all playing an important piece. Soap operas were popular and presented an array of different styles, along with the movie "Flashdance”. This movie showed both young and old people in tank tops, tight-fitting pants or torn jeans and leg-warmers. As for pop stars, Madonna influenced others with her provocative appearance. She wore pearls, crucifixes, lace gloves, bras over her clothes and net

skirts. Other pop stars who influenced styles were George Michael with his leather jacket and jeans, Annie Lennox with his suits, and Prince with his velvet jacket and silk shirt with a ruffled front. Another important influence portrayed through mass media was the elegant and groomed style of the Princess of Wales. Princess Diana's clothes were copied by women throughout the world. The eighties included sweaters, from turtle neck, crew neck, and v-neck varieties. They wore fur-lined puffer jackets, tunics, faux fur coats, velvet blazers, trench coats, any type of leather clothing, crop tops, tube tops, knee-length skirts, loose or flowy knee-length dresses, and tops with high cut necklines. For bottoms women would wear high-waisted loose pants, embroidered jeans, leather pants, and designer jeans. Women's pants of the 1980s were long and big. And all of these clothing items were made in a variety of fabrics including cotton, silk, satin, and polyester. The 80s fashion had oversized tops. Big sweaters, sweatshirts and t-shirts were very stylish and wearing them over a miniskirt or a pair of leggings made them even more stylish. These tops were most often belted with big and gaudy, low slung belts with the top bloused over the belt. Shoulder pads may very well be the decades biggest and best trend. This trend was so big because women were finally starting to work. Women and girls loved miniskirts. Denim was the most popular, but miniskirts were made in a number of other materials including knit and leather. These were often paired with leggings. This particular look has made a big comeback recently. Another one of the top fashion trends in the eighties were leg warmers. Women would always wear leg warmers with either mini skirts or even normal slacks. You could always find a couple pairs of leg warmers in every girl’s closet. During the 80’s many ladies would wear huge earrings. This fashion trend went on for about 20 years and the longer the earrings the better people would think you look. Accessories for women in the 1980s were mostly worn by people on the streets. This included thin belts, knee-high boots with thick kitten heels, sneakers, jelly shoes, round-toed

shoes and boots, jelly bracelets which were inspired by Madonna, shoes with thick heels, small thin necklaces, and small watches. All with a variety of materials, such as gold and pearls. The fitness craze was major in the 1980s. General women's street-wear worn in the early 1980s included ripped sweatshirts, leotards, tights, sweatpants, and tracksuits. Athletic accessories were a massive trend in the early 1980s, and their popularity was largely boosted by the aerobics craze. This included leg warmers, wide belts, elastic headbands, and athletic shoes known as sneakers. In the 1980s, rising pop star Madonna proved to be very influential to female fashions. She first emerged on the dance music scene with her "street urchin" look consisting of short skirts worn over leggings, necklaces, rubber bracelets, fishnet gloves, hair bows, long layered strings of beads, bleached, untidy hair with dark roots, headbands, and lace ribbons. In her " Like a Virgin" phase, millions of young girls around the world emulated her fashion example that included brassieres worn as outerwear, huge crucifix jewelry, lace gloves, tulle skirts, and boytoy belts. Madonna influenced the bright color craze in the 1980s. In conclusion, the 1980s was known for all the crazy fashion trends. The fashion in this decade had a very big impact on how people dress in society now. Many important people influenced the styles that were popular In the 80’s. Some of the most popular looks were the aerobic wear, power dressing, and bold colorful clothing. The eighties had fashion for everyone to wear and everyone loved it....