Discover the best 1985 fashion trends that are making a comeback. From bright neons to bold shoulder pads, add retro flair to your wardrobe today!
In a time without the internet or social media, the fashion of the 1985s was influenced by television and music and created more style icons than any other fashion decade. With eye-straining patterns and colors, including power suits with shoulder pads, dramatic earrings, and acid-wash jeans, the fashions of the 85s are described as ‘big,’ bright, and loud.’
The 85s can be easily identified. It is where your current trend originated! This decade was filled with fast cars, sporting music television in every house, and revolutionary new materials that revolutionized our lives. The 1985s fashion trends were anything but boring in all they did. From the music in the air to the hair on people’s heads, all things were a little…louder. It isn’t easy to create a comprehensive list of all the incredible things created by the 85s, as there are too many. For both women and men, the 85s fashion has given us iconic looks that will not soon be forgotten. While we can only identify some of them, here’s an overview of the top ten fashions from the 85s and 80s fashion trends.
In this article, I’ll guide you to examine the 14 most basic styles of the fashion decade of the 85s that later evolved into trends. Without further delay, these are the 14 most recognizable styles and fashions from the 85s, which redefined fashion in the way we see it today.
Cowboy Boots
Fashionable crowds in Studio 54 confirmed that free-flowing skirts and dresses with matching western boots make timeless combinations. Super trendy cowboy boots with retro vibes make the perfect spot to begin.
Spandex
Lycra revolutionized the world, and the 85s were the first to ensure everyone knew. Everybody had spandex on. Men, women, boys, girls, it didn’t matter. Spandex was the future fabric, and everyone was with the latest fashions.
Punk Embellishments
Punk rock was famous in London, with chains, fishnets, and studs being the most popular accessories. Wearing leather separates with easy silhouettes; the designs are all distinctly 1985s.
Ripped Knees
When people weren’t wearing loose leggings and sporting jeans, but those jeans had been through a rough time. If you bought them this method or cut them by hand, the knees ripped out ruined every pair of jeans. Auntie was furious.
Lace Dresses
The forever style icon Bianca Jagger arrives at A-list hot spots dressed in a frilly lace gown. The dress is trimmed with lace on the sides; this 1985s-style dress is versatile enough to dress up or down easily.
Lacey Shirts
What do you think each shirt requires? MORE SHIRT. This was how they talked in the 85s, as every shirt featured frills, frills, frills. What’s that cool button-up shirt? Add some frills to it. T-shirt? We’ll try a couple of frills. A dress for bedtime? Yes, it needs frills on the inside, for sure.
Checked Blazers
Brooke Shields poses in a turtleneck and checked blazer offering a lesson on strategic layering. The look is completed with a plaid button t-shirt with denim tucked in. The model-turned-actress provides an elegant ’85s look suitable for the workplace and beyond.
Leg Warmers
Who’s been there and thought, “You know that? My body is in good shape, but my calves are frozen!” Probably nobody, but that didn’t stop people in the 1985s from introducing leg warmers, pants designed for the calves. These designs continue as the 2000s fashion trends.
Power Suits
“Power suits,” known as “power dressing,” was all the rage during the 85s. The fashion was born by movie stars and celebrities portraying powerful, power-hungry women.
High Waisted Jeans
High-waisted jeans were the fashion if people didn’t like belly buttons or had to figure out how to wear their pants without belts. These days, they are often called Mom jeans. High-rise fashions made quite a style statement. We’re still determining the right word, but they made one.
Oversized Shoulder Dresses
These shoulder pads proved an important trend in the 85s, and designers even embraced the trend. The most notable shoulder pads were paired with puffy sleeves with vaporous dresses to create distinctive geometric cuts and shapes.
Neon Colors
Why should you go for bold and big when you plan to stick with muted shades? It’s not logical. The reason neon colors were prevalent in the 1985s. In addition, the neons shined at the skating rink when the black lights were on during the skate.
The fashion trends of the 85s were influenced by the era’s stars and famous people, who promoted fitness and aerobic exercise on television. Leggings for the gym and aerobic outfits, oversized sweaters, or even skinny-fitting jeans needed legwarmers to provide an added element.
Cut-off Sweatshirts
I’m guessing that to counterbalance the enormous high crotches of jeans, People cut the bottoms off of sweatshirts to show the belly. What is the reason for this? It’s hard to say. The trend was widespread throughout the genders, too, and I loved this style the time Kelly Lebrock wore it.
1985 Fashion Trends FAQs
What fashions were in style in the 1985s?
The most popular clothes for women in the 85s included legwarmers, power suits, dresses with padded shoulders and spandex, and Lycra tights. For men, the most sought-after clothes of the 85s were leather jackets, Polo shirts, cowboy boots, and shirts.
What do you wear to look like in the 1985s?
The perfect 85s style appearance is easy, so you mix the most popular styles of that decade and the appropriate accessories for the fashion of the 1985s that you decide to display.
What were the fashions worn by women in the 1985s?
Fashion of the 85s included high-waisted pants and printed blouses, vibrant wrist and head sweatbands, ankle-high boots, Members Only jackets, and polka-dotted dresses. Women of the time preferred bold, large-sized clothes and paired them with large hoops, bandanas, fanny bags, chunky jewelry, and socks.
Takeaway
The 1985 and 90s fashion trends was so diverse that it was nearly impossible to describe the entire spectrum in just a few paragraphs. To distill it to its essentials, the fashion industry comprised four principal cities: Paris, Milan, London, and New York City. The fashions you liked dictated which city you purchased your fashions from. Each of the four styles was distinct from one another. The only commonality was the broad shoulder. The rest material, color cut, and color were fair game.
The most popular newcomer of 1985 fashion trends was Anne Klein and Co.’s Donna Karan. After unexpectedly abandoning Anne Klein to go out alone, Karan’s clothes collection was a huge success. Her clothing was a masterclass of feminine style with a casual look. Her technique of wearing the sarong skirt to slim pants is a prime illustration.
Images and videos included from "www.youtube.com (Fashion By Look Channel)", "fashionfiko.com".