Help! The ’80s Are Back (18UNBUTTONED) (18UNBUTTONED)

Fashion is immaterial, but just look at all the ugly cars that are being sold!

I too came of age in the Eighties, but had mixed feelings about the trends even then--so I picked and chose accordingly. I've always loved a strong shoulder, within reason, and would wear one again today! Those pouffy Christian Lacroix-ish dresses were fun; I made my own version to wear to the prom and still love how it looks in those old pictures. Even acid-washed denim can be redeemed. But the sprayed-up big hair and stirrup pants were and still are a hard pass. By the way, Vanessa: I always appreciate your commentary, and this piece in particular. It made me think about who I was then and now, and what fashion is telling us about what's going on in the world, which I'm a little more aware of now than in the Eighties. Thank you.

Message for Grace Jones: Your closet contents have found a new future!

Ok guys. Stirrups were a late Eighties early nineties trend mostly warn by middle aged women. We in high school or college were wearing tight black leggings or TIGHT ankle length Guess jeans with zippers at the ankles so you could get them over your heals. The Limited was “the” store at the time. Don’t forget acid washed or pumice washed denim.

I did the 80's hard the first time around, spraying my bangs straight up with Stiff Stuff and wearing big jackets with leggings and huge earrings. Not going there again, but I think the embiggened silhouettes are a natural reach considering the current climate in the WH and elsewhere and the #metoo movement.

Anyone over 50 still has nightmares about those shoulder pads. I used to cut them out and stuff them in a dresser drawer. Please don’t make us do it again.

Based on the photos, this seems more like lazy kitsch, than actual fashion. Even though I am the same generation as the author, it's hard to imagine young women wanting to wear these big, boxy clothes that seem to swallow the wearer. Not impressed.

I wonder what a revival of now will look like in 30, 40 years ...

Oh, wow! You mean all the stuff in my closet is back?! Still have a few of the shoulder padded suit jackets. I’ll put them in a garage sale and they should fly!

Who could not love Max Mara's mauve coat? Divine! Moderate shoulder pads narrow one's hips without another starvation diet. Pick the bits and pieces of the 80's fashion oevre that you actually like, and ignore the rest. That is what you should do all the time, anyway, put together your own look that works for you.

Shoulder pads were in everything (t-shirts, sweater, and coats) and the multiple layers of foam made women look like linebackers. My sister and I cut the shoulder pads out of our Limited Shaker-knit sweaters and she threatened to use them as falsies.

I happily abide by the dictum that if you wore it when it first appeared, you are too old to wear it now. That stuff took up too much room in the closet; it was well-nigh impossible to find a dry cleaner who could take on (ahem) the demands of the exaggerated silhouettes and strange fabrics.

Referencing the photo: I remember in college circa 1988 wearing a black bolero hat and an asymmetrical bright orange coat. This photo plays a nice homage to the time.

Nothing can replace the 80’s. Madonna, Guess Jeans, Jordache, baby blue eye showdown, Gene Nate body spray, Rick Springfield, boxy shoulder pads is every piece of clothing you wore (I had removable ones I would move from shirt to shirt). My favorite was the hair tho - the bigger and wider the better. And hair spray was a girls best friend. Today my 14 year old only wants to buy ‘mom’ jeans which are pretty much high waisted 80’s jeans. Wish I had kept all of my old clothes - I’d be raking it in at the consignment shops right now!

Because of the current nature of fashion we should be vocally opposed to any retro movement. In this time of cash over design and celebrity over talent we need to protect and nurture the gifted and actually trained designers of today or we risk not having any tomorrow. Real designers know where the line is between being inspired and copying. When the press sees a copy all they have to do is say, "That's a copy, please do better."

I graduated from high school in 1983. I wore stirrup pants all the time. They were most popular mid-80’s. I loved them and wore them with short boots too.

Maybe I was on another planet in the 80s, but I do not recall stirrup pants. Big hair, big shoulders, chunky knit sweaters, big pants, strong colors - yes. The only stirrup pants I recall were the Danskin stretch pants I had as a kid in the early 60s, with coordinating “fully fashioned” (raglan sleeve) striped knit tops.

High school Class of '83 here. I have no intention of wearing these looks again, but I get why the younger crowd would love it. In the 80's I bought '50s and '60s clothes at thrift shops and my mother thought I was crazy. I do still like a strong shoulder and jewel tones though. I loved stirrup pants with booties so the stirrup didn't show, and over sized sweaters.

Chanel is notably absent from Friedman's comments, for good reason. The Chanel clothes for fall '18 are beauty epitomized -- even the styles I wouldn't or couldn't wear. They look wearable and comfortable. They celebrate earth colors in a time when we are assaulting the earth more than ever in human history. They appear to give the models easy confidence. They are tempting me to buy one perfect piece.

I am 40 and grew up then. The 80's could never be duplicated. Back then, We dove into bold color and eclectic styles. We also had the pop culture and movies that epitomized themes and the times. We saw our favorite artists (both female and male) rocking the looks on Mtv . I really enjoyed the bright colors but so many looks are just too outdated and simply not flattering. Especially the hairstyles. Crimping? really? I would give anything to go back into time and hand myself a hair straightening iron. That being said, what fun it was to grow up in that era! I would love to see charm necklaces or legwarmers return . I am sure every generation says this, but over the past 15 years or so, I just don't see anything notable to look back on fashion-wise.

Stirrup pants were horrible and do not deserve to be revived. While a slight shoulder pad in a structured jacket or coat is one thing, in the '80s, there were chunky shoulder pads inserted into every type of upper body garment, even t-shirts. Neon was also overdone in the '80s. I do like some '80s fashion details: bright colors, layering, bold makeup.

love the 80s but there's no point in making the same clothes. As a designer you can have many references but should do clothes for now, that work in this time. I agree with Chris, give the 80's a nod but don't repeat it.

I think the 80's had many good ideas. I think it even pushed men's fashion in new directions but I don't understand doing something so literal. Give the 80's a nod but don't repeat it.

Count me out on stirrups...I was never a fan. I enjoyed shoulder pads...but I'm a hard no on stirrups!