The 1980s were a decade of contrasts. Madonna, Michael Jackson and a lot of other famous stars encouraged people to wear such clothes. Run DMC helped Adidas sneakers to a comeback all over the world.

Designers like Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Claude Montana, Vievienne Westwood, Jean Paul Gaultier,Versace, Dolce Gabbane designed clothes especially for popstars. The 1980s were a decade of designers.

Many people think that today we wear the same things which people wore in the 1980s. Maybe a little bit more fashionable.

Women:

The business look is a dress-for-success style. The most common fabrics were wool, silk and linen. Trouser suits and blazers with shoulder pads and blouses were modern as well as Italian knitwear with a Jacquard weave. The look was and is sportive and elegant. Free time: Women dared to go out on thestreet in leggings and bodies. Women today would feel ashamed in that.

Men:

The 1980s marked the start of men`s fashion. It was very modern to wear boxershorts with comic figures or Disney pictures and many colours. Men wore paspelcoloured jackets, white trousers and a T-shirt. Men looked rather effeminate. They wore sexy clothes, they had make-up and their styling was perfekt. Men began to think about their own style, about their look and also they had a perfect styling of their hair. The hair wasn`t too short with curls and every morning men had to blowdry their hair.

Words:

ashamed - feeling shame about something/somebody or because of one`s own action
effeminate - feeling / behaving like women
encourage - to give support

By Nadine Redenius and Kristin ten Thij

Sources

Lehnert, Gertrud: Geschichte der Mode des 20. Jahrhunderts. Köln: Könemann, 2000.
Seeling, Charlotte: Mode - das Jahrhundert der Designer. Köln: Könemann, 1999.

Timeline Fashion

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