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From multi-coloured shell suits and curly perms to over exaggerated makeup and ill fitting leg warmers, its hardly difficult to understand why the 80s hasn’t got the best of reputations. So tarnished with a plethora of unflattering stereotypes the era often gets overlooked, but here at Semple we are far from washing our hands of the delirious decade!
As you may already be aware, we’ve teamed up with the Victoria and Albert Museum in conjunction with the launch of Semple Magazine issue IV to giveaway two tickets to their brilliant exhibition, Club to Catwalk: London Fashion in the 1980s. The exhibition takes a nostalgic look back at the experimental era, through more than 85 different outfits, showcasing young designers of the time including John Galliano, Betty Jackson and Wendy Dagworthy.
So it is for that reason, and of course our all consuming adoration of the decade, that we thought we’d throw together a very special blog post dedicated to the 80s. Seeing past the shaggy mullets and stirrup leggings and highlighting just some of the treats that have in many ways shaped or are indeed still shaping the times we live in today.
Fashion
The humble jean will forever be a staple in any woman’s capsule wardrobe but this season it seems that we are waving farewell to the low cut skinny and saying hello to something much more practical. Affectionately called ‘mom jeans’ these high waisted beauties hail straight from the 1980s in a variety of colours and washes. Teamed with a tucked in shirt and brogues, the ‘mom jean’ most definitely ticks all the right boxes this season. Try high street giant Topshop for a fantastic range starting at just £40.
The Rise of the Supermodel
These days you can’t turn the page of a fashion magazine without witnessing the face of a beautiful supermodel. In the flick of a well manicured eyebrow, Cara Delevingne has become a household name. We now live an age where supermodels are as easily recognised as the designer wares that are draped over their beautiful bodies, and when did this all start I hear you cry? You guessed it, the good old 1980s.
While models such as Twiggy and Iman graced the covers of glossy’s in the 60s and 70s, the 1980s was by far the heyday of the supermodel. The decade saw the creation of some of the biggest modelling agencies in the world, signing the likes of Naomi Campbell and Cindy Crawford and turning them into ‘supermodels’, transforming the face of modelling forever.
Power Dressing
For independent women in the 80s, power dressing meant only one thing – the suit. Oversized, over embellished and complete with shoulder pads to rival an American football player, the ‘power suit‘ was born.
Far from a replicating the style, it is the embedded connotations of the power suit that still hold true in the twenty first century. Through their dramatic two pieces, the Joan Collins’ of the 80s empowered a generation, showing women that it was ok to be strong, to accomplish more, and to live your dreams. And while its style has most certainly evolved over the decades, the strength that a women possesses from putting on a tailored two piece remains the same as ever.
Don’t forget, if you can’t get enough of the 80s purchase your copy of Semple Magazine for just £2.99 and enter our competition to experience the fantastic Club to Catwalk exhibition.
By Jenna Jones
