It’s official - the 80s are back this Autumn/Winter, in terms of fashion anyway.It’s about now, as the summer sales start that the fashion industry, which seems to be so far ahead of itself, tempts us with new season collections.
Please remember throughout this post I am not a designer and do not have any expertise here. But I am an ardent consumer, so I have been googling and these are some of the key trends coming our way:
The 70s. I think this is a continuation from what we have now in Spring/Summer. And whilst I was a bit young to find my fashion feet in the 70s the first time round, I have been wearing my collars very proudly and channelling my inner Daisy Duke with my denim shorts and knotted shirts.
Luxe. I think this means lots of sequins and glitter and luxurious fabrics – I’m thinking embellishment and brocade. I am confirmed dress up girl, so this works for me.
The ladylike look – we have seen this trend over the last few years and most of us have a pencil skirt or two in our wardrobes, so I am guessing this will be a continuation of this trend.
Black Victoriana. This is where my fashion knowledge falls down. So please correct me if I am wrong. But I feel we have this every winter in some guise. I’m thinking lace, high necklines, and more leather - trendy Penny Dreadful maybe?
The wild; more furs (or faux fur in my case) and animal prints. I have a lovely fake fur jacket from Oasis, which is two years old, but this is as far as I go with this trend.
And… drum roll….the 80s. It seems that shoulder pads, polkas dots, ruffles and mini proms skirts are back. So here, I am fondly remembering Dallas, Dynasty, Madonna, Bucks Fizz and Bananarama. And if your tastes are a little more edgy, think Siouxsie and the Banshees.
So what is it about stepping back in time? Why is it appealing to the tastemakers? I’m just speculating, but I guess it is hard to completely reinvent fashion year on year.
I also think nostalgia plays a part. Memories are evocative things. Some people have dubbed the 80s as extremely uncool. Personally, I think some people spend too much time thinking about what’s cool and what’s not.
To me, the 80s were all about making a statement. Fashion was big and bold and colourful. Life was vibrant. You dressed up and expressed yourself through your clothes and people loved you for it. I definitely think there was less judgement, or maybe I was just young and didn’t notice or care!
I don’t know what the fashion designers have got in store for us. But I have no doubt that designers like Saint Laurent, Balmain and the very clever High Street brands will have distilled the essence of the 80s and added a few unexpected modern twists.
I personally am looking forward to seeing what turns up in our shops. How about you - are ready to embrace your inner New Romantic?