’80s Outfits That Are, Like, Totally Tubular!
Tutu over leggings. Check. Off the shoulder “Flashdance” sweatshirt. Check. Neon pumps. Check. Wayfarer sunglasses. Check. Go to an ’80s party and you are going to see a lot of people dressing like pop icons. But it isn’t all about what the pop stars wore. Don’t be trippin’. Here are 23 authentic ’80s costumes that are, like, totally tubular! And 30 more for those who just can’t get enough of the ’80s.
The “new wave” culture of the ’80s was very influenced by MTV and music videos, but it wasn’t all “neon”. There were still punk influences spilling over from the ’70s, so you saw a lot of stark black, red and white. And a lot of deconstruction when it came to clothing. Remember, the Flashdance look was a sweatshirt that had been sliced with a scissors. Safety pins. Holes in leggings. Graffiti t-shirts. Hair held up in rags. That’s authentic ’80s.
The key to getting the ’80s look exactly right is all about the hair. Big hair doesn’t just mean high hair — we’re not talking messy updo or pony. To get authentic-looking ’80s hair, you’ve got to lift it from the roots. In the ’80s a product called “root lift” was the go-to. You sprayed it on your roots with your head hanging down and applied heat from a blow dryer. When you came up for air, your hair was, like, totally bitchin’. You can get the same effect today by blowing in hair spray or mousse and clipping your hair up for a few hours while the product sets in. When you pull out the clip, your head will look like a hair explosion. The roots will actually hurt, and that is when you know you’ve got ’80s hair.
Oh my God. We are, like, so ’80s!
Got a big-hair ’80s selfie to share? Tag us on Instagram @britandco. Come on — you know you want to!
(Photo via Getty)
