Popular Brands and Styles of the 80s

Big, bold and neon were probably all that was needed to sum up the 80s fashion trends and brands. Everything including heavy makeup, big hair, and large clothing all made up the huge statement of the decade, thanks to Hollywood’s top actresses and singers. But some of these trends surely came with a price tag as popular designer labels marked up their clothes.

While the majority of all teens wore this type of clothing, it wasn’t just the young Gen X’ers who took part in this facade. Even the late Baby Boomers including Tommy Hilfiger were transitioning more and more into these popular trends.

It was the 1980s where the fashion idols really started to influence their audiences. While it’s difficult to even imagine a world without TV, internet, or cell phones, but TV back then only had a few channels and was considered a luxury. Everything including print advertising, magazines and TV were all everyone’s source of fashion updates and trends. With minimal competition, big name music stars like Michael Jackson and Madonna as well as movie stars had the spotlight for more than just their talents.

Here are all the popular clothing brands and styles of the 80s.

Popular Accessories Worn in the 80s

The 80s included a ton of accessories. The bigger the better. Leg warmers, scrunchies, pearl necklaces, huge door knocker earrings of all colors, mesh accents, fanny packs, plastic bangles and fingerless cloves were all in during the 80s.

Popular Clothes During the 80s

For men, Oxford shirts, polo shirts and turtle necks, corduroy, suspenders striped linen suits, and khaki slacks were all popular clothing styles. For women, leg warmers, ripped denim, Lycra and spandex, punk leather items, leotards, padded shoulder business suits and skirts.

Popular Shoes Worn in the 80s

Numerous shoe brands were popular, including chunky boots like Doc Martens, Vans Classic slip-ons, L.A. Gear, medium-heeled pumps, Jellies, Moccasins, Mary-Janes, Adidas Campus and Jordans.

Major Fashion Brands of the 80s

During the 80s, most people knew what was popular, and while all the fashion brands made clothing that fit this era, only some of them stood out. Whether it was their advertising campaigns or just because their particular style of clothing stood out, these big brands made it to the big leagues.

• Reebok
• Nike
• Adidas

As casual fitness clothing became more and more popular, these brands lucked out. Tennis shoes, high-tops and regular sneakers became everyday wear.

LA Gear, Puma and Converse Shoes: The King of Pop as well as the famous Joe Montana all promoted high-tops and sneakers, making them an 80s fashion icon.

Umbro Shorts: Originating in Cheadle, England, near Manchester, these shorts were worn by all the cool guy athletes during the 80s. Most wore them for gym, football, basketball lacrosse and other sports, usually with a checkered design and cut short by the thigh. In 2012, they have been a subsidiary of Iconic Brand Group after being bought by Nike in 2007.

Hypercolor Shirts: The Hypercolor brand was a line of clothing that changed with heat, so you could see your handprint on the shirt. Most popular during the late 80s and early 90s, they sold over $50 million in shirts between February and May. The only thing that made them look embarrassing was when kids sweat in them, they had rings around their chests and armpits.

Popular Jeans

• Jordache
• Bonjour
• Sasson
• Wrangler
• Levi’s
• Gitano

Whether you wanted the big baggy jeans or skinny legs, these were the go to brands that were in style. Other popular styles were mom jeans, ripped and acid-washed.

Popular 80s Accessories

Swatch Watches: One of the best things about these watches was that they were inexpensive, so it wasn’t hard to get your hands on one. With bright colors and patterns, you didn’t wear just one; you wore several. One to match every color of the rainbow.

Ray Ban Sunglasses: Believe it or not, Ray Ban’s never went out of style. During the 80s, the Aviator and Wayfarer and Aviator sunglasses were totally hot.

Issey Miyake Clothing: Focused on innovation and comfortability, Miyake’s designed full outfits that revolutionized pleated clothing.

I.O.U. Clothing: Extremely popular during the 80s and early 90s, this company prioritized both fashion and comfort. The brand would most often feature large lettering, often with their logo and a small icon of something American. It was known for being everyday lounge wear.

Members Only: While it sounds like they would be something only clubs would have, this is actually a fashion brand that became popular with a line of jackets. Created in 1975 and taking off in 1980 by Europe Craft Imports, these racer jackets were made unique by their narrow epaulettes, knitted trim and collar strap, coming in a variety of colors. Their big slogan was “when you put it on, something happens.” They also started to make a comeback during the 2010 as Members Only launched seasonal collections at online retailers and brick and mortar stores like Urban Outfitters.

Gotcha, Maui & Sons and Lightning Bolt: Promoting a laid back, chill lifestyle, these surf wear designers became known for their fun-loving reputation as their clothes became everyday wear.

Coca-Cola: The big beverage brand worked with Jordache to promote branded clothing during the 80s.

Liz Claiborne: Since starting up in 1976, this fashion company has grown to be among the largest women’s apparel manufacturer in the world. This included sportswear, costume jewelry, professional clothing and cosmetics under the labels Dana Buchman, Liz Claiborne, Elisabeth and Liz & Co. The Claiborne label also designs sportswear, fragrances and accessories for men, sold in 50 nations and marketed throughout large department and specialty stores.

Benetton: Advertised as boldly colored patterned outfits of the 80s, Benetton was one of the first big brands to promote social awareness, with their tagline being “United Colors of Benetton.”

Calvin Klein: This brand reached its all-time high during the 1980s, especially with its powerful line of boxer shorts for women and a men’s underwear collection that made $70 million in one year.

 This brand changed the American men’s underwear market, from when white men’s underwear was only bought in 3-packs by women to men caring “about the brand of something few ever see.”

The Back to the Future movies also made a big influence, promoting brand name clothing which helped the Calvin Klein mighty whities with logoed waistbands maintain its popularity into today’s fashion world.

80s Streetwear Fashion Trends

The outrageousness of the celebrities’ 80s clothing was toned down a little in everyday clothing, but the elements were still there. The fabrics still consisted of Lycra, spandex, velour, but natural silk and cotton were also popular.

Highly tailored military-styled suits and padded shoulder jackets were sported along with casual prints t-shirts, velvet tracksuits and leggings or baggy pants. Today’s crowd might think this doesn’t match at all, but this unique statement all went along with the intention to being bold and bright.

Everyday people wore bright colors and patterns, sometimes with slogans. But every outfit included dozens of accessories, jewelry, watches, and belts that will always be unique to the 80s, but some of these trends are still making a comeback today.

Top Women’s Fashion Trends

When everyone thought of women’s fashion during the 80s, they pictured a slender figure with big shoulders and a tiny waist. Everything including large, off-the-shoulder sweaters and mini or hemmed skirts were paired with either high-heeled pumps or sports shoes. And nobody could forget about the million accessories that went with this.

Boss babes in the workforce were still new back then, but the office trends held nothing back as the women looked to popular actresses like Melanie Griffith from Working Girl for the next big style. They also dressed up for special occasions and parties more formally than today, wearing a variety of smart clothes and accessories.

When the fitness trends grew stronger, women’s bodies of all shapes and sizes were smushed into bodysuits and leotards paired with brightly colored leg warmers and a headband. Whether they were on their way to a spinning class or just staying home with a Jane Fonda video, they took advantage of their workout routines.

Sheer tights: Short skirts were paired with sheer tights to show off long, skinny legs. These were considered a staple in every woman’s 80s wardrobe.

Ruffles: Most women wore dresses and blouses with puffy sleeves at the neck. This trend was established by Princess Diana, as she wore everything from tight jeans to a power-suit.

Lamé: From middle-aged moms at a cocktail party to 80s teenage dances, shiny, colorful lamé dresses usually had giant shoulder pads and were paired well with layers of makeup, accessories and high-heel pumps.

Power-suit: Highly tailored suits with – again – large shoulder pads were in full style if you had an office job during the 80s. If you had a knee-length skirt, it was worn well with a puffy jacket that was tighter around the waste. The outfit usually consisted of a variety of fabrics, including faux fur and cotton in jewel colors.

Animal Print: If you wore real animal skin during the 80s, you were definitely given a dirty look. But animal prints of all kinds were still on everything. From purses to shirts to sweaters, it was never hard to find something highlighted in leopard, giraffe, zebra, and snake skin.

Stirrup pants and leggings: In the 1978 movie Grease, Olivia Newton-John started a whole new craze when she sported her tight black leggings. It didn’t take long for fitted slacks to be replaced by skin-tight leggings of all colors and patterns. Stirrup pants also became a big deal by the end of the 80s as they were worn by women of all ages, pairing them with a large, off-the-shoulder sweater or graphic t-shirt.

Jelly shoes: This trend was first started when a buyer from Bloomingdales in New York spotted these colorful shoes at a shoe convention in Chicago and ordered them for the store chain. While they were made from cheap plastic, they were actually comfortable for most young women to wear as the craze influenced other major designers, including Jean-Paul Gaultier of the 80s to add them to their line.

Large Sweaters: The 1983 film Flashdance quickly set the trend for large sweaters to be worn over a tank top, usually with one side worn off the shoulder. By the end of the 1980s, most sweaters were made in all colors, usually from velour or other luxurious fabrics.

Bodysuits and Leotards: In the 80s, everyone had at least one body suit or leotard as everyone had a self-indulgent phase. Especially with her hit movie Flashdance, Jane Fonda jumped on women’s exercise and dance craze, using her fitness videos to promote sportswear along with Cher. These outfits became such a fashion icon that they carried on into future decades.

Velour tracksuits: Stretchy, velvet velour fabric was not only fashionable, it was also comfortable, which was probably why it became popular during the 80s. Fila, an Italian sportswear company had numerous styles available and became so popular that celebrities and models wore them on the streets. Even luxury designers like Dior added them to their fashion lines.

T-shirts: T-shirts quickly became popular after Katharine Hamnett used them to spread her political slogan, having them printed on the clothing before they were sold in masses. It wasn’t long before big brands also jumped on the bandwagon as they realized the selling potential of their logos advertised on t-shirts. Logos and letters were printed on shirts of all colors as most people wore them for the fashion statement and comfortability. T-shirts were also paired well with jeans and leggings and of course still carry on in almost all clothing stores today.

Leg warmers: Jane Fonda wasn’t the only star who brought in the leg warmer obsession during the 80s. They were every woman’s fashion statement that paired well with sports clothing, leggings, big sweaters and even skinny jeans. It often felt “naked” to leave the house without them.

Jeans: While skinny jeans have been popular since the 80s, thanks to Jordache, a style known as “mom jeans” also made their way into popularity, with a loose fit around the legs and a tighter high waist. While very different, both were in, usually with the addition of edgy rock-style acid or stone-washed denim.

High-cut swimsuits: While bikinis were popular, one piece high-cut suits were classic, especially during the popularity of Baywatch.

80s Men’s Fashion Trends

Men prioritized their appearance in the 80s more than ever before. They coined the term “yuppie” as an an acronym for the Young Urban Professional.

For the first time in history, men’s fashion played just as important a role as for women. Many of the clothing styles were also unisex. Men spent more time styling their hair and invested in accessories, thanks to popular music stars like Bon Jovi. Although they didn’t wear much makeup.

Men’s clothing also consisted of bright patterns and colors, just like women’s, although men still dressed more conservatively as they prioritized comfort over style. Obviously, this trend still continues today.

Logoed Clothing: So many shirts and sweaters sported a logo during the 80s, including either the designer’s logo or advertising the brand. Popular icons included:

• Coca-Cola
• Disney
• Harley Davidson
• Lacoste

Famous designer brands who partnered with these companies to promote their logos included:

• Nike
• Lacoste
• Levi
• Tommy Hilfiger
• Gucci

Velour Sweat Suits: Both men and women wore sweat suits during the 80s. Fila also made this classic outfit into an everyday staple for men. Whether it was a mafia association or Italian connection brought forth by Soprano’s during the 80s, these velour sweat suits were commonly worn during lazy days and are still popular today.

Power-Suits: Sharply cut suits with wide shoulders were extremely popular for men in the 80s as it was their idea of looking powerful and confident. Chalk stripes with dark colors paired jackets and a banker’s collar were most commonly worn. Ties of all different styles were also worn as they went by the slogan “anything goes”. You had the option between skinny, square-end, or extra-wide Kipper ties with patterned, plain or weird design were not something of which people took a double take. They’re also making a comeback today.

Distressed Jeans: Heavy metal and hard rock bands like the Pixies, Sonic Youth and Nirvana wore nothing but ripped and/or distressed jeans. If you didn’t buy them from a big name like Levi or Guess, there was always the option of adding the slashes yourself, usually across the knees with a box cutter. Pegging jeans cuffs were also a thing, where they were tightly rolled over to show off high-top sneakers.

T-shirts: Just like for women, t-shirts were also a staple in every man’s wardrobe. Started in the 1960’s, they didn’t take off until the 1980s. With patterns, slogans or a mix of both, all guys wore t-shirts to match popular music and movie stars.

Airbrushed and spray-painted shirts: Fab 5 Freddy and Jean-Michel Basquiat were graffiti artists who put their work on everyday textiles. Spray painted t-shirts and sweatshirts also paired well with the hip-hop culture as they were considered casual 80s streetwear.

Gucci Sweatshirts: Many rappers loved the Gucci brand during the 80s, including Eric B. and Rakim. The designer’s look was so stylish and comfortable that even traditional, old-school men took interest in the sweaters.

Penny loafers without socks: It was definitely normal for men to walk around in moccasins and penny loafers without any socks.

Polo shirts: For all preppy men during the 80s, they all sported fancy Lacoste polo shirts, often in horizontal stripes and pastel colors. Ocean Pacific also had a popular line of polos, although they took a nautical theme and were considered more appropriate for more formal events.

Harem pants: Before today’s low-cut crotch pants took place, harem pants worn in psychedelic colors and crazy patters were carried over from the 70s, gaining popularity in the 80s.

Parachute pants and jackets: This lightweight fabric was easy to wash and great to wear to sports events during the 80s. They often had horizontal shapes and chevron design.

Jams: Patterned and brightly colored knee-length shorts, often with Hawaiian designs were popular to wear to the beach and pools. Many also wore them as casual streetwear during the summer as well as in tropical climates.

Fat laces: Fat laces were a great way to make your shoes stand out, especially with Adidas and Puma sneakers.

Popular Kids and Teens Fashion Trends

Unlike previous generations, children were becoming more independent during the 80s. With many more affluent households during this era, they were more inclined to follow the latest fashion trends. MTV had a big influence on the younger generation as they watched their favorite artists sing and dance in wildly colored jackets, pants and accessories.

Socks for girls: Boys often wore less socks than girls as theirs were lined with lace and considered to be a major fashion statement. Socks were so popular that some girls even wore two pairs of neon socks, one over the other. Ankle socks were also commonly paired with heels so much that today’s kids are considering bringing them back.

Jean jackets: Every kid had a jeans jacket during the 80s. Whether plain or acid-washed, kids would often rip off the sleeves and add badges, pins, and sew on patches to set themselves out from the crowd.

Vans sneakers: Skateboarding was one of the most popular sports during the 80s, and big name brands like Vans catered specifically to this audience by manufacturing high-top slip-on sneakers.Those who watched Fast Times At Ridgemont High emulated Jeff Spicoli as they all set out to get their own pair. Some adults even bought them.

Tights: Neon cut-out tights were definitely common, but more among the younger generations. Usually worn with mini-skirts and denim jackets, this look was considered one of those most symbolic of the 80s. But today, most often see it as trashy.

Mini-skirts: If you wanted to look like the girls in Teen Witch, you would wear denim or Madonna-styled mini-skirts made of lace and netting. But women of all ages still wore short skirts.

Swatch watches: The brand name was contracted from the words “second watch” which was literally what these were in the 80s. They were made from plastic and contained a number of bold and brightly colored patters that were most often worn by kids. It also wasn’t enough to just have one, a trend Princess Diana also started when she started wearing more than one watch. The brand quickly took note of this as they promoted wearing multiple with brand ambassadors and popular tennis stars like Andre Agassi and Ivan Lendl.

Mesh tops: Most often worn over bras and shirts by girls and bare chests by guys, teens were crazy about mesh tops as you would always find them wearing one at parties or on the streets.

Platform boots: Often worn with mini-skirts or jeans, Doc Martens and platform boots were only what the cool kids wore.

Disney: Even though it opened its doors in 1971, Disney World was still considered new in the 80s. Younger kids usually wore Mickey t-shirts, but older kids took on the more adult styles, wearing bold geometric patterns with bright and pastel colors. Girls also chose to wear balloon skirts, ruffled shirts and pumps with socks.

Lacy clothing and gloves: When Madonna first sang her hit song Like a Virgin on MTV in 1984 wearing a lacy dress and gloves, the trend only skyrocketed from there. It immediately became a hit and stuck throughout the 80s.

Everything neon: Nothing stood out from the 80s like neon, literally. Almost 30% of the American population wore neon clothing. It was made popular because of its high visibility as young people modeled colors in pink, yellow, blue, orange and green hues. Brand designers also promoted them as fun and youthful.

Sneakers without laces: Hip-hop singers, rappers and other Hollywood music stars were often spotted wearing shoes without laces. So the rebellious teens followed suit as they loved to walk around with their shoes almost coming off with every step.

Popular 80s Makeup and Accessories

80s Makeup

If you look back at any picture of 80s models, you’ll see them wearing some heavy makeup with intense colors, mostly on the eyes. Pink and blue eyeshadow with colored mascara was a must-have with thick, dark lashes. They also highlighted and blushed their cheeks like Cindy Lauper. Of course, lipstick in various colors was also a thing.

It was almost unheard of to wear makeup that was natural. Almost everyone wore theirs a few shades lighter than their natural skin color, adding a bright blush streak across their cheekbones to make them pop. Dark lip liner with brightly colored lipstick in orange, pink or red was also highly sought after. Pale lipstick also had a phase, but it didn’t last long, possibly due to its boring look, so they shifted back to bright colors.

Eyeshadow: As the eyes were heavily accented with makeup, peacock shades were painted all the way up to the eyebrows, followed by adding a ton of mascara and eyeliner. Women also went with smudgy styles, often pairing together different colors to go for a layered look.

Bands like the Misfits and Boy George also wore makeup, and it was promoted to both men and women. But men still didn’t take to it, feeling it still looked feminine (and it did).

Popular 80s Hairstyles

80s hairstyles were nothing shy of big and bold, well-paired with their weird clothing. Both men and women teased, permed and coiffed their hair to make it stand out as much as possible. Curly, large, and heavily styled were all popular as they were influenced from the 60s and 70s.

Princess Diana: Viewed by most as a fashion icon of the 80s, Princess Diana wore a side-swept shaggy style that was loved by many. But during the last few years of the decade, most favored their hair permed and coiffed into a stylish do that was held in place by multiple cans of hair spray, usually Aqua Net.

Elastic hair ties were also phased out by scrunchies as the soft, stretchy cloth could be styled with sequins, velvet bows and sequins. You could also use a banana clip to put your hair up, and of course, side pony tails were a big deal.

Mullets: Just as women favored bold hairstyles, so did men. While they didn’t often grow it past their shoulders, men also emulated bands lie Nikki Sixx and Bon Jovi, also perming their hair. Mullets were more popular than ever before, as they were seen on TV and magazines. Known as “Elvis Hair,” it was combed back and plastered by gel, a popular trend among men in the 80s.

Skinhead hair: First started in London during the 1960s, the trend spread around the world and became an American fashion trend during the 80s. This style was also considered more punk and reggae as many younger individuals had this look if they were into the music genre. Common skinhead trends included bald, partly shaved or partly shaved with hair spikes.

Jheri Curls: Many younger African Americans were more heavily influenced by Ice Cube and Michael Jackson during the 80s, often with loose hair permed in ringlets. Jheri-curls were wildly popular, as black barbers became overwhelmed with these requests during the 80s.

Rattails: Known as the “mullet lite” during the 80s, it was wildly popular with kids. Whether your hair was styled in a mullet, short or heavily permed, there were a few thin strands of hair left on the back of the head left uncut to look like a rattail. Sometimes they were even colored and braided.

Popular 80s Accessories

Obviously everything was big and bold in the 80s, but accessories were what made all the difference in this unique era. No outfit was complete without wearing at least a dozen different necklaces, bracelets, earrings, etc. If you were walking out on the street, you most likely had sunglasses and a huge tote bag in your hair. If you were coming back from the gym, a sweatband on your head and boombox on your shoulder were nothing short of normal during the 80s.

Banana Clips: Almost as popular as scrunchies, the banana clip had all the hype before the popular claw and butterfly clips took over. They used to pull hair into ponytails, low flipped bun and loose updos. The amazing thing now is that they’re making a comeback into today’s fashion world. So if you need something to pull back your hair, try out a banana clip!

Aqua Net: Ah yes, nobody could forget the famous Aqua Net that everyone used to perfect their huge hair in the 80s. As we all used tons of it, the brand was known for its large purple spray cans and for a having a strong hold and distinctive smell. When women used it, they would first tease their hair and spray in Aqua Net to hold it in place, sometimes up to eight inches!

Sunglasses and big-eyed spectacles: Almost all sunglasses in the 80s had huge frames and were also different colored shades. Wayfarers and Aviators by Ray-Ban and Vuarnet were among the most popular style but cheaper versions were also available. But you were definitely fashionable if you wore huge colored frames.

Jewelry: During the 80s, jewelry was anything but small and simple. It went great with their bold clothing, including huge earrings, stacks of bracelets, huge brooches and large beaded necklaces.

Upper class individuals wore gold and gemstones often used in costume jewelry with rhinestones. But this wasn’t just considered an accessory, it was also part of your personality.

Most teens also wore jelly bracelets, plastic watches, beaded necklaces and woven friendship bracelets and other less expensive accessories.

But wildly famous artists like Boy George and Michael Jackson were often emulated with large brooches while rappers were most known for their gold chains and rings. Despite the statement of accessories on the male artists, most men didn’t take to the trend.

Tote bags: Convenient, light and fashionable, tote bags were a favorite. Popular brands like LL Bean had already been selling them, but The Strand bookstore in New York really started promoting them in 1980. Other companies quickly took notice and came out with their own styles, making them a classic collectively as they’ve made their way into the foreseeable future.

Boomboxes: Music was everything during the 80s, and there was no better way to show it than to walk around with a boombox on your shoulder. Headphones obviously didn’t match the bold culture, but the boomboxes surely did.

Women’s belts: Large belts with big buckles were nothing short of popular, often worn at the waist or hips. Elastic belts also paired well with large sweaters to accent slender figures.

Fanny packs: While you would certainly look funny wearing these today, they were a tourist essential during the 80s. Joggers and cyclists were also spotted wearing them as it freed their hands of having to carry water, snacks and other accessories. Despite their decreased demand today, luxury designers like Louis Vuitton still include them in their styles.

Headbands: First started in the fitness movement, more and more athletes took notice of their bold style, especially after the release of The Karate Kid. Other famous icons also wore them, including Olivia Newton-John and Bruce Springsteen.  They first went from a practical and comfy sports accessory to a major fashion ornament to accent the bright neon colors that fit well with the huge hairstyles.

It’s certainly common for most of us to look back on our photos from the 80s and feel mortified at what went through our heads during that time. But the older generations of today have nothing to be embarrassed about as they had the chance to experience some of history’s most well known eras.

Everything including neon headbands, velour track suits and leotards were what made the 80s stand out and had major influences on the fashion trends of today. In fact, we have nobody to thank but the bold trendsetters of the 80s. So you’ll be glad you have kept some of your favorite accessories from your younger years, strutting your bold style once again with pride.

What Was Your 80s Style?

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