The Popularity of Neon in the 80s

Of course, the 80s were known for neon clothes, especially athletic wear for the young Gen X. Promoted by celebrities Madonna, Jane Fonda, Michael Jackson and so many more, fashion stores and young consumers were soon to follow. Often paired with Rae Ban sunglasses and some Nike sneakers, teenagers and twenty-somethings were rockin’ it just like their favorite pop stars.

Why Was Neon Popular?

Ultimately, neon was popular because it was new, different, youthful, bright, colorful and cheerful, which fit the 80s style and trend perfectly.

In addition to being promoted by pop stars, neon clothes drew attention; they were a loud fashion trend for attention seekers. Whether it was neon yellow, pink, green or blue, it was bright and those around you couldn’t help but turn their heads.

Speaking of turning heads, some of the hottest women of the 80s promoted neon while walking down the runway: Brooke Shields, Cindy Crawford, Cheryl Tiegs, Karen Alexander and many more. It was all too common to see them in magazines, flaunting their colors like  peacocks.

Neon in 80s Movies

Neon was also a big color used in 80s movies. Hollywood played it to its advantage to promote the ideals of beauty and youth. 80s rom coms with a high school setting was a big player in this color, striving to move away from the tired patterns, clothes and colors from the 70s. They also focused on happy endings, instead of dull, tragic stories.

Some specific movies that used neon to their advantage were The Breakfast Club with neon clothing combined with plaid shirts, Back to the Future with Marty’s colorful hat and Valley Girl with just about every girl wearing either neon or pastel colors.

Neon on TV

You can probably guess that MTV had a huge part in making neon popular in the 80s. With music videos playing all day with the long string of artists performing in neon colors, it wasn’t long before the trend took over the world.

Madonna, Cyndi Lauper and Olivia Newton-John were huge promoters of these colors as some even rolled around on stage (*cough cough* Madonna) in them. These girls were big promoters of color and definitely used neon to their advantage.

Bright and Beautiful

While it’s no secret that the young generation is largely influenced by movies, music and TV, neon is just an optimistic color. Like the sun, bright colors are naturally uplifting and can subconsciously improve the mood.

Compared to the 1970s, the 80s were all about color. After a decade of crime, increasing use of drugs, oil embargo, recession that followed it, resignation of President Nixon and the distrust of government authority, the young 80s generation sought to lighten things up.

And they did. Optimism reigned while Reagan introduced a more successful foreign policy, helped to stimulate the economy, Wall Street was booming for investors and the youth was glued to the uplifting pop and rock n’ roll songs and styles.

Common Styles Paired with Neon

While some loved to go full out neon, others preferred to combine it with some other popular colors and styles, such as jelly shoes, Nike or Reebok, denim jackets and jeans, black leggings, bombshell jackets, fanny packs, t-shirts, oversized sweaters, wind jackets and plaid shirts. These calming styles helped to quiet down the loudness while still feeling sexy in public.

Ultimately, neon was a fun, optimistic color to help characterize the 80s as wild, fun and free as it stood out from the 60s, 70s, 90s and just about every decade going forward. 80s models, celebrities and the young generation did a wonderful job of creating a culture that was loud and colorful as it will go down as one of the best decades in history.

Neon Makeup

I could never limit the neon to just clothes, oh no. Makeup was another way to flaunt the colors back then, especially with eye shadow. What better to complement a neon fishnet top than to brush on some eye shadow of the same color?

Oh and the lipstick. While green and blue lipstick weren’t too common, you can bet that all shades of red and pink were worn. This paired well with some bright blush that I admit I’ve been known to overdo today. But everyone needs a bit of color!

Finally, some heavy coats of mascara to flaunt those feminine lashes completed the bold, colorful look of 80s makeup.

Neon makeup was also pushed by the famous celebrities like Madonna, Cyndi Lauper and makeup models. Pink, yellow, green, red, blue, makeup came in all colors, specifically from brands like Covergirl, Maybelline and Revlon.

Neon Today

Even today, people love 80s parties as they flaunt their neon, big hair and personality.

It remains popular amongst the young Gen Z’ers as it’s all over fashion stores and online. And it’s definitely not going away any time soon. Neon leg warmers may not be as prevalent as they were back then, but surely neon scrunchies, shirts, sweaters and leggings are still in.

One neat factor about today’s fashion is that it incorporates trends from different decades into its unique style. For example, the baggy, ripped pants, white shoes and striped sweaters from the 90s are loud and proud today as are the big-framed glasses from the 70s and 80s as well as oversized sweaters from the 80s. Some trends will fade away again, like the scrunchies on girls’ wrists from the 90s, while others will never go away, like off-the-shoulder tops and Converse shoes.

What Styles Do You Wear from the 80s?

Whether it’s neon, that feathery hairstyle or big jewelry, I’d love to hear about any trends you refuse to let go! Being a younger person myself, I still wear some neon while some of my friends are proud to wear the big-framed glasses.

At the end of the day, if your style makes you feel confident, that’s all that matters. It doesn’t matter if it’s “what the kids are wearing”; it’s what you feel comfortable in. Your clothing is your own way of expressing yourself.