INTRODUCTION TO MEN’S 80S FASHION TRENDS
Men’s fashion became popular in the 80s fashion. The decade saw the development of new attitudes towards men’s style, from razor-edged tailoring to bouffant hairstyles. ultimately, how fashionable men dressed in the 80s.
MEN’S STYLE IN THE 80s
Extremes, and sarcasm, made the 1980s the greatest fashion era for men’s style. Menswear trends embraced new flattering proportions, bolder color choices and subcultures, and classic characters.
Giani Versace, Hugo Boss, and Giorgio Armani are well-known menswear brands that in the 80s created more generous silhouettes and designs that offered life to everyone.
The romanticism of the Midwest cowboy saturated men’s fashion in the ’80s, leading a generation of men to become obsessed with spaghetti westerns, and John Travolta’s 1980 romantic drama ‘Urban Cowboy’ hit the mainstream.
80s MEN’S TROUSERS
In general, the straight-leg silhouette was the order of the day for men’s fashion in the ’80s—due to the abundance of subcultural movements and musical influences of the time—meaning slim, cropped, and wide. Silhouettes were also popular.
The birth of MTV had a huge impact on men’s fashion in the 80s, especially on the younger generation for whom clubbing and queer culture were an important source of inspiration. Marithe Francois Girbaud’s baggy parachute pants style is a prime example of the type of pants MTV artists wear.
Wide-front pleated chinos were a popular trouser, their cut copied from the zoot suit and oxford bag. Mick Jagger made a case for spray-on jeans and tight leather pants۔
Vivienne Westwood was a famous designer for 80s punk fashion for men. Her famous gingham bandage trousers, tight ripped jeans, and leather trousers are the perfect pair of pink trousers.
80s MEN’S JEANS
Diesel, Calvin Klein, Versace, and Gerbaud dominated the men’s designer jeans market during the 80s fashion era. In 2016, Dr Ann Reimers, fashion theorist and senior lecturer in cultural and historical studies, wrote that “the 1980s also ushered in the era of designer jeans. Sexual advertising campaigns were launched to convince consumers that they should wear It was an affordable staple of the American wardrobe before that, and Calvin Klein was at the forefront of this marketing revolution.”
Straight cuts were popular, along with Levi’s 501 and 505 cut denim jeans, paired with a tucked shirt and sneakers. Rock, glam rock, and punk music fans wore skinnier cuts, imitating stars Mick Jagger and Marc Bolan.
Diesel’s 1980s ‘modern basics’ focused on “cut, quality and comfort”, designing casual workwear to emulate the denim worn by modern cowboys and American workers. have been working on oil rigs.
80s MEN’S JACKETS
Bomber jackets were very popular in men’s fashion in the 80s. Avirex’s B-15 and MA-1 jackets became popular with the release of TopGun, and are a classic garment widely available today, having inspired the likes of Vetements and Raf Simons. Japanese designer Issey Miyake became synonymous with the bomber jacket in the 80s with his revolutionary plots.
Issey Skyline, a one-off collection to promote the 1981 release of the Nissan Skyline R30, produced the iconic asymmetrical bomber jackets in satin and leather.
Denim trucks and leather jackets were worn by silver-screen stars and celebrities during the 80s. This made them a popular brand.
Paninaro was an Italian subculture whose ’80s fashion sense provided the blueprint for modern casual style. Along with the trend for ski wear, Moncler puffer jackets and Stone Island technical hooded jackets were a common sight among Paninaro.
80s MEN’S SUITS
The Giorgio Armani suit was the heyday of men’s tailoring in the 80s, with its enhanced proportions, relaxed fit, and casual elegance. Wide-cut fronts with high-waisted trousers are now characteristically ’80s. The 1980 crime drama American Gigolo, starring Richard Gere, wore Armani.
Miami Vice cemented the ’80s rolled-up jacket sleeve trend, as did English rock band Duran Duran who championed the crisp turn-up look as Don Johnson’s cop character James “Sonny” Crockett.
Big peak lapels, unstructured shoulders, and waists tackled with high-waisted trousers are hallmarks of the 80s suit. Pastel color palettes are also beautiful in some circles, although Armani and Bass favored more muted tones.
Men’s 80s SHOES, SNEAKERS, AND BOOTS
Cowboy boots, and shoeless dress shoes: Shoe and shoe trends in the 1980s were diverse.
Run D.M.C.’s 1986 ‘My Adidas’ sparked interest in white superstars at a time when wearing sneakers in everyday life was slowly becoming more acceptable. The Reebok Club-C and the Converse Chuck Taylor have also been popular silhouettes in the 1980s.
The cowboy boot has recently seen a resurgence in popularity in the post-shoe era we’re entering. Isabel Marant and Saint Laurent are designer brands that support this style.
The network television show Miami Vice also pioneered the sockless trend when its lead was portrayed wearing white leather loafers.
80s MEN’S SHIRTS
Relaxed-fitting cutaway collar shirts were a staple of 1980s men’s fashion. Rejecting the big collars of the ’70s, brands like Moschino, Yves Saint Laurent, and Burberry opted for smaller collars and waisted silhouettes that would rise above the beltline.
There were pinstripe and pencil stripe patterns, with blue and gray on white being the most classic, and more edgy color schemes, including pink and bright yellow, were also popular.
MEN’S 80s HAIRSTYLES
The key to men’s hairstyles in the 80s was volume. The “Armani Cut” was popularized by you guessed it: Giorgio Armani. During the 1980s, and into the ’90s, his male models rocked mid-length curls. It was sometimes short on the sides. Either tapered or short-shaven, even to the skin. Whether slicked back or styled in loose curls, it’s always long on top. And worn with Italian flair.
Perming men’s hair was popular in the 60s and 70s. Rock bands Bon Jovi, Motley Crue, and White Claw donned wild loose perms throughout the decade, cut in a flourishing mod-cut type style.
Pompadour, as ridiculous as it sounds. Although Morrissey seems to pull it off – rockabilly style was a fashionable throwback during the ’80s. Rick Easterly has rocked a rendition of his famous haircut to date.
The mullet is perhaps the most memorable of the 80s hairstyles. This style is more recognizable on the heads of rugby boys than today’s fashionistas. Brad Pitt and David Bowie are the best examples of the 80s mullet hairstyle. Stars like Patrick Swayze and Billy Ray Cyrus look more conservative. Anyone who was around in the 80s probably wore a mullet at some point, maybe even your dad.
Feathered hair was a unisex style that had been bleeding from the 70s. It can be long or short, characterized by a left-side whisker using a razor-cutting technique used in favor of scissors. Mick Jagger, Tom Cruise, and James Spader famously wore feathered hair. A style that can be combined with other cuts mentioned above. Princess Diana is also a great example.
80s MEN’S FASHION ACCESSORIES
Tight ties, wide belts, and statement sunglasses set the ’80s man firmly on the table for the era, a must-have for every outfit.
Going tieless became a statement in itself in the 80s, with Duran Duran popularizing skinny ties in men’s dressing. Who chose to look better than the 70s?
Chunky two-tone watches became the ‘it’ wristwatch of the 1980s. Tag Heuer and Rolex created timepieces to complement any busy Wall Street man, along with Armani suits. Gold watches were especially expensive. Speaking of watches, the techies among us would be remiss not to mention the Casio CFX – 400 Calculator Watch.
Monolens ‘Cyclops’ sunglasses for skiing, cycling, and glacier traversing, Rayban Wayfarers, and John Lennon’s round sunglasses exemplify the 80s era of men’s eyewear.
The 80s saw an increase in male piercings, with jewelry becoming a more acceptable self-expression. George Michael of Wham popularized the hoop earring, with many men choosing to have both lobes pierced. Actor Johnny Depp wore multiple earrings in the 80s.
