Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Like, Omigod!

Today is 80's Day at my daughter's school. She told me last night and I was like, "Omigod! I love the 80's!"

The 90's were okay. The 70's? Gag me with a spoon. (I never actually said that.) But the 80's? Totally tripindicular!

I practically ran to my closets, sure that I still had some clothes from the 80's. But which fad? Should we go Madonna, or preppy? Prince, or punk? I personally was more of a prep in the early 80's with the striped Oxford shirts layered overtop of the Izod polos, both collars up, and shirts tucked into colorful Chino's. Boat shoes on my feet, of course.

That style lasted a while, but then there was also the phase of parachute pants and long, winding belts worn loosely, with asymmetrical tops that snapped up the sides and then folded over to create a sort of triangular collar.

There were the jeans that zipped up from the bottom, akin to the skinny jeans of today. Topped with scrunchy socks or bandannas tied over top of our jeans around our ankles. Totally tubular.

While I rooted through my closet, my 11-year-old stood behind me and had the nerve to ask, "Mom, do you want to look on the Internet so you can see what they wore in the 80's?" I know what they wore in the 80's! I triumphantly pulled out a shirt, a jacket, and a pair of pants that I still had. She rejected them all and said she wanted to wear an off-the-shoulder shirt like she'd seen in a picture while she was researching it at school. So, we were going with the Olivia Newton-John Let's Get Physical look.

Okay. That would work. We scrounged through her closet to find some appropriate clothes and did a pretty good job. But I insisted she wear my old socks and scrunch them down. Yes - I still had socks from the 80's.

Better still, I had a banana clip, a big hair barrette, and colorful cloth hair scrunchies from the 80's, too. She wanted me to do her hair in the morning, but she had no idea of the time involved in getting REALLY BIG hair styled. It took a good hour every day when I was in school, and I don't have nearly enough product to hold every hair on her head in place. Fashion took effort in those days. Lots and lots of effort. She decided on a side ponytail instead.

Last but not least, the 80's included a lot of accessorizing. Costume jewelry, belts, hair clips, bandannas, gloves, etc. I still had all my earrings (I'm starting to sound like a hoarder) and found some that matched a clunky necklace and bracelet because if anything, the 80's was about matching.

Oh, how I wish I still had ALL my clothes (and my figure) from the 80's! I just loved those looks. Izzy left for school looking like she had on a pretty good 80's costume. Guess what? So did I.

4 comments:

  1. Oh boy! Do I remember the 80's... I wore the clothes too... I had a mullet hair do, the leg warmers, the cool ballet shoes and pink and green sneakers and the hats too (you had to wear the right kinds of hats if you couldn't get the big hair right!).

    I remember the triple-layered skirts with the wide elastic belts that clipped up in the front... wow, they don't make them anymore... and the music I listened to was Madonna, The Eurythmics and WHAM as well as Tears For Fears, Duran Duran, INXS, U2 and Billy Joel... great music for a great time in my life.

    I'm so glad I grew up in the 1980's.

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  2. Me, too, Mozette. The fashion and the music. I saw Duran Duran in concert, plus Prince, U2, Billy Idol, Thompson Twins, Berlin, Journey, and so many others. It was a blast.

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  3. Lol she looks great!

    I always loved the shirt off-the-shoulder, over-your-hips look. Especially with a side ponytail and the shirt gathered and tied off to one side. I only got to rock that for a few years as a kid before the 80s well and truly gave way to the 90s, though.

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  4. And you guys wouldn't believe it.... I still have my very first vinyl of 'The Eurythmic's' - it's Be Yourself Tonight... I got it for my 12th birthday and loved it. Then, I went out and bought Madonna's 'True Blue' vinyl... and I've been told it's a very rare vinyl to own; esp if it's in very good condition (which mine is)...

    And since about 5 or 6 years ago, I've become a hard-nosed collector of vinyls; finding ones that are rare and discovering the ones I've only heard about. :D

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