The fashion of the 80s and 90s: a source of inspiration for today’s fashion
When we talk about vintage, we mainly refer to the 1960s and 1970s, when fashion started to break out of rigid patterns and began to dress the personality of each individual. But time is passing and we are getting further and further away from the latter, so much so that even the fashion of the 80s and 90s is beginning to be a classic. The years of colour and in some cases excess, flashy accessories and padded jackets, when fashion was influenced by the first cult TV series and increasingly commercial music; who does not remember the Spice Girls or Beverly Hills? It was at this time that the search for the first vintage clothes and accessories began, looking for the 1960s in particular.
Today, fashion is still influenced by that influence and probably in every wardrobe one can find 80s and 90s garments without even consciously knowing it. The good news is that they are back in fashion, so keep them and match them in the right way.
Hair accessories
And speaking of TV series, the 1980s brought girls with fluffy hair and flashy hair accessories to the screens. Today the trend is back with headbands, both the minimal ones with little teeth and the wide, pastel-coloured satin ones, the fashionable colours this summer. There is also room for the brightly coloured and highly visible cloth bands and elastics. For proof, one only has to look at what Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales, wears on her head.
Still talking about hair, the 90s fashion wins: straight hats, preferably with a bob, rather than the curly ones of the previous decade. For colour, blond always takes the lead.
Casual cleared as an everyday look
The 1970s marked the desire for freedom from stereotypes, then the 1980s and 1990s made this desire to break the mould the norm. How? Bringing casual style to work outfits. No more plastered suits out of place in leisure time: it was in the 1990s that jeans became the protagonists of every moment of the day.
Today, that style is still in vogue, especially with high-waisted trousers, a true remnant of the 1980s, along with denim jackets and colourful sweatshirts. In short, jeans are popping up in every garment and for every occasion, timeless for decades, capable of responding to every style.
The petticoat dress
After the miniskirt furore of the 1970s, the 1980s had somewhat lost their taste for skirts and dresses. The 1990s, however, gave femininity a dress reminiscent of a garment relegated to the bedroom: the petticoat. On the contrary, lingerie becomes a garment to show off, such as lace camisoles worn under jackets. And so the petticoat becomes a dress to be worn with hair stories: a bit in the style of Rachel from Friends. Today, this type of dress is still in fashion, especially suitable for skinny physiques, as it looks its best on women who are not too buxom.
Men’s Style
On the other side of the scales, with a minimal dress that enhances femininity, a style that was then called masculine, whereas today it would be called genderless, is back from the 1990s. Plaid flannel shirts fall into this category, to be worn over an open t-shirt or top, and of course with the ever-present jeans. That combination that 40 years ago was reserved for girls but today, skilfully matched, is also worn by women during leisure time.
If you really want to complete the picture in honour of the 80s and 90s, you can’t miss wearing a pair of Dr Martens, the above-ankle high ankle boots with crossed laces. If they are colourful, you will look like you have arrived in our time machine.
Textiles
Finally, it is worth taking a look at the return of textiles straight from the last century. Denim has already been mentioned, and next to it goes velvet. Velvet trousers, plain or corduroy, were a must in the wardrobes of the boys born in the 1970s, today they must go back in.
Satin is also enjoying a new moment of glory, especially for blouses and sweaters, long to the waist and in bright colours.