By Nicki Elson, author of 1980s novel, “Three Daves”
Yes, as anyone who’s taken a good look through the fashion section at this site or simply gone shopping lately knows, 80s-influenced styles are heavily trending in the fashion industry. Just take a look at this paragraph from the aforementioned blog:
The “boyfriend” blazer continues to be a wardrobe staple and is a simple way to look chic. Another continuing trend is tunics over leggings, skinny pants or shorts. Solids are no longer a requirement for bottoms! You’ll see skirts and pants in all varieties of prints.
So we all accept that the 80s are back…but with a twist. I like to think that we’ve learned a few things and that perhaps—just maybe—in twenty-five years when we look back at old snapshots, we won’t laugh quite as hard at the digitals as we do at the Polaroids. Here’s what I see as three lessons learned:
Lesson #1: Better Fabrics to Improve Our Blood Flow
New fashion trend to be on the lookout for: The jegging. It’s leggings that look like jeans (see pic at top).
Lesson #2: Girls Like to Look Like Girls
And boys like to look at them looking like girls, so today’s oversize shirts and sweaters come with a bit more tailoring to acknowledge our feminine curves. They are . . .
. . . less garbage bag, more figure-friendly.
. . . less “I’m an egg,” more “I have a waist.”
Lesson #3: We’re Not Linebackers
The good news? What they’re seeing is much more tame that what we had going on in the 80s. It seems designers realize that most of us don’t require several inches of padding to protect us during the normal course of our day. So the padding is thinner and less obvious. But . . . well, what I’m wondering is, if we give in and accept the thin pads, then what’s to stop them from going a little thicker next season, and then even thicker the next? Before you know it, we’re all going to look like this again:
What’s the fashion industry’s damage? I say we stand strong on this one. We’ve thus far resisted stirrups on our leggings, we can keep the shoulder pads out of our jackets too. All we have to do is stick together and not buy them when they start popping up in our local boutiques and department stores. Are you with me?