Acid Washed Jeans on Like Totally 80s

07.07.07: UPDATE: Well, it's official, the 80s really are back. They are selling acid washed jeans again. To see the 21st century version of this fashion trend, visit Urban Outfitters.

Do memories of 1980’s clothing styles send you running for the hills? Fear not, you probably aren’t alone! One of the hottest and thankfully short lived trends in this decade of fashion oddities was wearing acid washed jeans. The acid washed jeans trend didn’t become popular until the mid to late eighties and faded four to five years later. This trend seemed to go hand in hand with the big hair phenomenon of the late 80s. If you were a fan of one, you were most likely a fan of the other.

The process of acid washing jeans used chemicals, stripping off the color of the top layer, leaving the white fabric exposed. The color remained in the lower layers of the material, giving it a faded look. Acid washing could be done overall or made to look splotchy.

The most popular choice was navy colored denim jeans, but you could also buy acid washed denim in black. Colors like red, gold, purple and teal tried, but they weren’t nearly as popular.

What did they wear in the 80’s besides basic acid washed jeans? They could acid wash anything denim and did it with abandon. Acid washed tight jeans, acid washed denim skirts, acid washed tapered pants and acid washed winter coats (complete with shoulder pads)! As accessories, acid washed denim purses even came on to the market in the 80’s.

Acid washed jeans were available in many different styles. They came in tapered leg, short lengths and regular. Other eighties fashions for women included zippers up the side, zippers on the back and side peek-a-boos. The holes were covered with bows or other colored material. If you were really feeling edgy, you might opt for holes in your acid washed jeans.

If you truly wanted to be in the “It” crowd, you had an acid washed jean jacket that matched your jeans. Getting a hold of your boyfriend’s coat was even more popular. It was an eighties fashion for women that faded (no bad 80s pun intended) quickly.

Many 1980’s clothing styles died down when the 1990s struck. A few hold outs wore acid washed until a law was passed forbidding it – just kidding (that’s just wishful thinking). Believe it or not, there are still places where acid washed jeans can be bought today (although it must be said that we strongly recommend against it).