Mr. T Costume Idea: B. A. Baracas of the A Team
Dress like the baddest member of that crack commando unit, the A Team, played by the way-tough Mr. T. The television show The A Team ran from 1983 to 1986. That theme song still gets me pumped: http://youtu.be/_MVonyVSQoM Back in the day, Mom assured me that B.A. stood for Bad Attitude, but I’m pretty sure it stood (and stands) for Bad Ass. B.A. could punch through walls and make the bad guys back off with a sneer, just don’t try to...
80s Party Costume Ideas: Milli Vanilli
Robert Pilatus and Fabrice Morvan were a couple of hot models from Munich. They weren’t singers. But who ever said you need more than good looks to succeed in the music biz? Milli Vanilli hurtled on to the music scene in the late 80s with their album Girl You Know It’s True, and we all fell in love with the handsome duo. Blame It on the Rain, Baby Don’t Forget My Number, and Girl I’m Gonna Miss You were #1 hits. Their meteoric rise...
80s Party Costume Ideas: Where’s the Beef?
Wendy’s “Where’s the beef?” commercials were wildly popular in the mid-eighties. The question became a catchphrase of the decade. We heard “Where’s the beef?” in political debates and saw it on t-shirts, when we weren’t hearing it on TV. Here’s one of the commercials from 1984: http://youtu.be/Ug75diEyiA0 The outspoken granny (played by Clara Peller) on the right in the video has...
Smurfs Costume
What could be Smurfier than going as your favorite little blue creature for your next 80s party or Halloween bash? With the new Smurf movie out this summer (2011), being blue is back and hotter than ever. This makes a great group costume; each person can tailor their accessories to be their favorite Smurf. For example, add some round, black glasses and a big book, and you are Brainy Smurf. Spend the party sleeping on the couch, and...
Rubik’s Cube Costume
Unlike the actual puzzle, this costume is the essence of simplicity. I owned several Rubik’s cubes in the 80s, and now my son owns one, and neither of us has made any headway on solving the thing. Oh well. Happily, that skill is not required to create this great 80s-inspired costume. What you need is a little DIY ambition and some basic supplies. Needed supplies: Square cardboard box Black duct tape Poster board in red, blue, green,...
80s Fatal Attraction Costume Idea
Fatal Attraction was one of the most frightening movies of 1987 – hands down. Between the boiling of the bunny, the kidnapping, and the comeback at the end after you think she’s dead, this 80s movie had married men everywhere thinking twice about one night stands. Nominated for an amazing 6 Oscars (although it didn’t win any), this is an iconic movie with an unforgettable character (Alex Forrest) done brilliantly by Glenn Close. If...
Bernie Lomax from Weekend at Bernie’s 80s Costume
By Lori Ferraro Ask me what my favorite 80s movie about two guys who go to their bosses beach house for the weekend only to discover he’s dead and the two guys have to spend the entire weekend pretending he’s alive by maneuvering his corpse like a marionette is, and I will always say: WEEKEND AT BERNIE’S. http://youtu.be/YCTgcZ6ImsQ Andrew McCarthy and Jonathan Silverman star in this 1989 gem that Siskel and Ebert hated but I along...
Top 5 Costume Ideas for Halloween
By Ryan Zimmerman Ryan here, back again with a Top 5 for you 80s lovers. Just in time for the spooky season, I wanted to share my top 5 costume ideas for Halloween this year – 80s style! So check that flex capacitor, because we’re going Back to the Future! 5. Hair Band Member The 80s brought us a long list of unforgettable Hair bands. Warrant, Poison, Winger and the list goes on and on. It’s a genre to celebrate, and what...
Jack Burton Costume, Big Trouble in Little China
What better excuse for an 80s mullet than Kurt Russell’s classic role in “Big Trouble in Little China.” Pulling this 80s costume together is so easy. All you need is the Fu Manchu tank from either Found Item Clothing or 80stees.com (links below), jeans, a knife and some boots. That’s it. You’ll want to be sure to tuck your jeans into your boots, otherwise you won’t be capturing the full cheese factor. Again, a mullet and a knife – nuf...
Stiles from Teen Wolf 80s Costume
Everyone needs a sidekick, and Scott’s sidekick in Teen Wolf, Rupert “Stiles” Stilinski, is a classic. He’s got the verve to help Scott Howard (played by Michael J. Fox) make the most of his new-found wolfiness. His personal style and mannerisms make a fun and over the top costume for your next 80s party or Halloween. Just be careful when you hit the roof to go “Surfin USA.” This 1985 cinematic treasure doesn’t get the props it...
Chris Knight of Real Genius 80s Costume Idea
The good folks at Found Item Clothing developed this costume, and we are sure glad they did. 1985’s “Real Genius” was a great movie. Directed by Martha Coolidge (also director of Valley Girl), this movie has it all — love, coming of age, action, good defeating evil and the likes of both Deborah Foreman and Val Kilmer (playing the lead role as Chris Knight). Val Kilmer is a pleasure even if he had the IQ of a door, but make him a...
Bluto from Animal House Costume
While Animal House is technically a movie of the late 70s (1978), we are claiming it for the 80s. In terms of costumes, it doesn’t get any easier or more fun than Bluto’s signature look (played by John Belushi) — the “College” sweatshirt and a liquor bottle. In fact, aside from getting the sweatshirt, you can pull the rest of the costume together from the contents of your own wardrobe (and liquor cabinet). So, take a trip back...
80s Marty McFly Costume from Back to the Future
The ultimate underdog, Marty McFly in 1985’s Back to the Future travels back to 1955 via a totally rad, souped-up DeLorean and changes his family’s fortunes forever. This classic 80s movie character makes the perfect costume because it is easily identifiable and easy to pull together with things you likely already have. The key to the Marty McFly look is the layering of the top pieces – 4 layers by our count! So, rev up the flux...
Simply Irresistible: Robert Palmer Video Girl Costume
This is a great 80s costume either alone or as a group. Robert Palmer’s 1988 song hit #2 on the singles chart and is fun today as it was then. This costume is easy to pull together, using wardrobe basics that you might already have – little black dress and black heels. You’ll need the orange sash to make it authentic so we’ve included a link below for that. And, really, who doesn’t want to be simply irresistible? Bring a guy into the...
80s Jem Costume
What could be more fun than the hair and makeup associated with this classic 80s cartoon character? Jem and the Holograms ran from 1985 to 1988 and centered around music company owner Jerrica Benton and her band the Holograms. Of course, Jem was her alter-ego (using her holographic computer, Synergy) and a cool one at that! BTW, does anyone else think that the whole Hannah Montana thing might be just a smidge derivative? Jem is a fun...
