Welcome to the Guest Bloggers section on “Collette Costello”, here you will find interesting articles by our guest “On-line Fashion Journalists”. This article has been writen by specially selected journalist “Fiona Stewart”. If you love vintage style fashion, dresses, handbags and jewellery. Be sure to pay our on-line shop a visit, today!

1980s Fashion by Fiona Stewart

• 1980s Fashion
• As a late comer to the 80’s my only experience of fashion was one suits and bibs, but it’s ok – apparently all was acceptable in the eighties. All I can image when I think of the 80’s is‘STOP! MC Hammer pants’ and ‘wow…shoulder pads’. I also have a memory of a lovely set of crimpers my older sister had, with removable plates for the perfect wave.  Whilst granny boots, jumpsuits and stirrup pants have all seen a comeback to the catwalks, mullets, and their ‘business at the front, party at the back’ approach to life, has yet – fingers crossed – seen a revival.

• Blonde Perms and Fingerless Gloves
• The MTV generation created bright, electro make-up, the dirty blonde perm, massive ear rings and of course, the leg warmer! Madonna set the scene for girls everywhere with grunge, layer after layer after layer and plenty of bling, and fingerless gloves?
• New one for me, but yes, fingerless gloves – especially lace – were also born out of this new-wave decade. If it wasn’t baggy and covered in lightning bolts it was super skin tight. Olivia Newton John and her stitch-me-in suit come to mind.

• Lads fashion in the 1980s

• Even for the lads, if make-up (Boy George style?) and acid washed jeans isn’t your thing, your Kanye West style plastic shades and brightly coloured high tops all hail from the 80’s. As well as it being even more acceptable to go through life demanding you “pity the fool!” Without seeing a snickers advert run through your head.

• But, whether you think of the eighties and shudder or perhaps deep down, you really wish you were there. There is one thing we must thank the eighties for. Leggings! Paired with absolutely everything, and a pair in every shade under the sun, where would we be without leggings under skirts, shorts, jumpers and dresses? And so the evolution began, of leggings into jeggings and jeggings into treggings!

• 1980s Music Fashion Icons

• The rest of the eighties I could perhaps leave, except for a guilty pleasure (which I’m far too young to be admitting too.) The New Romantics. Influenced by the late 70’s; Bowie, Vivienne Westwood and punk mixed with frills, lace, and pirate glamour created bands such as Human League and Spandau Ballet.
• Starting in underground London night clubs, the anti-punk scene was initiated by designers such as Vivienne Westwood and Colin Swift. From a more clean cut version with Duran Duran, to the all out flamboyancy of Adam and the Ants.
• So roll up your sleeves and jeans kids. The eighties might not have been that bad after all, and we all know we can’t resist a good old comeback.