The term power dressing was invented in the 1980s, characterised by the oversized shoulder pads in the outfits worn in the TV soap Dynasty by Joan Collins and Linda Evans – reportedly offered £500,000 to appear in the next edition of Celebrity Big Brother.
Rival show Dallas promoted displays of wealth and success through sparkly costumes and jewellery such as large faux-gold earrings, pearl necklaces and clothing covered with sequins and diamante.
Women's fashion and business shoes also revisited the pointed toes and spiked heels that were popular in the 1950s and early 1960s. Some stores stocked canvas or satin covered fashion shoes in white and dyed them to the customer's preferred brighter colours.
Hair in the 1980s was generally big, curly, bouffant and heavily styled. This was in contrast to the long and straight styles worn in the 1970s.
Everyday fashion make-up for fashion-conscious females in the 80s often involved having light-coloured lips, dark and thick eyelashes, pink and light blue blusher.
The top fashion models of the decade were Brook Shields, Christine Brinkley, Joan Severance, Kim Alexis, Carol Alt, Renee Simonsen, Kelly Emberg and Elle Macpherson.
Some 1980s accessories for women were carryovers from the mid and late 1970s. These included thin belts, knee-high boots with thick kitten heels, sneakers, jelly shoes, mules, square-toed shoes and boots, jelly bracelets (inspired by Madonna in 1983), round-toe shoes and boots, shoes with thick heels, small, thin necklaces (in a variety of materials, such as gold and pearls), and small watches.
Punk fashion began as a reaction against the hippie movement of past decades.
Doc Marten shoes or boots with air-cushioned soles were worn by both sexes in the 1980s. They were an essential fashion accessory for the skinhead and punk subcultures.
Punk girls sometimes paired Doc Martens with miniskirts or full, Laura Ashley-style dresses.
They were an important feature of the post punk 1980s Gothic look which featured long, back-combed hair, pale skin, dark eye shadow, eyeliner, and lipstick, black nail varnish, spiked bracelets and dog-collars, black clothing, often made of gabardine, leather or velvet trimmed in lace or fishnet material.
Corsets were often worn by girls. British bands which inspired the gothic trend included The Cure, Siouxsie and the Banshees and The Cult. This trend would resurge in the 1990s.
Rising pop star Madonna was a big influence on female fashions. She first emerged on the dance music scene with her "street urchin" look consisting of short skirts worn over leggings, necklaces, rubber bracelets, fishnet gloves, hairbows, long layered strings of beads, bleached, untidy hair with dark roots, headbands and lace ribbons.
In her "Like a Virgin" phase, millions of young girls around the world emulated her fashion example that included brassieres worn as outerwear, huge crucifix jewellery, lace gloves, tulle skirts, and boytoy belts.
Gloves, sometimes lace or fingerless, were popularized by Madonna, as well as fishnet stockings and layers of beaded necklaces. Short, tight Lycra or leather or leather miniskirts and tubular dresses were also worn, as were cropped, bolero-style-style jackets.
Black was the preferred colour. Another club fashion for women was lingerie as outerwear.
Before the mid-1980s it had been taboo to show a slip or a bra strap in public. A visible undergarment had been a sign of social ineptness.
In the new fad's most extreme forms, young women would forgo conventional outer-garments for vintage-style bustiers with lacy slips and several large crucifixes.
For women into aerobics, Spandex leggings and bodysuits were an essential part of their wardrobe. The man to blame for this fashion 'breakthrough' was Joseph Shivers, who created a polyurethane fibre that could stretch and then magically snap back to its original shape.
Popular clothing in the early 1980s worn by men included tracksuits, v-neck sweaters, polyester and velour polo-neck shirts, sports jerseys, straight-leg jeans, polyester button-ups, cowboy, beanies and hoodies. Around this time it became acceptable for men to wear sports coats and slacks to places that previously required a suit.
And it became trendy for blokes to sport designer stubble on their chins!
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* What was your favourite style/band/film/TV show of the '80s. Write to Bygones at Nottingham Post Media Group, 3rd Floor, City Gate, Tollhouse Hill, Nottingham, NG1 5FS or email Andrew.smart@nottinghampost.com
