Finally! Vintage inspirations in the 80s

(I've been just dying to show these photos...I was at home in vintage in the 80s, and some of these photos are much worn from my carrying them around as inspiration. I will limit my remarks and photos, but I would love to go on infinitely...)

The most modern VINTAGE wearers in the 80s didn't so much wallow in nostalgia, but nicked and adapted freely from the past. Fashion in the 80s found its kindred spirit in the 50s so inspirations from that decade were particularly compelling, while the 30s seemed to come in a glamorous second. The 60s were too recent to find great currency (not so much shape any way, but color and pattern), and the early years of the 40s were just a tad too austere for this flamboyant decade.

Edwardian Summer

Flapper Twenties
Margaret Howell white linen shirt and jacket

Starlet Thirties
Dior makeup
Donna Karan
Randy Kemper

Air Raid Forties
Pringle twinsuit and Armani cuffed trousers
Glamour Fifties
OMO Norma Kamali draped gown. Marabou stole, Adrienne Landeau
Rifat Ozbek stripes and Graham Smith straw hat
Coveri blue and silver cocktail frock

Fab Sixties

Stephen Sprouse

The romance of uniforms in the 80s

Not just any UNIFORM suited 80s style. Uniforms had to be witty, romantic and sharp, without a hint of grunt or camouflage. The regiment could be from any time and any place in history, and often had a distinct sense of humor.

Real vintage uniforms were haute-ly pursued.

Christian Dior Haute Couture by Gianfranco FerreGenuine vintage uniform jacket from Kaufman's Army & Navy, NYCAnother authentic vintage uniform jacketVintage firefighter's jacket
Traditional Welsh Guards uniform

Polka dots hit the spot in the 80s

Okay, polka dots were not the only PATTERN/COLOR in the 1980s, but they were a riotous favorite, in every color and every size...often all at once! Stripes came in a close second, and many bold patterns found their place in the sun.

Colors, too, were often loud and clear, from the top of the head, to the tip of the toe.

Striped thigh highs, Betsey Johnson. Shoes, Charles David designed by Nathalie M.Christian LacroixKenzoSweater by Bennetton. Skirt, Street Life. Boots, Koss by Diego Della Valle. Blanket, KenzoCardigan by Moschino. Bag, Tony Bryant DesignsSkirts by Moschino. Shoes, left to right, Mario Valentino, Nina Footwear and Fratelli Rossetti for Geoffrey Beene