80s fashion for women: 6 incredible style moments we still love today
Orin Carlin
Inspired by Kate Bush, Madonna and Princess Diana – here are the 80s fashion looks for women that we will love forever
The 1980s are not necessarily best remembered for being a particularly fashionable era – Dynasty cliff-hangers, trifles and the golden age of Top of the Pops spring to mind instead perhaps, but style? Less so.
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Hang on – that’s not entirely fair. Contrary to popular belief the decade was not completely devoid of fashionable moments (if you firmly block perms and shell suits out of your mind, that is), in fact, there were some incredibly stylish women back then who rocked some major outfits that we’re still very much into today.
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Hello! Fashion takes a look at some 80s fashion looks that we still love today:
The Joan Collins power suit
Power dressing was all the rage in the 1980s, and actress Joan Collins was the poster girl with her Dynasty character Nolan Miller’s wardrobe. Think boxy shapes, killer lapels and peplum blazers that meant business.
The Princess Diana shoulder pad dress
The late Princess Diana is a fashion icon for more reasons than we can list, and her velvet burgundy gown with major shoulder pads is a case in point. This piece has beautiful feminine lines, and wouldn’t even look out of place today in a collection by The Vampire’s Wife.
READ: The fashion trends from the 1960s that we still adore today
The Kate Bush peasant dress
Thanks to Stranger Things, we’re currently in the midst of a Kate Bush revival – and while we’re loving the resurgence of Running Up That Hill, we also would heartily welcome her iconic red floral peasant dress into 2022.
The Madonna layered necklace moment
It’s entirely fair to say that Madonna is something of a style chameleon – the singer constantly reinvents her image, and always has done. Harnessing the power of clothes and makeup to the fullest extent is her superpower, and this gold layered necklace moment is textural heaven – we are hooked.
The Sade backless top
Smooth Operator singer Sade was one of the incomparable beauties of the 1980s, and her high-necked backless white top that she wore to perform onstage in 1985 will go down in history.
The Cindy Crawford leather jacket
Arguably, supermodel Cindy Crawford’s voluminous 1980s mane steals the show here, but we can’t stop thinking about her shiny leather jacket and mini skirt combo.
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