Popular Culture of 1980

Media Influences

Movies:

• American Gigolo (1980) – Richard Gere weraing Armani suits led to rise in Armani’s business
• Nine to Five – Dolly Parton in power suits
• Urban Cowboy – John Travolta
• Star Wars Episode V – technology was getting better and fashions were inspired by that plus futuristic looks in SW

TV:

• Although TV had been around since the 50s, it was in the beginning of the 1980s when people began mimicking the trends they saw celebrities wear on TV
• 1978-91 - Dallas, Dynasty – set in Texas; power suits, pastel T-shirts, shoulder pads
• 1980 - CNN begins broadcasting. People are now able to see news information at all times (able to see political and economic events that may affect them and their decisions).
  
• 1981 – MTV arrives. Music stars become fashion trend leaders. MTV becomes almost a social movement.

Music:

• Lipps, Inc.: "Funkytown" - Disco era beginning to wind down at this point
• Blondie: "Call Me"
• Bruce Springsteen: "The River"
• Sony Walkman introduced in 1879 and totally changed the way people thought about listening to music. People began using cassettes instead of albums.
  

Video Games:

• Pac Man
• Space Invaders
  

Social Groups/Subcultural Groups

• Yuppies (young urban professionals)
• The wealthy
  
  • Princess Diana’s wedding (1981) – huge influence on bridal fashion
• Punks - a new "youth revolution" occurring and taking the place of their parents' Hippie generation. Dramatic difference between the love & peace of the 70s, to the aggressive toughness of the punks
• Glam - Existed mainly in the late 1970s, but had effect still in influenceing fashion in early 1980s. Promoted by David Bowie and Marc Bolan. Based off of idea of "unisex" clothing.

Current Social/Political/Economic Events

• Ronald Reagan elected president (Republican)
• Economic stability facilitated the worldwide boom of American casualwear designers
• Fitness craze brought brought Lycra spandex workout clothes to casual streetwear and into designer fashion lines (athletic shoes, baseball hats, etc.)
  

General Apparel Trends

• Branding and labels
• Called the “Decade of the designer”
• -Haute couture (Marc Jacobs, Lacroix, Versace, Lagerfeld, Chanel)
• “Dress for Success” – one must look professional in the workplace (AKA “power dressing”

Specific Fashion Trends

• Shawls
• Costume jewelry, gold, glamour
• Bags - matching bags to shoes; Chanel and Louis Vuitton luggage (referring back to the decade of the designer)
• Patterned tights
• Shoulder pads

Fashion Publications

• Young women turned to magazines such as Seventeen, Glamour, Vogue, and Harper's Bazaar for advice on how to dress, what was "in" for the season, and to see what the big designers were doing.
  
• Some publications featured a "college issue" that was focused directly on the younger generation and told them specific styles that would work for them. (Melinkoff: What We Wore).