1980s HELP PLEASE!

[MiniGirl]

Take me back to my "childhood" --ok to my teen years. I can't remember that far back to tell you what to wear with it but I wanted to tell you to have a great time!

OMG -- I'm now vintage!

Well, you know, the memory is one of the first things to go. Of course, with me, it was my body.

 

[DBarber600]

I was just thinking yesterday ... "I need a banana comb/clip for my hair" (seriously).

Where did that come from?

But that would be an option for your hair, if you can find one, with big bangs. Its a plastic comb that makes your hair look like a mohawk down the back of your head. Although this might be more early 90's.

 

[LilTinks]

No one mentioned getting the satin dyable shoes to match the dress (and a matching, dyed purse as well). Rhinestones were BIG for the proms in the mid to late 80's, as were fake pearls. I wore blue shadow, black eyeliner and dark blue mascara, as well as a banana clip to my boyfriend's prom...and looked fabulous, I might add. I believe I wore white "flats" and a Madonna bow to my senior class dinner (yikes).

Sounds like a great theme...have a totally awesome time!

 

[smacky1]

I was just thinking yesterday ... "I need a banana comb/clip for my hair" (seriously).

Where did that come from?

But that would be an option for your hair, if you can find one, with big bangs. Its a plastic comb that makes your hair look like a mohawk down the back of your head. Although this might be more early 90's.

We had an 80's party for my dh birthday 2 years ago and I found banana clips at walmart.....they still make them!! Also, we bought some Aquanet and kept it in the bathroom for those much needed touch-ups of the poofy bangs. Also, wide belts....one might look cute with that dress. I feel like the 80's are "in" right now. Skinny jeans, wide belts...it should be easy to accessorize.

 

[richcan]

Your fabulous dress brings back wonderful memories! Watching the '80's movies will definitely help you with the look you want. Another great movie that I can think of from is Desperately Seeking Susan. It starred Madonna with everything you are looking for! Big, big hair, extra large and obnoxious jewelry, big hair bows and ohhhhh the makeup! Have a great time! I am so jealous!

 

[Suzanna1973]

I wore that exact same dress to my prom when I was in the tenth grade. I had an ivory silk tuxedo jacket with tails that I wore with it. It looked awesome!!!!!

I also wore the panty hose that had the line down the back with a rose.

 

[bumbershoot]

I now officially know how my mom felt when others would talk about going to HS in the 50s. She just scrunched up her face when others would describe things and say "I have NO idea what you are talking about".....

Big hair? That was 90s in my area (San Jose CA), well, actually I don't know if that's true b/c I ran screaming to WA in '87 for college, but it sure wasn't "big hair" while I was in HS in my area!

I did, however, have Kelly McGillis hair (I brought in the album from Top Gun to Supercuts and said "do that") from sophomore year on, in varying lengths. It's a good bob with a couple front layers. Versatile.

Freshman year I had a cute short, semi-asymmetrical haircut, that was as funky as I got.

I personally never connected to 16 Candles fashions or Pretty in Pink...that prom dress she deconstructs was just horrible (and I'm a Molly, except for her nerdy character on Facts of Life M. Ringwald was my hero when no one was Molly, so I really really hated that dress!) when she's done with it (would have been fine to wear as it was), even when they came out I just went "huh?" at it.

But Madonna in Like a Virgin, oh YES that was mid-later 80s fashion to me. Except for the lace/mesh stuff, I never could find those so never wore them (you might notice her hair was just like gelled Kelly McGillis hair, so easy for me to do ).


Then again, you're talking to a person who wore the same dress to my Junior Prom, a friend's Senior Ball, and then my Senior Ball, just with different sashes and shoes and jewelry, and once with a longer skirt (it was tea length with an underskirt to make it floor length), just to save money (much better than destroying someone else's prom dress, are you listening, Pretty In Pink? ). Never wore white shoes, though!

Ignore me channeling my now-late mom, it annoyed me then and it's probably annoying you now. However, I always did the BEST rolled up jeans and big shirts with swinging ponytail (once my hair grew out) on our 50s Days, thanks to her accurate, not-influenced-by-cinema-and-media, memories.


Have fun at the dance. And stop calling it vintage. It's only 2 decades ago. Unless you want to explore your feelings on 2 decades from now YOUR clothes being called "vintage"!

 

[luvmy2sams]

I never should have opened this thread. I've just recovered from American Idol's Jordin's comments concerning how excited her mom would be that she met Jon Bon Jovi. That comment led to some quick math and the realization that DH and I are old enough to have a 17 year old daughter. Now this thread tells me that I'm vintage!!

I think I need a drink.....

Have fun at your party, OP! Remember that hairspray is your friend, and you'll be fine.

 

[F4disneyfan]

If you can find them also look for some Miami Vice episodes around and watch them you will see lots of 80's attire in that show. Another thing that was big atleast up here was work pants that were really tappered in the legs with wool work socks and penny loafers and Ralph Lauren Polo shirts with the collar up and big big peacock hair as I like to call it.

 

[MommaSnowwhite]

I was just thinking yesterday ... "I need a banana comb/clip for my hair" (seriously).

Where did that come from?

But that would be an option for your hair, if you can find one, with big bangs. Its a plastic comb that makes your hair look like a mohawk down the back of your head. Although this might be more early 90's.

Mohawn down the back of your head..

I think I wore one for my junior prom...I can't be vintage!!!

 

[MrsJackSparrow]

I'd have to say a pair of really lacy white anklet socks OVER the pantyhose with the pumps would be a definite yes. Agree with the lace fingerless gloves, rhinestone earrings, jelly bracelets, multiple watches, purse dyed to match shoes. Get yourself some nice Giorgio perfume, too. Lots of Aquanet and back-comb your hair. Spray each section separately at the roots for extra height - I have thick hair and this was what I did daily - UGH! Have a great time!

 

[mommiepoppins]

hey thats my dress ok how about some shoes that can be died to match the dress? or a big bow hair clip. or clip on chrams for the shoes . You will need some purple mascara or blue how about glitter lipstick. try watching some old Bon Jovi videos or the movie Teen Witch. that was Hard Core 80's. oh yeah how about some white panyhose

 

[mommiepoppins]

I'd have to say a pair of really lacy white anklet socks OVER the pantyhose with the pumps would be a definite yes. Agree with the lace fingerless gloves, rhinestone earrings, jelly bracelets, multiple watches, purse dyed to match shoes. Get yourself some nice Giorgio perfume, too. Lots of Aquanet and back-comb your hair. Spray each section separately at the roots for extra height - I have thick hair and this was what I did daily - UGH! Have a great time!

lots of silver necklaces to maybe crimping the hair. If you can not find a crimper just do your hair in braids and then take it out and spray spay spay

 

[Accentuate+]

I loved my banana clips. So easy.

Only thing I didn't see mentioned already was lace ankle socks. We wore those with heels all the time.

My favorite outfit from 1985 was a pair of pink acid wash-look jeans that were skin tight from the waist to the ankle and came to just above my ankle - White lace ankle socks and white pumps (because I didn't have pink pumps) - an oversize "choose life" shirt like the one in the Wham! video cinched with a wide black belt with a big stylish silver buckle- HUGE hair (I miss the hair) - more makeup than should be allowed including purple eyeshadow and black liner applied heavily ALL the way around my eye- a pair of dangling silver cross earrings, the crosses were about two inches long and I wore both of them in my left ear and a small diamond stud in my right ear - black rubber bracelets, dozens of them and lots of goopy shiny pink lip gloss or fire engine red lipstick. Boy, I was cool!

You could go either way with shoes - we either wore dangerously high heels or ballerina style flats. Hose AND the lace anklets at the same time was not uncommon.

High five to the poster that remembers using a match or lighter to heat up the eyeliner so you could really put it on thick.

Man, I hate admitting I'm old. Gonna go yell at those darn kids to get off my lawn, now.

edited to add: man, my vision is going, too. Completely missed that someone DID mention the socks.

 

[KristinU]

AACK! I'm "vintage"!!!!

Another thing to consider/remember...putting on dark eyeliner on the inside "ledge" of your lower eyelid - anyone else do that? Now that I think about it, it seems so icky...and it would certainly muck up my contacts now...but that was back in my youth where my vision was still unharmed by staring at a monitor all day!

Hair and earrings couldn't ever be too big for us. If your bangs made it to "hand-high" you were rocking. The technique we used was to blast it with a hair dryer, spray it with hairspray to a near-saturated level, then blast it again with the hairdryer while holding it upright. Repeat a couple of times then come back with a curling iron (that had to be replaced periodically because of the hairspray build-up), then tease it up a little then spray some more hairspray all over. And hoop earrings - if they literally touched your shoulders, then you were good to go.

Thanks for the blast from the past in this thread! Love it! Oh, and I think the dress is adorable!

 

[Accentuate+]

AACK! I'm "vintage"!!!!

Another thing to consider/remember...putting on dark eyeliner on the inside "ledge" of your lower eyelid - anyone else do that?

yes, yes, yes. We did that! Not just the lower, either. Too funny.