80’s Fashion For Men – Timeless Outfits And Styles

At last count, every style since the war has permeated modern menswear in some way. The ’40s, in Kent & Curwen’s spin on the Austerity Olympics’ sports kit. The ’50s, in Cuban collar shirts and pleated trousers. The ’60s, in Easy Rider Americana. There’s Gucci’s spin on ’70s fashion, everyone’s take on the ’90s and, in some quarters, even the ghosts of 2000 have been summoned. And now the 80s Fashion is back. But even stranger, so is the decade’s take on the ’50s, and the noughties take on the ’80s, a self-consuming kaleidoscope of acid jeans, boxy blazers and swept back hair.

“It feels like the ’80s have been in-and-out of fashion for about 10 years now,” says Simon Chilvers, men’s style director at MatchesFashion . “The mashing up of various decades simultaneously just seems to be part of the way fashion operates right now.” Which could be exhausting. Or, if you embrace the madness, could lend your wardrobe an anything-goes energy in which stylish sits alongside so-ugly-it’s-stylish, where the delineations between smart and casual collapse and style becomes equal parts forward-thinking and nostalgic.

In other words, where we’re going, we don’t need rules. So strap in and swot up on the best fashion styles of the 1980s and five trends from the decade that still look great today.

80s Fashion For Men

The 80s were a pivotal time in men’s fashion. Bright colors, bold accessories and big hair were all the rage and created the signature 1980s look we think of today.

Here are some of the main 80s men’s fashion trends to give you an idea of what people were wearing around town 40 odd years ago.

80s Workout Clothes For Men

When people think of the 80s, workout clothes are generally the first thing to pop into mind. We’re talking technicolor windbreakers, short shorts, singlets and most importantly: the tracksuit. This is also around the time we see men wearing bigger, dad style sneakers.

80s Casual Wear For Men

Casual wear for men in the 80s is pretty much everything you see in the hallways of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off: cuffed jeans or khakis, cardigans, plain t-shirts, denim or bomber jackets and loafers. Sweaters and leather jackets were also popular for men’s outerwear… Extra points for vintage sports jerseys (Cameron, we’re looking at you) and parachute pants.

80s Formal Wear For Men

1980s formal wear for men was categorized by oversized blazers (typically in a bright or pastel color), pinstripe suits, and how to wear suspenders with a tie. One aspect of 80s formal wear that sets this decade apart is that even nicer suits were often paired with a simple t-shirt or turtleneck, rather than a button down.

80s Hip Hop Fashion For Men

On the other end of the spectrum, we have 80s hip hop style, which was all the rage at this time. Think of this as the original streetwear. 1980s hip hop style for men saw lots of large trousers (though nothing too baggy, that was the 90s), chunky gold chains, white sneakers and sports caps. 80s rap groups like N.W.A. and Run-D.M.C. became poster children for hip hop style, which has since been replicated through the years.

80s Rocker Fashion For Men

Rock was all the rage in the 1980s and so was leather. Aside from black eyeliner and long hair, 80s rockers were known for leather biker jackets, leather pants, anything (and all things) studded and combat boots. Men also started wearing headbands across their foreheads in this 80s style (thanks, Bon Jovi).

On the other hand, classic rock style worn by the likes of Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty was more in line with men’s casual style of the decade with lots of denim and t-shirts (though the headband held true).

80s Summer Style For Men

Ahh, nothing like a hot day in the 80s, which gave meaning to the term “suns out, guns out”. Men during summer in the 1980s wore short shorts and tank tops, polo shirts, pastel suits, and finished the look with either aviators or Wayfarers. Don’t forget the white calf socks and boat shoes, which are staples of 80s outfits in the summer. Parachute pants in bright colors were also all the rage during hotter months for men.

Think ’80s hair and you probably think perms, mullets and flat tops. All of which are coming back, with varying degrees of irony. But all of which are also tricky to pull off.

You could slick it back Michael Douglas-style, or bleach it in homage to ’80s Kiefer Sutherland. Rather easier is the look of a man whose style would define the ’90s, but who fomented his look in the decade before: Kurt Cobain. “Grunge is definitely making a comeback,” says Denis Robinson, creative director at barbershop mini-chain Ruffians . “Think Kurt when he founded Nirvana in 1987, and for a modern update, the surrealist R&B Kiwi Connan Mockasin.” Other long hairstyles, whether you find your inspiration in Queer Eye‘s Jonathan Van Ness or a samurai topknot, tend to demand a lot of upkeep. The great thing about grunge hair is that it mostly takes care of itself.

Of course, back then the divide between sportswear and the rest of your wardrobe was still stark – you could wear a full tracksuit, as hip hop’s pioneers did, but best not try to pair your joggers with a blazer. Today, those distinctions have largely disappeared. In fact, mixing up with down is the best way to avoid looking like a Run DMC tribute act.

“You want to wear something that’s both modern and relevant,” says Andrew Brines, a buyer at designer menswear e-tailer Oki-Ni . “For instance… a bucket hat would be a good shout.” It’s also good to update your references. “Pull the ’80s look off by wearing something that’s not directly grounded in the ’80s,” says Brines. That means looking to new brands rather than leaning on the ones that defined the look first time around. Your look should be inspired by the ’80s, not from the ’80s.

After the heady days of #menswear, athleisure and its many offshoots, suits ended up at the back of most wardrobes. But the 1980s was dominated by tailoring, of the dominant sort, which means right now’s ripe for dusting off the two-piece. Although if all you’ve got hanging up is the kind of skinny suit that was de rigueur a few years ago, you’ll need to update your silhouette.

This decade and the 1980s were about flamboyance, which is why both chime perfectly with a generation that shares its every moment on social media. And in which the Cuban collar shirt is suddenly inescapable.

According to Brines, the ’80s trend is in part inspired by TV shows like Narcos and The Assassination of Gianni Versace, which both star bold printed shirts throughout. But since we can’t all pull off eye-popping Prada, the easier way to wear this trend is to keep your prints subtle and floral – plant motifs are never tacky, but hula girls inevitably are.

Dark, slim denim has had its day. Now, the jeans du jour come in all matter of fits and finishes, from high-waist spray-ons to loose and pleated. “Acid and bleach washes are the best way to tap into the ’80s trend,” says Brine. Both which helpfully tie in with club menswear’s current predilection for distressed denim. “Just avoid anything too punk,” he adds.

If you prefer to stick to your standard slim-or-skinny cut, make sure your jeans look lived-in.