Three hard core years of 80’s fashion revival. Three years! That’s a whopping total of six fashion seasons and there’s more on the way. Skinny jeans, flat ankle boots, neon, oversized blazers, shoulder pads, waist-cinching belts, high-waisted pants, rah-rah skirts, off-the-shoulder necklines, sack dresses, flat oxfords, banded tops, plastic jewelry, bat-winged sleeves, ankle length pants, leg warmers, leggings, baggy tunics, Ponte pants, cobalt blue, bright fuchsia and pointy toed stiletto pumps.

Wow. What a tribute to what was known as “the decade of anti-fashion”.

I think that designers have done a brilliant of job of reinterpreting the good parts of 80’s fashion, making it more modern and more flattering than it was 25 years ago. Aside from my initial wobble with the rebirth of skinny jeans right at the start of the trend, I am all over everything that has an 80’s element. Initially, many of my clients were dead set against all silhouettes that remotely resembled the decade. But I’m proud to say that’s changed because fabric technology and good design has come a long way. And adjusting our eyes to new looks helps.

So ladies, after three years and counting, have you warmed to the resurgence of 80’s fashion? Did you like it from the word go? Can you manage it in small doses? Or do you wish it would disappear?

Over the last few weeks we’ve had a new sponsor: Outfit Additions, an online store specializing in fashion accessories that are hand crafted in the United States. We wanted to write a quick post to thank them and to encourage you to take a look at their merchandise. They have some fun accessories at a price point that makes them perfect as gifts for the holiday season.

Today and tomorrow they are offering 40% off their already-low prices if you use the code “HURRY” at checkout. And if you order by 11:59 midnight tomorrow night (18 December), they guarantee delivery before Christmas day.

These three items caught my eye. The casual, pomegranate nut necklace ($36) would be sweet paired with a black knitted top. The fabric belt ($25.60) could look cute over a button down shirt.  The black acrylic Rhinestone bangles will make an unexpected pairing with a boyfriend blazer, peeking out from under the sleeve ($18, or $12.60 for the plum colourway).

It’s fun to follow trends and keep track of how they either evolve or fade away each season. I’ve kept a close watch on the “booties” or “shooties” trend which resurfaced along with the resurgence of 80’s fashion. The trend was a fringe statement three years ago but has grown into a mainstream look. Fabulous.

Booties and shooties started out being described as peds that looked both like a shoe and a boot. I’ve found that over the seasons, this definition has become a little loose. What I used to call an ankle boot is now also being described as a bootie. So to keep things simple in this post, I’m going to refer to all styles of ankle boots and booties as booties.

Wearing booties under boot cut and wide leg pants or jeans is a no-brainer. Even though you cover up most of their style detailing this way, it keeps the leg line long and that’s instantly flattering. Wearing booties with skinnies or straight leg bottoms showcases more of the ped and is a little more daring. Wearing booties with skirts and dresses is the most daring combination simply because high vamped shoes cut the leg line, especially when there is a strong contrast between the colour of the shoe and the colour worn on the leg.

I love a fashion challenge. If you would like to experiment with the trendiest option, here are some guidelines for wearing this “of the moment” fashion ped with skirts and dresses:

1. Adjust your eyes to the look: It’s always the first step! We have been brainwashed to believe that high vamped shoes do not work with skirts and dresses. True, this pairing often looks dumpy. But by adjusting the rest of the variables of an outfit, AND by getting the right style of bootie, you’ve bent body type guidelines and made the look work.
2. Keep the leg line one colour: The easiest way to achieve a longer leg line is by keeping the hose and booties a similar colour. So black booties with black textured hose is a simple solution. Add a dress in a similar colour into the ensemble mix and you’ve created an even longer leg line.
3. Keep it heeled: Even if it’s only an inch or two, the extra height helps to balance our proportions. Stacked three to four inch heels are best for this look, but never fear. Unless I’m sitting down, I don’t wear heels that high and you can make the look work with lower heels too. Short flat booties are not a no-no, but it’s a hard look to get right.
4. Expose the knee cap: As with mid-calf boots, shortening the hemline just a tad is important. Remember that you can cover up with hosiery if you prefer more leg coverage.
5. Choose a flop proof style: Booties that are cut low and fit close to the ankle tend to look more flattering (like the pair on the left above, and the round toe BC bootie). The Clarks “Cone Sweet” bootie is an excellent style to wear with dresses and skirts because it fits close to the ankle and actually has a low-ish vamp.

Once you’re confident sporting booties with skirts, you can move to YLF graduate school. This means dropping the second guideline and wearing the look with a high colour contrast between the foot and the leg. If you’re already sporting the advanced version, well done. It took me a while to graduate to that level, but I’m there now and enjoying every minute of it.

My guess is that the pairing of booties with skirts and dresses is here to stay, so don’t feel that you’re coming in on the end of a trend. It won’t be too late if you get cracking this season.

Two of my favourite booties right now, both of which are in the YLF store.

I vote yay. In the early 80’s, I wore jailbird striped red, white and blue legwarmers over jeans with high heeled red pumps. I also wore bright red legwarmers over acid wash jeans tucked back into flat suede, maroon ankle boots. It was quite an eyesore. But those were the types of crazy wardrobe pairings you wore back then. Looking totally hip and cool sporting the vibe took priority over flattering your body.

This time round, legwarmers can look flattering. The simplest way of achieving a long lean line is by keeping the colour of the hose, shoes and legwarmers the same (see the pictures on the left). A monochromatic approach like pairing grey with black will also work (see middle picture). You don’t need to keep the components on the foot and leg the same colour (see picture with the purple legwarmers). But the greater the contrast between the components, the higher the risk of shortening the leg line. The way I wore legwarmers 25 years ago cut my leg line in several places. It looked hideous and I’m learning from that mistake.

I like the way legwarmers add self-colour textural interest to an ensemble. They also keep you warm, especially when you wear them inside boots. You could use chunky socks instead of legwarmers to achieve the same aesthetic effect with boots. But personally, legwarmers seem the more fun option probably because they’ve become a retro blast from the past. Plus they’re visually more appealing than socks on the foot area when you match them with pumps or ballet flats.

So what’s the verdict. Do legwarmers get a stylish yay or nay? Alhough I turn 40 in six months, I plan to find an inexpensive black pair and have fun experimenting with a few sophisticated trendy looks. Would you wear them?