https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/who-were-your-favorite-80s-style-icons-and-influences Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Wed, 22 Apr 2026 15:41:39 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/who-were-your-favorite-80s-style-icons-and-influences/page/2#post-870483 Thu, 07 Mar 2013 19:53:34 +0000 rachylou 870483@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Was Depeche Mode mainstream? </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/who-were-your-favorite-80s-style-icons-and-influences/page/2#post-869655 Thu, 07 Mar 2013 01:49:26 +0000 Mo 869655@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I've probably mentioned it before, but I totally rebelled against the fashion of the time when I was in HS. I am just a few months older than Angie, so all the same time frames, and would be icons, apply. But I went out of my way to avoid the neon, and Madonna looks, and gelled hair. I was pre-grunge I guess. Flannel shirts, concert tees, tight black parachute pants, black nails. Bandanas as accessories, but not in the hair band kind of way. Spent my time listening to Black Sabbath while my roommate blared Depeche Mode lol.<br /> I will say that in Junior High I had a few Flashdance inspired off the shoulder numbers. That was the first year my parents gave me my yearly clothing allowance and said, "get on the bus and go buy what you want for yourself." I also remember some awesome red vertical striped Esprit pants and a good friend of mine at the time had the same pair in blue. Guess I was never shy about a 'statement' item of clothing. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/who-were-your-favorite-80s-style-icons-and-influences/page/2#post-869211 Wed, 06 Mar 2013 19:34:16 +0000 rachylou 869211@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Oh, without doubt sloaney-preppy Princess Diana was my top personal '80s fashion heroine. Have to give a shout-out to Brideshead Revisited too as part of that whole deal.</p> <p>It's odd to say that, tho, because I had a good shot in the arm of Post Punk / New Wave, not to mention Punk / Glam Rock / Mod... but in some ways I think this stuff has stronger ties to the '60s and '70s than the '80s.</p> <p>Icons of the '80s though have to be Prince and Madonna and Michael Jackson. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/who-were-your-favorite-80s-style-icons-and-influences/page/2#post-869084 Wed, 06 Mar 2013 17:53:27 +0000 milehighstyle (Linda) 869084@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Madonna, Pat Benetar, Duran Duran, David Bowie and Sonny Crocket from Miami Vice. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/who-were-your-favorite-80s-style-icons-and-influences/page/2#post-869067 Wed, 06 Mar 2013 17:43:57 +0000 Girl X 869067@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Judy Jetson of The Jetsons, and Stacey from The Babysitters Club!!! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/who-were-your-favorite-80s-style-icons-and-influences/page/2#post-869030 Wed, 06 Mar 2013 17:20:34 +0000 catgirl 869030@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Madonna, the Cure, Duran Duran - Nick Rhodes had the best eyeliner! Prince, Lisa Lisa, Sheila E...</p> <p>Also my senior year of high school, a friend and I became OBSESSED with Julia from Brideshead Revisited. We bobbed our hair and spent all our spare time hunting down 20s flapper styles. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/who-were-your-favorite-80s-style-icons-and-influences/page/2#post-868945 Wed, 06 Mar 2013 15:17:06 +0000 Anonymous 868945@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Teen of the 80's reporting for duty!</p> <p>Hands down Madonna and Cindy Lauper. I was neon crazed, from suspenders to leg warmers. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/who-were-your-favorite-80s-style-icons-and-influences/page/2#post-868940 Wed, 06 Mar 2013 15:12:15 +0000 Mander 868940@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>In the early part of the 80s it was Madonna, Cyndi Lauper, and whatever neon plastic stuff was the latest fad at Claire's Boutique, plus a dose of big hair heavy metal (I wasn't much into the music but the style was ubiquitous in my neighborhood). After freshman year of high school I discovered goth, punk, industrial, and ska music, so I developed an odd mishmash of style influenced by Siouxsie Sioux, Robert Smith, Skinny Puppy, and the two-tone ska look (lots of Fred Perry and semi-preppy stuff). I was very fond of suspenders, combat boots, and black tights. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/who-were-your-favorite-80s-style-icons-and-influences#post-866550 Mon, 04 Mar 2013 03:46:59 +0000 DonnaF 866550@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I graduated for law school in the mid-'80s, so Dressed for Success and looking like DiFi (Dianne Feinstein) was where all my money went. I didn't like the whole summer-fall-winter-spring theory of wearing colors since it categorized ALL Asians as winters, so I had my colors individually *done*. Spendy, but an investment I still use. I can easily identify my best major colors, but I find my best neutrals like beiges and taupes far more challenging and my swatches make shopping far less of an ordeal. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/who-were-your-favorite-80s-style-icons-and-influences#post-866540 Mon, 04 Mar 2013 03:31:36 +0000 oolagirl(Colleen) 866540@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I don't post too often, but I had to chime in for this one!! I was a huge Durannie, but my favorite fashion icon from the 80's hands down, was Denise Huxtable! (aka Lisa Bonet) The oversize sweaters, crazy tops, awesome layers...she had the most amazing wardrobe, and talk about the ability to layer, wrap, twist...just FAB!! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/who-were-your-favorite-80s-style-icons-and-influences#post-866241 Sun, 03 Mar 2013 19:45:37 +0000 Nicole D 866241@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Boy George (I had a bowler hat and fingerless gloves), Madonna, the Police (jumpsuits), then later Linda Evangelista, Annie Lennox and Demi Moore (Ghost haircut). </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/who-were-your-favorite-80s-style-icons-and-influences#post-866235 Sun, 03 Mar 2013 19:34:19 +0000 Deborah 866235@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Love reading this thread and had to come back to catch up. Krish and Angie, clearly we grew up with the same influences. The 80's for me was all about British music (Blondie really sit in the 1970's. and is one of the few non British bands I liked). Depeche Mode's Black Celebration album (that's right album, not cd) remains one of my absolute favourites:)</p> <p>Laura, I will never forget my parents reaction to me playing thenDead Kennedy's on stereo in our family room...lets just say they were not amused! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/who-were-your-favorite-80s-style-icons-and-influences#post-866229 Sun, 03 Mar 2013 19:26:57 +0000 Suz 866229@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>That is hilarious, La Belle!! (I mean your return to grunge). </p> <p>My icons were Annie Lennox and Princess Di. Quite the mix! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/who-were-your-favorite-80s-style-icons-and-influences#post-866137 Sun, 03 Mar 2013 17:28:11 +0000 Mary Beth (formerly LBD) 866137@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>If I had one thing to say about the 80's, was that regardless of what the style was, there was always a sense of FUN. Decadent fun, adventurer fun, 1940's, androgynous fun, ladylike fun, retro silly frothy lacy fun, pastel fun, metallic fun, parti-colored fun. </p> <p>I remember being totally blind-sided by grunge. Totally bewildered, because I walked back onto my college campus after four months at Disney World doing a college internship, to find everyone with unwashed hair, wearing plaid, and complaining how badly the world sucked. I was like Tigger bouncing onto the set of The Walking Dead by mistake. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/who-were-your-favorite-80s-style-icons-and-influences#post-866127 Sun, 03 Mar 2013 17:08:30 +0000 Echo 866127@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Definitely Nick Rhodes of Duran Duran - and especially hairstyles. I went wild with my hair at that time. But the influence of Cluture Club was hard to escape, with the era of neons, white and baggy clothing, too. Grace Jones was AMAZING, and I loved the sculptural lines of her outfit and her body. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/who-were-your-favorite-80s-style-icons-and-influences#post-866121 Sun, 03 Mar 2013 17:01:51 +0000 Angie 866121@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>That's fun Krish! High five </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/who-were-your-favorite-80s-style-icons-and-influences#post-866120 Sun, 03 Mar 2013 17:00:15 +0000 krishnidoux 866120@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Angie, music wise we are exactly from the same era... </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/who-were-your-favorite-80s-style-icons-and-influences#post-866081 Sun, 03 Mar 2013 16:02:10 +0000 Ingunn 866081@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Whitney Houston, Princess Diana, Debbie Harry, The Smiths! This is SO fun! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/who-were-your-favorite-80s-style-icons-and-influences#post-866080 Sun, 03 Mar 2013 15:59:27 +0000 kkards 866080@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>durning college i dressed somewhere between annie lennox and the preppie handbook...yup quite the mix.<br /> after graduation the golden girls...just kidding, but it was the age of Dress for success, and looking back now, i see how conservative and not very fun my choices then were. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/who-were-your-favorite-80s-style-icons-and-influences#post-866079 Sun, 03 Mar 2013 15:55:21 +0000 Angie 866079@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>SO FUN! I LOVE THE '80s :)</p> <p>First and foremost - Duran Duran and especially Simon le Bon. Depeche Mode is next. I was very inspired by what they wore and just by how they were as people. The ultimate cool when I was between the ages of 11 to 18. I was not at all inspired by Blondie (although I loved her music at age 11 and then moved on), Madonna or Cyndie Lauper. It was all about the British '80s boys and their music videos. I loved what the women wore in those '80s music videos too. That's who I wanted to be - along with duplicating Simon's wardrobe. </p> <p>I loved the Bill Cosby Show and what Denise wore. </p> <p>I loved watching Dynasty and Dallas. How could you not </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/who-were-your-favorite-80s-style-icons-and-influences#post-866063 Sun, 03 Mar 2013 15:18:25 +0000 Laura 866063@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>What a fun thread!</p> <p>bj111 - Lisa Birnbaum totally influenced me too. And then I would say the Dead Kennedys. I was equal parts punk and prep and in high school my friends and I would alternate days. One day Izod polos, the next, t-shirts spray painted with "question authority." Silly, huh? I guess we needed to keep ourselves entertained. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/who-were-your-favorite-80s-style-icons-and-influences#post-866057 Sun, 03 Mar 2013 14:56:17 +0000 Carla 866057@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Sorry, duplicate post. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/who-were-your-favorite-80s-style-icons-and-influences#post-866056 Sun, 03 Mar 2013 14:55:44 +0000 Carla 866056@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>The late 70's saw my fashion awakening! I was all over the Annie Hall look...blazer over prairie skirt, with Frye boots, or pleated trousers, with vest, and brogues. I owned the look. Mariel Hemingway and Patti Hansen were the models I followed. I even had the super thin, no eyebrow look. This look followed me into university and morphed into long, full skirts, plaid shirts, chunky sweaters. I also spent a lot of time in a pair of green corduroy overalls, plaid shirt, and work boots...early grunge? And tapered jeans with high waists called 'painter's pants' that first came out in cream and jean (like construction painters wore).</p> <p>This kind of morphed into Indiana Jones safari look with long full heavy cotton skirts, shirts with rolled up sleeves, and vest with pockets.</p> <p>I kind of missed the 80's and woke up in the 90's in a pencil skirt! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/who-were-your-favorite-80s-style-icons-and-influences#post-866055 Sun, 03 Mar 2013 14:52:14 +0000 Karie 866055@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Princess Diana - people used to tell me that I looked like her, and I loved her timeless, classic elegance, and Julia Roberts - I used to have curly, permed hair in those days! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/who-were-your-favorite-80s-style-icons-and-influences#post-866027 Sun, 03 Mar 2013 13:06:12 +0000 krishnidoux 866027@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>So fun!</p> <p>I realize doing this exercise that the 80's, which I went through as a teenager, were a lot about juxtaposition of extremes in terms of fashion, anyway for the icons that impressed me most:</p> <p>Isabelle Adjani <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dy1yi7q8Rv4" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dy1yi7q8Rv4</a> : flowey skirts and oversized masculine rough sweaters, LOTS of structure.</p> <p>Isabelle Huppert: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3s6UQb94_w0" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3s6UQb94_w0</a> strong features, delicate body. Lot's of bare shoulders.</p> <p>Sophie Marceau: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQFQkG6PgFw" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQFQkG6PgFw</a> androginy, innocence, things that look thrown together in a child-like way but end up being very stylish (probably because she was tall). </p> <p>Blondie <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aH3Q_CZy968" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aH3Q_CZy968</a> : her hairdo, tiny body (unfortunate influence), heels</p> <p>Cindy Lauper <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIb6AZdTr-A" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIb6AZdTr-A</a> her eclectic style, lots of slips and petticoats, wide belts at the waist, multiplication of belts at the hips, multiplication of bracelets, bold mixes of extremes such as lace and military boots.</p> <p>Madonna <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s__rX_WL100" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s__rX_WL100</a> multiplication of necklaces à la Coco Chanel, in a (punky) way, bare arms, lots of eye make-up, wild crazy get-ups covered with structured cropped jackets </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/who-were-your-favorite-80s-style-icons-and-influences#post-866019 Sun, 03 Mar 2013 12:16:11 +0000 Claudia 866019@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Even back then I knew I didn't really like '80s fashion so I didn't have a style icon or big influence I embraced, but I'd say the most fondly remembered was Jennifer Beals' feminine tomboy from Flashdance (early '80s) and the cast of Thirtysomething (I was in my twenties but married with small children, late '80s). </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/who-were-your-favorite-80s-style-icons-and-influences#post-866009 Sun, 03 Mar 2013 09:41:05 +0000 goldenpig 866009@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Madonna ca. 1985--I dressed just like her! Lace bows and fingerless lace gloves &amp; long knotted pearls and crimped hair! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/who-were-your-favorite-80s-style-icons-and-influences#post-865998 Sun, 03 Mar 2013 08:27:26 +0000 bj1111 865998@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>ooo...joan jett! and pat benatar. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/who-were-your-favorite-80s-style-icons-and-influences#post-865976 Sun, 03 Mar 2013 07:33:42 +0000 jayne 865976@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Madonna all the way. But I never dared dress that wild way and show my bra strapes! how things have changed! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/who-were-your-favorite-80s-style-icons-and-influences#post-865959 Sun, 03 Mar 2013 06:52:43 +0000 Caro in Oz 865959@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Off the top of my head Annie Lennox, David Bowie, Bryan Ferry (Roxy Music sneak in to the 80s) Prince, Deborah Harry, Joan Jett. </p>