WITH 1980’s inspired fashions being the biggest trend for AW2015, it’s got me thinking about those iconic eighties looks.

So many people call it the decade that taste forgot, but I have to disagree.

Maybe it’s because I was born in the 1980s, but this era of all things over the top, colour clashing, garish, bright, novelty and shiny has a special place in my heart.

For me, one of the most memorable and important trends of the 1980s was Power Dressing – namely a tailored look with huge shoulder pads and a palette of bold jewel colours.

It was a time when women were really making their mark in the corporate world and it gave them a sense of power in the boardroom.

The tailored skirt suits are amongst my very favourite 1980s pieces, especially those done by some of the great designers like Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent, Karl Lagerfeld, Versace and Moschino.

Houses like YSL, Versace and Moschino would embellish their wide shouldered blazers with large, chunky and often quirky gold buttons. Red, pink, orange and purple were the firm favourites, allowing that contrast between feminine and masculine.

To soften the masculine effect, the sleeves of jackets and blouses were worn rolled up to reveal attractive satin contrast jacket linings which in itself was a way of accessorising.

The concept of power dressing at work was firmly established by 1987 and perpetuated through the 1990s in a more understated and minimalist fashion. By the mid nineties shoulder pads began to decrease in size and over the next few years shoulder width gradually narrowed.

You may think that power dressing is a long time dead, but it is actually still alive. A well cut tailored trouser suit or pencil skirt and blazer remain the staple business attire for women who want to be taken seriously in their chosen profession. Although I’d like to think this is more for professionalism than equality.

As always, we have some great examples here at My Vintage so if you fancy latching on the autumn’s trends, pop in or look online for 1980s threads.

 

Emma Brown is the owner of My Vintage, The Circus, Darwen
Telephone: 01254 774701  Website: www.myvintage.co.uk