80s Prom
Dress
The Formal Gown of 1980
Those girls were beautiful at their
dance too! Imagine what the 80s school prom was like and the
dress the teens wore. A little piece of history. Many
Americans hold a soft spot in the hearts for the
1980’s. I was born in 1984 and even though I was very
young for the duration of the 1980’s I seem to hold the
same memories of the 1980’s that older people
do.
1980’s music, movies, TV shows
and fashion seem to be what people reference when discussing
the decade. Many songs, shows and movies from the
1980’s are being remade because people feel nostalgic
when experiencing the media.
1980’s fashion is perhaps the
most untouched area of pop culture that has been carried
over, meaning that people dress in clothes that are not
interpreted from the 1980’s, but instead are actually
from the 1980’s. The piece of clothing that is perhaps
most discussed then and now is the 80’s prom
dress.
Since the 1980’s had a thread of
excess running through the decade, the prom dresses produced
were considered very cool. “The bigger the better”
was definitely the motto and since prom is the most formal
event of a high school student’s experience, people
spared no expense on an 80’s prom dress.
Bright Colors and Fun!
A typical 80’s prom dress was
bright in color and some popular choices included:
tangerine, teal, magenta and fuchsia. Many girls chose short
dresses over long chiffon dresses from the 1970’s. An
80’s prom dress needed to be bold and cosmopolitan and
a great bright color helped pump up the energy.
Another fashion rule from the
80’s was that over-accessorizing was impossible. The
attitude was the more styles going on in a single outfit,
the better. This of course applied to prom dresses. The
construction and shape the dress made on the body was very
important.
You had to have the biggest impact and
sleek silhouettes were not in style. Some had ruching, or
bunching up on the sides. Some were asymmetrical or had
geometric cutouts or prints. Another well-known
characteristic of an 80’s prom dress was oversized
shoulders and puffy sleeves.
Fashion Detail
An 80’s prom dress typically had
a lot of detailed appliqués, sequins, bugle beads,
netting and rhinestones. These dresses were pricey but well
worth the effect. The dresses were accessorized with clutch
purses, big jewelry, and metallic high heels and sometimes
patterned tights.
These days, an 80’s prom dress
can be purchased from consignment or thrift shops. Many
nightclubs have 80’s night and many parties are
80’s themes. Even though the 80’s prom dress is
now worn as a joke, many others 80’s clothing is not.
More about Prom
Gowns
Smart
Ideas for an Affordable Prom
Dress - It's not
that you are cheap in the sense of the word but you do want
a bargain on your formal, don't you? Here is a small list of
ideas to use to buy an affordable prom dress this year and
still look like a charm.
More
Shopping News about Affordable Prom
Dresses - When
shopping for affordable prom dresses where do you start?
Online? At the formal gown shop downtown? The local Goodwill
store? Here are some answers.
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