by Lisa Brady

Holy 80’s Fashion Comeback, Batman! There are a few things in life that are inevitable: death, taxes and the cycle of fashion. And we’ve come full circle, folks. In receiving this month’s issue of Nylon, I have discovered that we have indeed reached the Mecca of 80’s trends (for better or worse).



[Symon Suicide in Viva Glam]

1. Denim on denim. Say it ain’t so! Even though all signs point to this being an acceptable and even (GASP!) fashionable emerging trend, I’m just not sure I can get behind this one. There’s just something to Billy-Ray-Cyrus-Achy-Breaky-Heart about it that it makes my skin crawl. But the fashion Gods have spoken.



[Abbie Suicide in Static]

2. 80’s Hair: the mullet/the perm. Now, as a hair stylist I consider this a tragedy. Most women who come in asking for a perm want it because they think it’s easier to have some wave to their hair then have to straighten it everyday. So basically it boils down to laziness. Clearly the answer is to have a long, tedious and harsh chemical treatment done to your hair that will most likely result in a curl you didn’t envision on yourself (newsflash, there’s NO SUCH THING as a “beach-y wave” perm, people!!). And don’t get me started on the mullet. The crazy thing about this one is that I’ve only seen it on women so far. I swear to God, if I have someone sit in my chair and ask me to cut them a mullet, I will put down my scissors and walk away.

[Fany Suicide in After Hours]

3. Giant sunglasses/glasses. This is a fad I can totally get behind. I absolutely love huge glasses. I have 5 or 6 pairs. But as awesome as this trend is, like anything else, it can be abused. There are definitely wrong ways to go about this one. We aren’t seeing it as much this time around as when they first became popular, but not every big pair of sunglasses/glasses today are fashionable.

[Katzenz Suicide in Black Keys]

4. Layering. This trend is hard to go wrong with. Most designers that make their clothing with layering in mind create pieces that will compliment each other no matter how you mix and match. And now that fall is just around the corner we should be seeing cute cardigans, jean jackets (a denim trend I love), and scarves. This style really came into it’s own in the 80’s. There was hardly anybody who didn’t have a sweater/jacket/scarf/turtleneck outfit in their closet.

[Sliver Suicide in Hooked]

5. Loud makeup. One of the signature 80’s makeup palettes was bright blue eye shadow with a bright pink lip. Emphasis on bright. Now, 20-some years later, we are seeing this again with a vengeance. Most makeup lines have a “brights” collection or something similar. And with the introduction of lip stain, you can have a flawless and semi-permanent pink pucker. Just try to avoid putting your eye shadow all the way to your eyebrow without shading the crease. No one thinks that is cute.