The Most Memorable Cultural Trends from the '80s


Life was much simpler back in the 1980s. Internet was a well kept secret. Social media was nobody’s dream. Blogs didn’t exist. Mobile phones used to be so bulky they’d cause wrist aches and better still, only a select few owned them. People had the riches of time, and the waves of culture swept across plains hills, mainstream economies, suburbs, and social strata alike. It was hardly a surprise then, that pop culture has become synonymous with the '80s. In this piece of nostalgia, let’s remember some of the iconic '80s pop culture trends.

via Pop Sugar

The Perm

Kylie, Dolly Parton, Cher - all of them had it. And that’s why every woman wanted to have one too. Back in the 80s, longer and curlier your hair became, your popular surged in sync. Remember any movie scene with aspiring young dames sitting under a large machine surrounding their hair, to emerge as their cooler, swankier selves? Well, that’s a big nod to the spirits of '80s. Take it from us, all it will take the perm to go big again is Ivana Trump to sport one! Or, it might mark the end of the perm, permanently.

via Timeout

Off Shoulder Dressing

In the '80s, ‘casual’ was the new ‘powerful’. Shoulder pads and power dressing gave way to casual, and often suggestive dressing. Off shoulder dresses became the heartthrobs of the divas, and off shoulder sporting divas became the heartthrobs of fashionable men. Jennifer Beals in Flashdance - that’s an image etched in the minds of everyone who was alive (literally and metaphorically) in the '80s. The best part - even men didn’t shy away from showing off their shoulders, just like Gene Anthony Ray did in Fame. So, if you want to be a living and loving reminder of the '80s, find your mommy’s off shoulder dress and make it wear-worthy.

via Filmtourismus

The Vegas Trip

The one thing every college student looked forward to, after the end of the academic year. The one thing boy gangs wanted to do before one of them got married. And the one thing the girls wanted as badly. That’s a trip to Vegas with all its glamor and intrigue to explore. Vegas was a living testimony to everything the 80s pop culture represented. Dizzying lifestyles, casual relationships, in-your-face branding, and what not. Of course, not to forget the memorable casino gaming experiences that awaited everyone in the dozens of casino hotels and resorts in Vegas. You can also review those casinos over CasinoUK before you play. The charm of Vegas casinos continues to invite people even today. Of course, online casinos have stolen their thunder to a great extent. Nevertheless, the Vegas infatuation of every '80s lover still stands unaffected.

via The Wrap
I Want My MTV

The iconic tag line of MTV is a major reminder of the 1980s. The decade was a very eventful one, with arts undergoing major transitions. Music was big. The kind of love that audiences poured on their favorites was incomparable to that from any previous decade. The emergence of music videos was a big contributor. MTV was at the forefront of bringing music to the masses, and creating legends out of rock stars. This also led to the popularity of break dancing (all hail Michael Jackson). It used to be commonplace enough to spot teenagers on streets, a boom box by their side, enjoying their music and breaking into a dance when they felt like.

via Nice Fashion

Denim Jackets

No discussion about '80s pop culture can be complete without a big round of applause for the iconic and timeless denim jacket. Disheveled hairs, mirror sunglasses, and a denim jacket - that’s all it took to make a statement of style and substance. Arguably, this is a trend that never really died down, and is more of an essential now. Celebrities continue to sizzle, sporting latest styles of denim jackets.

The 1980s were the years that made the pre-Internet decade. In an alternative universe, where WWW might not have happened, people are probably still wearing off shoulders, planning their next trip to Vegas casinos, and sporting pompous perms. If you’re as in love with the '80s as we are, spread the word. Let’s bring back the quintessential elements of pop culture.
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