Neon Through Eons: from 1980s to this day

Fluorescent pink, light green, electric blue and cold silver are just some of the colors that marked the 80s but it seems that they keep coming back to our utmost pleasure.

If we take a look at the contemporary trends we can help but notice a strong influence of neon colors that were all the rage back in the day, especially in the late 80s. The history repeats indeed and it’s one of those universal truths that also applies to fashion, given that neon trends keep persisting a last couple of seasons. The only things that change, however, are celebrities sporting them as well as inevitable reinventions of fashion styles and cuts of course.

Then – Madonna

desperately seeking susan

The fashion icon keeps introducing new and bold trends, even to this very day. And even though Madonna’s current style could be described as more geometrical and inclined to darker colors and edgy fabrics, it was all about neon back in the day. It’s worth mentioning that the diva never exaggerated in terms of combining neon pieces. A little bit of flashy pink here, a hint of electric blue there and there’s no danger of being mixed up for a scoreboard. Atta girl!

Now – Lady Gaga

Even if we entirely disregard the fact that Gaga’s stage originates from Queen’s undying hit, there are still so many retro influences both in Gaga’s visual style and music that one must be blind not to notice them. She might have entered a somewhat reduced phase now, but she has gone through a ton of experiments with various fabrics, cuts and neon colors that truly made a great statement about her unique personality.

Then – Prince

During his 80s phase the legendary singer cherished a unique style that consisted of baroque shirts and jackets that came in strong neon colors… Except for when he was shirtless of course!

Now – Katy Perry

Now, this is a true 80s gal that offers a great material for the case study on how to combine neon pieces perfectly. On the other hand, it seems that her love extends to spandex and lycra as well. In words of Bill and Ted: Excellent!

Then – Whitney Houston

Whitney was more than just a drop-dead gorgeous lady, she was an exceptional musical talent whose death is still mourned all around the globe. Her neon makeup choices back in the day can really tell that a beautiful face is always beautiful, regardless of the color choices.

Now- Nicky Minaj

It is even hard to imagine Nicky in anything other than neon – from hair and makeup to provocative outfits that basically became her personal signature!

Then – Paul Stanley

Kiss really rocked during the 80s. This was the time when they decided to leave the prevalent black and white combos behind and wash off the makeup from their faces, which resulted in some pretty excessive neon clothing choices, additionally “enhanced” with tons of pearls and sequins. Some might hate it but we retro lovers find it quite interesting.

Now – Kelly Osbourne

Ozzy’s daughter went through some really different phases and ultimately become one of the fashion influencers of today. And if she says that neon is okay, who are we to judge?

Then – Boy George

According to Culture Club’s timeless hit, karma is a chameleon, but so is the frontmen of the band, a famous Boy George, at least in the terms of the multiple colors and neon new wave makeup he was wearing fearlessly at the same time.

Now – Leona Lewis

A hot singer really knows how to strut her stuff, especially when wearing a cropped neon corset paired up with a deep waist tight skirt and we can’t help but to approve.

Then – Olivia Newton-John

Everyone wanted to get physical with Olivia and we firmly believe this neon outfit is to blame!

Now – Jessie J

Blue overalls in combination with goldish black jacket with discreet but noticeable shoulderpads? It is called retro where we come from!

What do you think of our list? Did we forget to mention someone? Feel free to spill your thoughts in the comment section below!

On the other hand, Robert Palmer was addicted to love, The Human League justified the epithet in their title, Madonna asked her papa not to preach while Falco begged the late Amadeus for some rock. This all leads us to an inevitable conclusion that 1986 was a one of a kind marker in the epoque of excess; a sort of a breaking point when various energies collided and thus resulted in some pretty awesome artistic creations. So, what about fashion, some might ask? Well, the popular garbs at the time definitely weren’t falling behind the movies and songs either. Moreover, they rather represented a perfect addition to the rich cinematographic and musical diversity. So, without a further ado, we hereby present you with top 6 essential fashion pieces that were all the rage in 1986.

1.    Ray-Ban sunglasses

Thanks to already mentioned Tom Cruise’s role in the classic film achievement Top Gun, the sales of now iconic classic aviator model raised for mind-blowing 40% . Moreover, it has continued to inspire numerous fashion designers even to this day and now a pair of aviators is simply a must in everyone’s accessory collection. So, if you want to look like you’ve just come out of the Danger zone and are 100 % ready to rock, this could be a great retro yet modern addition to your outfit.

Top Gun on GIPHY

2. Cropped tanks and tops

Sherilyn Fenn strutted her stuff like a pro and showed us a true meaning of 80’s sex appeal while rocking a cropped tank in the 1986’s The Wraith, side by side with notorious Charlie Sheen. There is definitely something about 80s chicks with long legs, deep lycra miniskirts and cropped tanks that is simply irresistible, wouldn’t you agree?

3. Leather and more leather

The first thing that comes to our mind is a notorious Cobra aka Sylvester Stallone donning a leather jacket, denim pants and a pair of awesome aviators while protecting an exotic European hottie such as Bridget Nielsen. They eventually ended up being married in a real life but there’s no wonder – not really – since this outfit and its respective variations continue to break ladies’ hearts even today, regardless of they are into 80s fashion or not!

Cobra (1986 Film)

4.Powersuits

Even one of the covers of ‘86 Elle magazine featured an image of a strong, independent woman proudly wearing a powersuit, looking like she’s basically ready to conquer the Wall street and to fully compete with her male counterparts. The powersuits mostly consisted of deep waist pants and jackets with huge shoulder pads that were tailored for women who exactly knew what they want from their lives.

Grace Jones

5. Shoulder pads

The magical and dazzling world of Labyrinth was a true depiction of Bowie’s 80s phase at its finest. Even the fantasy costumes got designed in a way to be in accordance with our favorite era. It’s was both Bowie’s iconic haircut and powerful shoulder pads he put on that really made impression but also caught the hearts of the fandom in the labyrinth of devotion (pun intended!).

Labyrinth (1986 Film)

6. Aerobic gear

Even though a well-known Flashdance that celebrated the beauty of 80s hardbody got out three years earlier, in 1983, it appears that popularity of aerobic gear reached a peak of its popularity precisely in 1986. This Crystal light national aerobic championship video that got out in ‘86 clearly demonstrates that leg warmers, headbands and tricots were designed in a way to truly enhance a “flexappeal”!

What do you think of our choices? Do you think we missed something? Don’t be afraid to share your opinion in the comment section below!