Power Dressing Essay Book

1979-1987 Power Dressing Libby chamberlin FMC-Level 5 1903788 AD5603 Word Count: 3072

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Fashion Culture and Society

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CONTENTS 3. THE BRIEF 4. ABSTRACT 5. INTRODUCTION 6. THE NEW ROMANTICS

THE BRIEF WHAT ERA IN FASHION DO YOU THINK WAS THE MOST INFLUENTIAL AND WHY?

16. MTV 17. MOVIES 18. POLITICAL FIGURES 20. FASHION BRANDS

8. CELEBRITY INFLUENCES

21. GIORGIO ARMANI

10. PRINCESS DIANA

22. CONCLUSION

12. BANANARAMA

24. REFERENCES

14. TELEVSION

25. IMAGES

15. DYNASTY

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ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION The era in which I feel was the most influential to fashion was 1979-1987, power dressing and New Romantics. The 80s was a decade of bold styles, colours and silhouettes- one of the most electric eras in fashion.

Trends in the 80’s ranged from biker jackets and slogan tees to animal print and geometrical skirts. There were many celebrity style icons during this era which had a huge influence on the public such as Madonna. Not only did celebrities influence the way people dressed in the 80s, political figures such as mrgarte Thatcher and Royal figures such as Princess Diana also had a huge influence.

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Throughout this essay I will be discussing the topics and subjects which in my opinion made this era so influential to fashion. The key topics I will be discussing in my essay are the rising feminist movement, films and TV programmes, celebrity and political figures which influenced fashion. In this essay I will explore further into why power dressing in the period between 1979 and 1989 was so influential to fashion, not only at that time but also continues to influence trends in the 21st century.

Power dressing was shown everywhere in the 80s from films such as Dirty Dancing to TV shows such as Dynasty and Heathers. The 80s was a time where everyone wanted to have a certain status and it was very much accepted to show your status. The style in the 80’s was a style of going against the ‘normal’, this is shown through many trends of the 80’s.

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THE NEW ROMANTICS The New Romantics lead to some of the 80s most famous pop stars including Boy George and Spandau Ballet and created some of the decade’s most popular trends.

This generation of subcultures persisted to evolve fast meaning as soon as a trend was discovered or identified it was worn and showed off, which didn’t take long to become a trend to everyone seeing it. A few of these trends include sharp suits, flamboyant makeup and power silhouettes.”...nobody would ever call themselves a New Romantic. Not just that, but nobody even knew what to call it. Were they Blitz kids? Were they Bowie kids? Were they futurists? As soon as anyone was called a New Romantic in the press, they’d instantly do an interview to deny that they were New Romantic. As soon as frilly shirts were identified as being a part of the New Romantic kit, bands immediately stopped wearing them. - Journalist Dave Rimmer interviewed in Vice. in

However, there are still elements to this era that can be established as a New Romantics trend. The lavish materials of the subculture’s period costume influences the flamboyance of glam, the blending of genders, smart suiting and broad shouldered shapes.

The key to New Romantics dressing was dressing up to an outrageous level, soundtracked by the pop music which was dominated at the time. It was a reaction to as well as a progression of the punk and new wave movements previously seen at that time. The New Romantics was a time for distinctie clothing, theatrical hair and makeup, the movement was seen as a representative of the futurism and modernism of the period. This era also was also associated with the New Wave electronic music scene which started to emerge at the end of the 1970’s.

Vice.

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CELEBRITY INFLUENCERS

Whilst researching this era I found that one huge influence on fashion was the inspiration from TV shows, movies and celebrities. During this era there were many public figures who influenced fashion including Madonna, Princess Diana, and Bananaram, Christy Turlington and Sarah Jessica Parker. Each of these icons were trend setters for the generation and all had their own individual style.

MADONNA Madonna was known as the material girl of the 80’s, as an icon of popular culture she has set fashion trends and helped boost up-and-coming designers careers. Madonna’s fashion was heavily Figure 7 influenced by the punk movement, this was first seen in the video for Lucky Star (her debut on MTV, in 1984). Madonna combined a miniskirt with a mesh tank top, black lace gloves, stilettos and her hair backcombed topped off with an oversized bow. Some elements of her punk fashion were toned-down slightly which made it more accessible and realistic for teenagers who wanted to dress in the style of her.

Madonna’s redefinition of femininity blurred the lines between pop and rebellion which was one of the keys to her huge ongoing success.

This style of rebellion became extremely iconic and popular in the 80’s with teenagers across the world soon catching on to the trend. Madonna’s punk style was picked up by Macy’s who created a ‘Madonnaland’ where they sold Madonna-licensed and inspired fashion. Not long after this look was a high street staple.

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PRINCESS DIANA

Princess Diana is arguably the greatest fashion icon of the 20th century. Princess Diana became an icon in fashion history in the 80s when she started to gain confidence in what she wore and began to understand what suited her. Along with the dazzling dresses came a bold side that most people hadn’t seen before.

Princess Diana wore bow ties frequently, wearing them with a full tux or around her bare neck. The prints Diana wore included bold and lavish colours. Each look Diana created was as standout as the next, anything outdoors called for a colourful designer coat with slightly ridiculous accents, a shaggy exterior, a fringed bottom, a frayed, fuzzy collar paired with shoulder pads. High street stores across the country and even brand labels started copying her outfits and it wasn’t long before customers in their 30s-40s started to see her as their fashion icon. Princess Diana’s fashion in this era not only had a huge influence on people then but still does to this day, infact her appeal is only getting stronger. Diana’s fashion trends have influenced designers such as Off-White’ss Virgil Abloh and Celine’s Hedi Slimane.

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BANANARAMA

Another fashion icon of the 80’s which I am going to discuss is Bananarama, a female punk rock music trio from the era.

The Bananarama’s had a few styles throughout the 80’s however the most known were during the mid and late 80’s. Their fashion sense was daring and bold. The most known look from the Bananarama’s included a cropped jacket, off the shoulder black tops, lots of belts and lots of jewelry. As it was the 80’s, of course their hairstyles were very big and out there. Bananarama had a massive influence on their fans who took a lot of inspiration from their outfits and style.

There are many trends from this era that have come back into fashion and are still circulating in fashion trends today. Some of these trends include shoulder pads, neon colours, high waisted jeans, ripped knees, oversized blazers. Shoulder pads allow consumers to feel in control through their dress despite what is going on around them at the time. To most peoples delight these trends are toned-down versions of the originals.

This shows how influential this era was on fashion as it is still around all these years later. I myself own pieces of clothing which are similar to those you would have seen in the 80’s such as oversized blazers. Personally, I love wearing blazers as they are extremely versatile, they can be worn dressed up with heels and a dress but can also be dressed down for a more casual look with jeans and trainers to create an oversized look. When I wear my blazer I feel confident and stylish.

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DYNASTY

TELEVISION

Dynasty was an American TV show which had a huge impact on fashion in the 80’s. Set in Denver during the oil boom, Dynasty was a show about the 1 percent, which ran for the entirety of Ronald Reagan’s presidency, (1981 to 1989). The show was about a family whose luxuries lives were shown by their extensive mansions and expensive clothing. “For many Americans, watching Dynasty felt like having an intimate view of the lives of the hyper-rich”, says fashion writer and historian Laura McLaws Helms. The most famous character on the show was Alexis Carringtom who was played by Joan Collins. Collin’s character was best known for her extravagant style which included shoulder pads, large jewels, oversized hats and fur coats.

The clothes this character wore allowed her to create a sense of power and control. Alexis was TV’s first anti-hero. It was the fashion that truly gave the show the popularity it had, it was seen as a global phenomenon. This was the first time designers in Europe were taking inspiration from the Americans as to what the latest trends were. Viewers would watch the show specifically to see what Joan and Linda were wearing. The costume designer, Nolan Miller was given a weekly wardrobe budget of $35,000, around a third of this went towards Alexis’ outfits. Over the duration of the series Nolan created more than 3,000 outfits, more than 700 of these were for Alexis alone. The show was that popular it launched its own clothing, lingerie, handbags, shoes, costume jewellery and even fragrance. This was the first TV series to bring out merchandise targeting the upper middle class however still available for anyone who wanted to look like the stars of the show.

The show very much established the relationship between television and fashion. The show’s impact on fashion is still very influential to this day. The trends of large shoulder pads and sequined gowns are still in style now and worn by many people. The third-wave feminism is on the rise and fashion has taken an active role in female empowerment, which always goes back to the decade that defined power dressing. In film and television power dressing suggested hard work and women being taken seriously.

Another influence which had a huge effect on fashion in the 1980’s is television and movies. Cable televisions started to become more accessible in the 1980’s making it easier for people to access TV shows such as Dallas and Dynasty. TV shows like these had a large impact upon fashion trends of the 1980s. These TV shows portrayed glamour and most importantly powerful female characters.

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MTV

MTV also had a huge influence on fashion, especially with teenagers in America at the time. MTV was watched by teenagers all across the U.S and used to gain information on the latest trends in both music and fashion. Teenagers would watch the presenters and celebrities shown each week to see what the latest fashion trends were. The videos shown on MTV changed fashion in the 1980’s as some of the clips shown on the show were often juvenile, vulgar and also violent. These clips were popular with teenagers and entertained them, however were found offensive by their parents. These videos started a rebellion within the teenage age group in the 1980’ which can be seen throughout the fashion styles in the era.

MOVIES

Another huge influence of the 1980’s were movies. A few of these movies are, The Breakfast Club, FlashDance, Sixteen Candles and Dirty Dancing. Each of these movies had an impact on fashion trends in the 1980s’. To many, Flashdance fashion was seen as the epitome of 1980s style.

Some also believe that the movie set the stage for some of the most popular clothing items of the decade. People took huge fashion inspiration from the movie and as soon as they had seen it would go out and buy ripped oversized sweatshirts with one exposed bare shoulder.

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Flashdance fashion reflected the fitness craze of the 1980s. The movie’s apparel revolved around dancewear and activewear. You can sense a bit of Flashdance inspiration in modern clothing with the reappearance of leggings and asymmetrical details. Some of the most remembered items of clothing from the 80s which was influenced by Flashdance are oversized sweatshirts, leggings, leotards, and bodysuits. Flashdance didn’t just influence fashion in the 80’s, trends from this era are still being worn and recycled today.

Although these fashion pieces are coming back in trend they have had a modern twist put on them to modernise them.

A few of these trends consist of wearing sweatshirts and leggings with big chunky trainers, bodysuits paired with a blazer or cardigan over the top and asymmetrical hemlines. The idealised body shape of this era was athletic, powerful and toned.

The fact that these trends are still around today after 40 years shows how much of an influence this era had on fashion.

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Political figures Margaret Thatcher is said to have helped define ‘Power Dressing’ in the 80’s.

Not only will Thatcher’s political legacy endure for decades to come but her fashion legacy also will. Thatcher’s dress sense has arguably set the bar for how female politicians dress today, conservative and powerful whilst still being feminine. "Thatcher was definitely the first political power dresser, and she set the standard for consistency," Kate Betts, fashion journalist and author of Everyday Icon: Michelle Obama and the Power of Style, wrote in an email. "Style is all about being consistent, isn't it?" ("Margaret Thatcher Set the Bar for Power Dressing", 2020). Thatcher stuck to a signature dress sense throughout her life, her public image was mainly centred around a uniform of ‘power; skirt suits which often had exaggerated shoulder pads, pearl necklaces, pussy-bow blouses and her notorious Asprey handbag. For Thatcher, these pieces of clothing were her armour, she one said “I’m always safe in it” ("Margaret Thatcher Set the Bar for Power Dressing", 2020). Margaret Thatcher’s shoulder padded suits offered her way to visually resemble herself with her male co-workers and distance her femininity from her public office.

As more women were gaining jobs in predominantly male led workplaces, they wanted to dress in the same way Thatcher did so as not to feel alienated by the men. This cultural shift in society meant that women were gaining more respect in the workplace. Dressing for success carried on growing from the 70s. The increase in disposable income and wealth brought about by Margaret Thatcher for the upper class as well as more women gaining higher paid jobs meant a boom in luxury consumerism. In 1984 a puppet show called ‘Margaret Thatcher Spitting Image’ was broadcasted to the nation. Spitting Image was a show which made ‘fun’ of political figures in the 80’s. Margaret Thatcher was the most memorable character from the show as well as the most-frequently appearing. The show took a very anti-Thatcher approach, Thatcher’s puppet was made to look even more evil every series, she was portrayed as an outright fascist. Thatcher’s puppet reflected her clothing style and everyday parliamentary wear such as a navy blazer and a blue blouse.

The show exaggerated Thatcher’s fashion and by the second series her puppet was dressed in a suit and smoking a cigar insinuating she dressed like a man.

In period between 1979 and 1987, the feminist movement was growing rapidly with public figures from actresses to female political influencers as well as musicians.

As Americans were finding their fashion inspiration from TV shows such as Dynasty, the Brits were finding theirs from the powerful female political figures. Whilst researching into these influential women I decided to look further into Margaret Thatcher, also known at the time as ‘Iron Lady’. Margaret Thatcher was voted the first and only female Prime Minister in 1979 and remained in her position until November 1990. As she was the first female Prime Minister she had a great impact on political, social, economic and fashion changes over this era. Margaret Thatcher’s election gave women hope that they could be seen as powerful and hard working. She normalised female success and showed that although female power and masculine power may be seen in different ways, they are equally strong and valid. Margaret Thatcher was given the title of “the great unsung heroine of British feminism”. Although Margaret Thatcher was seen as an inspiring and influential figure by many, it was a topic that often caused and still does Figure 13 cause a debate.

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FASHION BRANDS GIORGIO ARMANI Fashion brands played a huge part in the influence the 80s had on fashion. Fashion logos and labels were the ultimate status symbol in the 80s and you were seen to be very fashionable if you wore these, whether that be head to toe in designer gear or just a few designer accessories. At this time logo free clothes were very difficult to find. Brand names became increasingly more important as the 80s went on, some of these brands were Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Donna Karan and Giorgio Armani. The 80s saw the start of menswear designers showcasing bespoke tailoring, brands such as the ones mentioned changed the landscape of bespoke custom tailoring and fashion in general. Names such as these were incredibly influential on fashion in the 80s and remain influential still to this day. Ralph Lauren was considered to have designed the power suit of the 80’s.

In the 70s Lauren started to expand, first he created a full range of clothing for men, and then in 1971 he began creating women’s fashion. Ralph Lauren created some of the most iconic clothing pieces for both men and women.

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Giorgio Armani was also a hugely influential fashion designer in the 80’s, and had a significant impact on the design of a suit.

In 1975, Armani founded his label and started creating unlined and unconstructed mens jackets. This jacket was loose, informal and most importantly comfortable. This new way of tailoring was the beginning point of his popularity throughout the era and still to this day. Due to his men;s suit being as successful as it was he went on to design a women’s suit. Armani designed a deconstructed womens suit using highly refined menswear fabric. This suit included broad padded shoulders and widened lapels. This suit allowed women to feel powerful and confident. Armani was the first fashion designer since Christian Dior to appear on the cover of the Time magazine in 1982. From this point on the popularity for the power suit increased rapidly.

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CONCLUSION To conclude, there were many various aspects of popular culture which I believe influenced fashion in the 1980s, and still now in the 21st century.

It is quite evident that the 80s was an influential era to fashion as many of the trends from then have been carried through to today, more than 40 years later. This shows how much of an influence the era had to still be popular all these years later.

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REFERENCES

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