The Revival of the 80s

THE REVIVAL OF THE

By: Alexandre Torri Staff Writer

Recently, there has been a resurgence of fashion trends, hairstyles and technology from decades past - especially from the 1980s. The revival can be seen in people of all ages, but mostly in high schoolers and college students.

According to www.wearzeitgeist.com, "Somewhere along the way, our Cher-loving, Madonna-worshipping, LL Cool J-listening, Princess Diana-obsessed parents must have rubbed off on our subconsciousness." Most fashion trends that are coming back owe massive thanks to celebrities. Everyone from Madonna to Princess Diana have served as inspiration for fashion designers and college students alike. Cindy Crawford, a famous 1980s model, has been seen returning to her leather jackets.

Hairstyles have also come and gone through the decades, with many 1980s styles coming back. According to www. cosmopolitan.com, "Unlike some of the, uh, questionable hairstyles of the decade (see: choppy mullets and deep-ass side parts), the '80s looks that are resurfacing in 2021 are actually really cute." Each decade brings forth big changes. The 1970s were all about long, straight hair. However, during the 80s it was all about volume. Although many styles are coming back, the biggest three are blowouts, high ponytails and shags.

1980s hairstyles for men are coming back as well, especially mullets. I can agree with most women out there when I say… no thank you. University of St. Francis juniors, Leslie Delgado and Afreen Mushtaheed, both agree that this resurgence is a bad idea, stating, “It’s just not attractive.” If you are someone who doesn’t know what a mullet is, then consider yourself to be lucky. However, if you are curious, just watch the movie "Joe Dirt." You'll see that men also had bigger and more voluminous hair back then. Hair in the 1980s was gender fluid, with most styles being worn by everyone.

Since we're talking about hair, Hair Bands were a very popular genre of music in the 80s, and we even see them today. Popular Hair Bands that you have probably heard of include: Mötley Crüe, Kiss, Quiet Riot and Twisted Sister. These bands inspired so many others and have made their mark on music history. Today, we can see Hair Bands returning as cover bands or with their own, unique sound.

Inspired by Motley Crue, Black Veil Brides was formed in the early 2000s. According to www.noisecreep.com, “A mix of metalcore and hair metal, Black Veil Brides … [is] constantly made-up to look like 'Shout at the Devil' era Mötley Crüe.” Another band that has that 1980s Hair Band style is Greta Van Fleet. Formed in 2012, the band rocks long, big hair with Led Zeppelin style music.

Fashion trends aren't the only thing making a comeback. Certain technology is also rising in popularity - specifically polaroids, vinyls and cassette tapes. According to StudyBreaks, one reason these technologies have made a return is pure nostalgia. Another reason I think they're becoming popular again is because of the Netflix TV show, "Stranger Things." When younger people watched the show, they instantly became infatuated with the 1980s style that it depicted.

According to www.readersdigest.co.uk, vinyls have made a comeback with audiences under 35 years old. People say that the reason they listen to vinyl is because they want a better music experience. Another piece of technology that is becoming popular again partly because of the show is cassettes.

Because of the Netflix original, I, myself, own a cassette tape player. The Marvel film, "Guardians of the Galaxy," has also provided some 1980s nostalgia by showing a cassette player in most of the transitional scenes in the movies. According to www.forbes.com, "Connexion France reported that 'in 2018, more than 219,000 [tapes] were sold in the United States, compared to 178,000 in 2017.'"

Many artists nowadays have a retro style to them and have started to sell vinyls and cassette tapes along with CDs. Singers such as Billie Eilish, Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift are some of the many that have decided to start releasing their music on different formats. The 1980s seemingly never go out of style - what's old is now new. My family, as pictured here, look like they could fit right into 2021 with their style and hair. The 80s aren't a trend; they're a part of our culture.

Tanya, Karen, Christine '88