80s fashion. We thought it would never come back to haunt us, but somehow it did, and suddenly we find leggings, neon and Raybans filling the stores once more.
But how on earth are you supposed to wear 80s fashion items in the "noughties" without looking like a tragic throwback? Here are some ideas
Leggings
Worn in the 80s over huge, batwinged sweaters and oversized tees, the key to making leggings work for you these days is to layer them. And then layer them some more. Think of leggings, not as pants (Heaven forbid!) but as hosiery, and wear them with dresses and skirts to create a look that's warm in the winter, and will let you get away with shorter skirts than you'd otherwise dare to wear in the warmer months.
Legwarmers
Remember Flashdance? That's not the look we're going for these days, so relax. Leggings are no longer worn over leotards and leggings (see above), but under tall boots in the winter. They'll keep your legs toasty, make those too-wide boots fit your legs better, and they look pretty cute, too. And if you're really hankering after the 'Kids from Fame' look, you can always wear them around the house
Neon
Neon featured heavily on the catwalks for Spring/Summer 08, and we're starting to see lots of it filtering through to the stores. The key to this look is always "less is more", so rather than going for neon dresses, skirts, sweaters or pants, choose brightly coloured accessories instead you're much less likely to regret them later!
Finally, it's always good to remember that not all fashion trends were created equal. Eighties trends like huge shoulder pads, power suits and poodle perms are probably best left back in the decade that created them!
Amber McNaught is the editor of
The Fashion Police, a blog dedicated to the good, bad and downright ugly side of the world of fashion. Read The Fashion Police guide to
80's fashion.
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