How to Wear the ‘80s Trend Without Looking Too Extra

From Harper's BAZAAR

I wasn’t alive in the ‘80s and growing up, I always felt extremely blessed to have missed out on all the shoulder pads, poufy dresses, and giant Aqua Net-filled perms I made fun of in old family photos of my mom and aunts.

It was the decade I’d turn to for every thematic dress-up day at school because it was so over-the-top and something I’d never, ever wear in real life. But then something slowly began to happen: Puff-sleeved dresses started popping up on the runways, Hedi Slimane turned Saint Laurent into an Eighties dance party, and I discovered the icon that was Joan Collins as Alexis Carrington Colby while falling into a hole of old Dynasty episodes. Suddenly, I wanted to dress exactly like the people I used to make fun of in retro photos because, FASHUN!

Puff-sleeved tops and dresses, strong-shouldered power suits, and even bike shorts have all staged comebacks in the last few seasons-from the runway to just about every influencer on Instagram. But instead of dying down, the ‘80s revival only seems to be revving up to more extreme heights, with shoulder pads becoming more prominent and puffed party dresses turning into daywear. And in the spirit of this year’s Met Costume Exhibition, one has to wonder: Is it camp?

The exaggerated theme of the Met Gala red carpet and coinciding exhibit is a reminder that fashion is often at its best when it doesn’t take itself too seriously. Similarly, the return of the ‘80s-an era which undoubtedly took itself entirely too seriously-feels a bit tongue-in-cheek and maybe even ironic this time around.

As with most things in 2019, the Eighties camp trend first caught my attention on Instagram when a bout of influencers began wearing Rotate, a new Danish brand that’s made exaggerated party dresses cool again. Its giant puff-sleeved mini dresses (done in hot pink jacquard and black satin) began popping up all over my feed.

In a time when the overall state of fashion feels pretty stagnant and boring (please, no more minimal slip dresses), the dramatic 1980s nostalgia was the only thing that felt exciting to me. I wanted to buy into the trend, but truly had no idea where someone could actually wear an ‘80s party dress in the Year of Our Lord 2019. I don’t know about you, but I’m not going to many fancy dinner parties, nor am I even staying out past 9 p.m. these days. So when I ordered my Rotate dress, I decided to test drive its wearability by going to one of my favorite hot spots: Whole Foods.

I immediately learned you carry yourself entirely differently while wearing towering shoulder pads. It’s a look that says, watch me scam you out of millions and then sip a dry martini deviously afterwards. I suddenly completely understood why people dressed like this in the 1980s, because it makes you feel one hundred percent like THAT BITCH. A few heads turned, but this is New York so mostly no one was really phased by my pink party dress, enormous crystal drop earrings, and ruffled polka dot pumps in the snack aisle at 2 p.m. on a Tuesday.

I quickly became obsessed with Dynasty-inspired fashion and started making ‘80s mood boards on Instagram. Game of Thrones was cool, I’m sure, but have you ever seen the O.G. Alexis Carrington slap Krystle in the face while wearing shoulder pads bigger than Mount Everest? That’s the kind of television that really changes you. The Instagram account @WhatAlexisWore (tracking all of Joan Collins' ultra-glam outfits on Dynasty) became my new go-to, further fueling my obsession of the look.

But if I’m being honest, while the Rotate dress and Alessandra Rich earrings were really fun, I wanted to figure out how to channel the Decade of Greed in a way that felt slightly less extra than my Whole Foods run. The middle-ground, I discovered, was in heart-shaped accessories, and moderately puffed sleeves and shoulder pads that you can style with jeans for a more modern take on the look.

I found a ton of ‘80s-worthy blouses from C/Meo Collective-with shoulder pads that felt fancy without breaking the bank or making me look completely over the top. From BaubleBar to Oscar de la Renta, there’s a wide variety of playful heart earrings that feel just the right amount of kitsch. The end result? A Working Girl-approved look that doesn’t look like it’s working too hard. But it’s still fun, glam, and Alexis Carrington-approved.

Is it camp? Who really knows anymore, but if you’re looking to be excited by fashion again, now’s the time to pump up the volume (literally) of the ‘80s trend.

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