Dear Oligo Editor: 80′s Revisited
October 20, 2009 by Paulette Beete
Dear Editor:
When it comes to style, I pride myself on being a woman who’s always on trend. But I’ve also heard that if you wore a look the first time around, you’re supposed to take a pass the second time around. As someone who danced to Cyndi Lauper’s “Time after Time” at my senior prom, is it possible to stay on trend during this 80s reemergence without looking like I refuse to grow up?
Sincerely,
Desperately Seeking Style
Dear Desperate:
As a woman of a certain age, I completely feel your pain. I personally have no wish to revisit any part of my youth that involved Aqua Net, Dippity Do, or electric blue eyeliner. I loved my teens and twenties, but the truth is I’d never want to give up all the hard-won balance I’ve matured into. And that’s the key to being both classic and au courant during this (ongoing) 80s redux—balancing 80s details with contemporary silhouettes. Try a studded bootie or an embellished, sportyish LBD if you want to revisit your Sid Vicious crush. Or girls can still have fun by punching up a neutral outfit with a kool aid-colored tote or primping in a Pucci-esque A-line. Leave the bulky shoulder pads in syndication heaven with Krystle Carrington, but feel free to order up a season’s worth of embellished-shoulder blouses and sweaters.
You may have noticed that I’ve yet to mention the “L” word—leggings. Just say no to anything cropped, at all sheer, or that comes in a package labeled “footless tights.” Just say yes to ankle-length, opaque leggings with a fabric weight approximately equal to that of your favorite pair of skinny jeans. (And really, do I honestly need to even mention how I feel about stirrup pants?) As for toppers, keep the fit body conscious but not too tight, and for goodness sake, cover that derriere!
As for those other 80s stalwarts—jumpsuits and harem pants—unless you’re uni-monikered (think Beyonce) or ultra-lithe (hello Kate Moss), this humble editor’s opinion is that one should look, sigh longingly, and leave those bad boys on the runway where they belong.
Now that, my friends, is how this woman of a certain age busts a move.
