The Good and the Bad of ‘80s Retro Fashion
If you’re wondering when questionable ‘80s fashions will eventually get off the racks, don’t be prepared for it any time soon. As with clothing, handbags are also receiving the 1980s treatment. Studs, animal print, and bright colors aside, another ‘80s style making its way onto leather handbags has been large bows. Although these have been seen on belts for the past year, O.C. actress Rachel Bilson was seen recently with such an ’80s inspired handbag. Combining two questionable trends, Bilson’s leather purse has a large leather bow on top with studs. Now, back in the ‘80s, this would’ve called for knotting up a standard leather purse with a large bow and piercing the surface with one of those do-it-yourself rhinestone kits – or else you could’ve purchased a similar designer handbag. And, the former is what exactly Bilson’s handbag looks like, except it costs about 50 times more. Now only if she had the do-it-yourself studded denim jacket to match – or maybe not.
Ra Ra Skirts, wayfarers, and studded leather were popular in 1989, as seen on The Coreys and Meredith Salenger in Dream a Little Dream. Right, O.C. actress Rachel Bilson sports an '80s looking purse.
Perhaps this trend will lead designers to start designing their shirts, jackets, and handbags with puff paint-like materials and even more rhinestones, but hopefully not, as most people probably don’t want to look like they stepped out of a late ‘80s teen movie like Dream a Little Dream or a show like Saved by the Bell. Studs and big bows might have looked appropriate for teenagers at the time, such as Meredith Salenger or Tiffani Thiessen on or off the set, but the look doesn’t really seem to translate well for adult fashion in 2009.
At the moment, even with studs, big bows, and acid wash making a comeback, the look seems too childish for adults. Think of it this way, while Kelly Kapowski on Saved by the Bell looked good in the fashions at the time, would she still look appropriate wearing the same style of clothing in her 30s? In fact, going back to the Saved by the Bell comparison, the character even changed her look by the time Saved by the Bell: the College Years was on the air. So, in the present, who should be wearing this retro ‘80s look? Teens, probably and appropriately. Adults? Find something less gaudy, unless you happen to find yourself in Hollywood.