Thursday 28 October 2010

Acceptable In The Eighties


I'm not a fan of 1980's fashion but was quite excited to come across a bag of remarkably well-preserved Eighties clothes at this morning's car boot sale. The nice lady kindly let me have the lot for £5. As you made my day with the lovely comments you left yesterday I thought I'd spoil you and dress up in some of my 1980's haul.

Arte pencil skirt with suede fringe and blinging brass buttons and Club Tropicana purple lycra lace crop top worn with a Kangol angora beret.

Arte was a fabulous boutique in Birmingham City Centre back in the day. It was decorated in an decadent 1920's style and sold stylish clothes and stunning Art Deco-inspired jewellery at prohibitively expensive prices. Needless to say it was way out of my price range so I'm rather pleased with this skirt.


So you think the Aviator trend is new? No, think again. Us 1980's chicks were rocking the tan leather, high-waisted denim and buckled boots before today's fashionistas were even born.


Tan batwing leather jacket by Rave Leathers worn with a black lycra bodysuit and some West German stone wash high-waisted jeans. I've had the pirate boots since the dawn of time.


These jeans have buckles at the waistband and press-studs running up the sides. Keepers or sellers? 

A snow-washed biker-style denim jacket from Kit. Snow-washed denim was the pink velour tracksuit of it's day, never a stylish choice.

Cropped rayon Indian-made blouse with a cut-out back. I'm sure TopShop were flogging something similar earlier this year.

C&A high-waisted, carrot leg cropped trousers with a self-belt. These look exactly the same as the stuff currently available in the shops, no wonder I find high street fashion boring, it's all been done before.

38 comments:

  1. To me the 80s are the top of fashion fredom. Love, love the 80s. You look stunning in those high waisted trousers. wooooooooooooowwwwwwwwwwwwwww.
    Really guapa!!!
    When, am i going to get a nice lady in a car boot sale to let me have a bag of 80s clothes for 5 pounds???????? Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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  2. Whoa! Thats taken me back in time, especially those stonewashed jeans and the batwings. As for those jeans - definately keepers xxx

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  3. Only you could pull off the 80's!!! I can't say the pants or jeans do it for me,but the shirt & skirt are pretty cool!! I laugh when I see girls out in their 80's styles,thinking they are soooo hip!!Been there,done that indeed!! I am very grateful I was a Goth,though.Snow wash denim simply wasn't on my radar!!
    LOVE Helga xxxXXXxxx

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  4. LOVE those high waisted jeans, they are perfect on you. I hated the acid wash stuff too, but i think i was a slave to fashion and wore a jacket very similar to that one, fashion over common sense, but hey we are all allowed mistakes arn't we?!! (and i think i was only about 10)....

    Sharron xxxx

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  5. Love ur pirate boots!! and you totally rock the high waisted jeans!! On a separate note, just read yesterday that peplum was in fashion in 40s and 80s..Do you have peplum outfits? would love to see..

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  6. Hi my dear-this is a fab treat for me, I love the 80s and these outfits are just adorable! My favourites here are the jean combo and the fringed skirt and purple lycra top! Pleeese keep the jeans, I love them on you!! xx

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  7. Ahh snow wash denim what crimes were committed in this. (Apart from just wearing it I mean)

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  8. Great fashion show Vix, those jeans have to be keepers!

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  9. I love your pirate boots x

    Great outfits x

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  10. Oh yes that took me back. I was a stunning 80's gal with a huge perm in a black batwing leather jacket over a white flying suit! As you say it all comes round time and again, it makes me smile to think that I have worn it all before, or is that grimace :)
    Kandi x

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  11. My best friend used to have a snow washed jacket like that...we used to share it :)
    I love your pirate boots they are gorgeous! Have a lovely evening xxx

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  12. You look beautiful as always, Vix :)
    thanks for the well wishes, my brother still awaits surgery ! I swear, I think they'll have to re-break them again, slow-pokes........
    I am NOT a fan of the frivolous 80's myself. I hated shoulder pads and "power suits". so much clothing was over-priced and un-natural looking. and the jeans made me look awful ;)
    I loved your post yesterday as well :)
    You are a power house !!!
    Are you still up for an interview ???
    I'm gonna look and see when my anniversary is.
    sometime next week i think , i never really kept up on it :)
    Your parcel will be coming around the first or 2nd week of Nov. as well. i hope they fit ;)

    Back to the 80's.
    Disco. Cocaine. Plastic and styrofoam. Excess.
    x x x x
    reva :)

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  13. No, 80s isn't my favourite period, either. But there are still some nice ideas... and these high-waisted trousers and boots look pretty great on you. xxx

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  14. oh, keep the jeans!!!They remind me of being a geeky 11 year old who had just discovered fashion,magazines and Adam Ant!!They are beautiful.By the way, I remember Arte!!

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  15. You are rocking the look! That is so true about the stonewash denim - I hated it then and now.
    I also just caught up with you previous post it was fabulous xx

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  16. A very good haul! I do find myself being drawn to 80's fashion for some reason!

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  17. If there's something I love from the 80s the high waist pants are it! I love it in all styles, I think it's much more flattering to a lady than the super low jeans.
    As always, you rocked the looks! ;)
    Have a lovely Friday!

    Jungle World Citizen

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  18. Arte! Blimey. A blast from the past. Sahme that the Oasis market has survived and that hasn't. xxx

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  19. Oh acid wash denim still makes me laugh - if you lived through it once huh! The lavender lace top looks great on you; it is always all about colour ;)

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  20. Dear Vix, you always look fantastic in everything, but out of all of it the jeans are my absolute favourite. You definitely should keep them. I loved your post yesterday by the way xx

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  21. that jacket is awesome and the floral top's to die for! Great haul Vix

    x

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  22. I love the leather jacket with the boots! Trés chic. It has indeed all been done before, that's for certain. You though, I'm certain, have never done it the same way as anyone else!

    You look fabulous as usual. And you are right about that jacket: yikes.

    heart: Kimberellie

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  23. Man I hate the 80s, no one I knew looked like you do here, my etched memory is walking about five metres behind my Dad and Stepmum in their matching shellsuits. If that ever comes back I'm giving up clothes completely, it'll be cold but it'll be worth it

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  24. I really rather love you in that last outfit. The blouse is fab. I can't like the jeans though - sorry! However, the pirate boots completely distract me so it's all good :)

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  25. Yep, once we get to a certain age, the high street is ... yawn!!!! Now for your treasures: the Arte skirt - you're so lucky to bag that one. As for the jeans: DO NOT get rid of - you look so bang on rockin' in them, you've got the perfect little figure! Oh god the snow-washed jacket is bringing me out in hives - they were EVERYWHERE when I lived in London in the 80s - shudder. But 20+ years on, it would be interesting to play with. xoxo

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  26. Oh BTW - would you email me? I wanted to ask you something ... it's a good thing:). Thanks so much xo

    pullyoursocksup@mail.com

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  27. The high waisted jeans are killers! And that rayon blouse is to die for. You rock each and every look. Have a great weekend ahead, rockstar!

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  28. Not sure about 80s fashion myself, probably don't remember enough of it..Not that keen on most of the 80s throwbck things which get sold over and over again in evans and the like..
    That blouse is rather nice with the cutout back :)
    What will you do with all your 80s finds?

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  29. 2nd and the 3dr outfit are fabulous!

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  30. Snow wash: I'd forgotten about that awful look! I had a pair of turquoise buckle high-waisted trousers back in the 80s; I absolutely loved them and wore them to death.

    Great buy for a fiver!

    Shirl xxx

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  31. Snow wash denim they were the days, I had my skirt and jacket and thought that I was the ants pants. I really like the high waisted cropped trousers they are gorgeous.

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  32. Oh! Now I want one of those high waisted jeans for myself ... They look awesome on you!

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  33. A whole bag of delights for £5, you are so lucky! A perfect 80s dress-up session. Some of them are definitely keepers, it all puts high street fashion to shame, when you’ve got the original ones right here xx

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  34. Love that leather jacket, it looks amazing on you!

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  35. Fab eighties clothes Vix. I really don`t like the snow wash denim tho, takes me back to when the "older" girls hung round the shopping centre with crimped hair in a pineapple, stripey blusher and terrible jackets lol! Love the pirate boots! Dx

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  36. Dear Vix,
    I like the first two outfits but I’m not overly keen on the third one, even though I believe I actually had one of those bold print, cutout blouses back in the day.
    The second outfit wouldn’t look out of place today, especially with those Vivienne Westwood-esque pirate boots.
    I’ve got a very similar suede jacket to your one & I think it rocks, I bought it a couple of years ago from my vintage dealer for £2, I haven’t actually worn it yet but its time will come, I’m sure!
    I think the secret with 80s clobber is to not go the whole hog but to incorporate one key piece into a contemporary outfit, however in this I do not always myself practise what I preach ;)
    Lots of love,
    …xXx

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Lots of love, Vix