How to Make Homemade 80s Costumes

Ah, the 80s. How cool they were. When a supermodel actually had a little meat on her bones; MTV literally played music videos; and the dollar had a little more umph! to it. Those of us who remember the original Lady Gaga when she was called Madonna will be the first to tell you that those were some beautiful times. And those times had some special clothing that cannot be duplicated. Or can they?

Because of the apparent interest in, like, 80s fashion, the fashion world is, like, going back to the future. Put on some U2's New Years Day, full version and have a party while getting dressed, 80s style. Fer sher, totally awesome!

For all boytoys (Ladies):  

1. Grab an over-sized sweatshirt or tee shirt. Get a pair of scissors, cut the collar out, and cut off a large piece of the shoulder, your choice of what side to cut off. Shirt can be any collar, but to be truly 80s, go for a neon collar, or just a bright print with lots of pattern. If you want the shoulder to peak out, ala flashdance, don't forget to get a strapless bra. If you want to be a little more modest, grab a white or colored wifebeater, and let it show.


2. Grab some footless tights. They can either be black, white, or both, meaning buy a pair of black ones and a pair of white ones, and cut off one leg each. Slide on both at the same time. Tights doesn't necessarily have to be footless, only if you want to wear some cute little flats without any socks. If you want to really go for it, put some white socks over the black tights, or some black socks over the white tights, and top it off with some low cut black boots. No boots? A pair of penny loafers will do nicely. 


3. Go big with the hair (and don't forget some sprayed in color, while you are at it!) Grab some pressured hair spray and a comb, bend over and start styling until your hair is as high as an old Bon Jovi video ("I'm a cowboy...on a steel horse I ride...I'm wanted-dead or alive"!)


4. Add a big bow. Grab a scarf: black, white, pink, or multi-hued. Your choice. Tie it around your hair, making sure that the bow is sitting on top of the head. 


5. Go big with the fake jewelry. Grab some oversized earrings-different earring for each ear. Don't forget the big bangles and the black rubber bracelets-lots of them.


6. Grab the glitter and lots of makeup, especially fushia lipstick. Be very generous with the neon color eye shadow, rouge and jet black mascara-even if your natural eye lashes are blonde! Apply glitter where necessary, which means your choice. Now you are smokin'!

For the galpals. (Men) 

1. Snag a button down shirt. Bright colors, white or blue are some cool choices. Track down some in your local thrift store.


2. Grab a nice size sweatshirt with room for another shirt underneath. Colors can be your choice.


3. Grab a polo shirt. Wear it under the sweat shirt. Make sure that the polo's collar is sticking up from out of the sweatshirt.


4. Grab a pair of straight leg jeans and some bleach. Wash the jeans in some warm water, adding bleach during the wash cycle. Let the jeans soak before rinsing them. If the bleach stripes aren't good enough for you, be brave, and drip some bleach on choice areas. Allow to sit until dry. Rinse in cold water before tossing into the dryer. Roll jeans up to show off colored socks-but not too high.


5. Grab a belt and a pair of socks that matches your shirt. They can either match the polo shirt, the sweatshirt or the button down.


6. Put on a pair of penny loafers or dock siders. Now you are gnarly, dude!