Junior Clothing of the 1980s

The fashions of the 1980s were extreme.  Outfits were colorful, big and sometimes shocking.  Even though flamboyance was a major theme and almost every one owned a pair of leg warmers, several fashions from the era still survive: leggings, neon colors and shoulder pads, just to name a few.  

Once adorning the legs of ballerinas and dancers in New York, in the 80s leg warmers went mainstream.  Thanks to the popularity of the movie "Flashdance," and the Punk music movement, every teenage girl had a pair. The punk movement co-opted leg warmers as a statement of defiance against the rigid norms of society.  Ballet was seen as prim and proper, and punk rebelled against it.  The leg warmers were primarily worn with dresses, skirts or shorts, oversized and brightly colored.  

The bright neon colors of the leg warmers were also popular on other clothing and fashion accessories.  T-shirts, sunglasses, tights, shoes, anything and everything came in bright, eye-popping colors.  Hip prepsters especially favored neon green and electric pink, as these were considered the “in” colors. 

The “power suit” was introduced in the 80s, and the trickle-down effect for juniors was the inclusion of shoulder pads in tops, casual jackets and sweaters. Shows like “Dynasty” helped to popularize the look from the glamor women portrayed.

One fashion piece from the 80s has become a classic. Leggings come in a variety of lengths and colors, just like they did 25 years ago.  Leggings were worn with everything imaginable and every teenage thought they needed several pair.  They were considered the most fashionable and comfortable fashion accessory of the time and paired with t-shirts and sneakers in the day and lace camisoles and high heel pumps at night.