Hi,
I am 17 years old and my girlfriend wants me to go to an 80's themed teen dance/party with her.  I already found alot of info here, anyone have any additional suggestions on how I should dress.  I always wear my hat to the side, should I wear it differently, or leave it off?  Someone mentioned a shirt with the colar sticking up, and socks pulled up high...is that 80's?  
I think I already do an 80's thing...I wear a plastic Swatch watch (and I wear it with the buckle on the top of my wrist...someone seen how I wear it and said he thought that was popular in the late 80's...is that true? )
Thank you very much for any suggestions.
Jason
 

It depends on the hat.  Better leave it off just in case.  As for shirts, don't put the collar up if it's a full button down shirt.  Collar up only referred to polo shirts.  Socks pulled up high?  For a guy, I don't think it matters.  I guess you don't have a Swatch guard for your Swatch?  Wear Nike's or Reaboks and if you can find the type of shades that Tom Cruise wore in Risky Business that is really 80's.

Skinny tie and roll up your jeans or leather trousers.

Check out some classic 80s flicks for suggestions. A great one: "Valley Girl" with Nicolas Cage (aka Nick Coppola), "Sixteen Candles", "Pretty in Pink", or "Breakfast Club" all with Molly Ringwald. Dress like Ducky from "Pretty in Pink" and you're all set. Don't remember the Swatch watch buckle side up, but you've got the brand right. Have fun, like totally, for sure!

I didn't llike Nic Cage's clothes. Duckie is much better!

Thanks for all the suggestions

-Jason

Skinny tie and roll up your jeans or leather trousers.

I used to wear those skinny ties at work. Maybe I wanted to look like Rick Ocasek!  Though, they actually made me look a little like Pee-Wee Herman when I was 17.
:-[

  ^Jr. High School (1980-1982)...parents were probably still dressing me at this stage...


Your parents had it down! It's the look I like the most.  8)

I think I already do an 80's thing...I wear a plastic Swatch watch (and I wear it with the buckle on the top of my wrist...someone seen how I wear it and said he thought that was popular in the late 80's...is that true? )
Thank you very much for any suggestions.
Jason
 


Anyone else remember Swatches being worn that way?  I was a HS teacher in the 80's- 90's and I remember around 1989 or early 90s alot of kids did that, I remember a student telling me that they wear Swatches that way.  I don't see that too often now, but my 16 year old son wears his watch like that, just now I asked him why, and he said no reason he just likes  it like that  ::) ::)

Don't remember the Swatch watch buckle side up, but you've got the brand right.


http://www.inthe80s.com/clothes/swatchs.shtml

I posted (link to post) this about Swatches a while ago. 
I used to always wear my Swatch with the buckle on the top of my wrist too.  I remember a lot of kids doing that then (late 80s/early 90s around then).    I was a lifeguard at a water park in Wisconsin when I was in high school and college.  I remember when working at the top of a slide I was hearing people say "look another kid wearing his Swatch like that",  I always had older people ask me why I wear it like that, I just smiled and said "because I'm cool, thats all", and  I remember a small kid saying when he gets a Swatch hes going to wear it like that... I said yep, thats the way we wear them.  I thought this was a regional "trend"  anyone else remember this other places?

Don't forget legwarmers and high top sneakers.

We never wore them buckle side up here in Ohio.  The point was for the face to show because they were so decorative.  We would definitely wear the guards, sometimes 2 and twist them.

The polo shirt with the popped collar and some designer jeans are a good generic representation of the time but I agree with the post above about "The Breakfast Club". It shows 5 different looks from that time. There were different groups and styles that wore certain kinds of clothes.

Early Goth ~ Look at bands like The Cure or Tears For Fears
Metal ~ High tops, skin tight super slim jeans with a concert t-shirt, maybe some leather belts and buckles at random spots on the body, bandanas
New Wave ~ Look at bands like The Cars, Flock Of Seagulls, The Fixx
Punk ~ Just about anything goes as long as it looks poor and grungy or really outlandish
Valley Girl ~ Watch the movie "Valley Girl"
Nerds ~ Flood pants, taped up glasses and a Spock t-shirt (sorry, not trying to be mean to anyone but you know there were people who dressed like this)  :P

There were also any number of people and bands who were emulated
Madonna
Cindy Lauper
The Go-Gos
Wham
Culture Club

There were also the fad clothing items that came and went for a year or so
Panama Jack shirts
Ocean Pacific
I remember for awhile, in about 82 or so I think, this kind of Lawrence of Arabia type hat that was popular. It was like a desert looking hat with two flaps hanging down the back.

Don't forget a blow dryer and lots and lots of mousse for your hair.

  In all these posts I haven't seen the most obvious answer: hair teased up a mile-high and sprayed with Aqua net!

  I went out on Halloween as an 80's girl and I teased up my hair, tied a bow around my head, wore a fishnet top over an off-the-shoulder top, a huge belt low on my hips over a minidress, fishnet stockings, red flats, tons of bracelets, and big dangly earrings.