..........the 80's that is. Most of that decade I spent in & out of frumpy maternity clothes, but in between I was guilty of......
flippy over-coloured bobs
flippy over-coloured bobs
hideous legwarmers worn with equally atrocious leotards exercising to that tape
one of these
frou frou dresses
trowelled on makeup
too much Black Tower
polka dot shoes to match the polka dot dress
elaborate cocktail parties with fussy canapes
honeydew melon slices wrapped in prosciutto
gallons of French Onion Soup
serving food on over-patterned china
drooling over Eric (still do!)
dancing with the girls to Spandau & the Mullets
and sneaking the occasional one of these
So now I've fessed up, have I left anything of cringeworthy note out? And the first to leave a comment about not even being born in the eighties goes straight to the Millie Sin Bin & will be made to eat 10 prawn cocktails in a row washed down with a bottle of Blue Nun!
Image 1: Fashion Image 2: Unknown Image 3: Edmunds Image 4: Samaya Image 5: All Posters Images 6,8,9,10,11,14: Vogue Image 7: Zsazsu Image 12: Laughing Sam Image 13: Blend
It's only when you see it all gathered in one place that you realise how truly ghastly the 80s were - what was everyone thinking! Leigh
ReplyDeleteUgh! how I remember giant shoulder pads, spiral perms. I used to think the 70's was the worst fashion decade. I've changed my mind.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great way to finish my day!!!! How i do identify with it all, although living on the other side of the world! Loved your post!!!!
ReplyDeletethanks for making me go back! just put a smile on my face!!!!
have a sweet day,
Rosa
Great list of wonderful\horrible things. I would add - shoulder pads (which even went into T shirts), jumpers tied around the waist because we were so self conscious, white frilly shirts with everything, big off the shoulder T-shirts, Duran Duran as well as the Spandaus, Blue light discos (well I was only a little teenager), Ra Ra skirts, Shag haircuts, grasshopper cocktails, and getting sunburnt!!! Oh I would love to go back, but wouldn't really want to be 13 again!
ReplyDeleteOh Millie, this is a great post....it really made me giggle!!
ReplyDeleteBlack Tower....I remember that!!
Linda Evans and "Dynasty"....fabulous!!! Those Carringtons.
And Spandau Ballet have now reformed and are about to start another tour. Tony Hadley (the lead singer) lives locally...he's another one I see jogging in the woods! He's quite a hottie these days though....a friend of mine has a real thing for him.....a few months back he picked up her baby's bottle in the supermarket....his dazzling smile took her right back to those teenage years, she couldn't speak!! She was very embarassed afterwards when she told us all - she's now a very competent teacher and mother of 5 :)
I think my favourite image might just be the polka dot court shoes, peep toe no less.....does anything say 1980's more than those??!!
Brilliant post, I'm still smiling....and trying not to think about my own 80's fashion disasters.....good thing everyone else has them too :)
Oh Millie - Blue Nun would be torture indeed!
ReplyDelete*Sigh* the 80's... What a great post! It's like all 10 years in a little capsule.
I'm not sure which is Spandau - but Mullet number three, top right... I OWNED that hair. To think at that time, men used as much hair spray as women!
I'm sure the ozone layer is greatly relieved I have laid off the salon visits since then!
Do you remember a few years ago there was an 80's revival in fashion. I couldn't work out what they were thinking because the fashion of the 80's was B ghastly the first time round. You forgot oversized shoulder pads which Linda Evans did beautifully. The rest of us looked like jockeys masquerading as Grid Iron players. Yes, the 80's I remember it well. Pink Champagne, Falcon Crest, Dynasty, Crunchy hair with so much product in it.....they were the days.
ReplyDeleteI didn't smoke, but wore really big Madonna earrings instead. Yikes. Why anyone would want to bring that decade back I will never know.
ReplyDeleteI was partial to a drag on a St Moritz myself Millie...although on my cheaper days I might have puffed on an Alpine or two ;) xv
ReplyDeleteMillie
ReplyDeleteWhat about Fondue's and all that double dipping. Or was that the
70's.
Kind regards
Karen
Oh Millie,
ReplyDeleteWhat a great post. I can identify with most of those things. Embarressing to admit it but I so loved shoulder pads and had forgotten that they were also in t-shirts until one of your readers commented, seriously I had to ween myself off them. I reckon I was one of the last people in Tassie to stop wearing them. Loved Dynasty, although sometimes I was sent to bed. I used to sneak out and try to watch it from the passage until Mum and Dad got wise and closed the door!!! Used to wear the ra ra skirts and if I could I would have had a perm like the rest. Now it is curly and I still like it "big" by todays standards. Oh and Spandau Ballet oh I still love them. I was watching Rockwiz a few months back and the lead singer was on there (he is still so HOT). I've been seriously thinking of buying a CD of theirs (how sad is that). All these confessions, Millie. You will not have to force feed me the prawns and alcohol, but if you must I certainly wouldn't complain.
Take Care
Janine
XXOO
N.W. Coast Tassie
Oh Millie...... St. Moritz with that 'elegant' gold band...I've had a few of them in my time and Dunhill International....did you have them ?(gave up years ago but sit next to anyone who's indulging).....and Blue Nun..revolting...tasted like anti-freeze !!
ReplyDeleteCouldn't do any of Jane Fonda's exersises...they were impossible to do, but I did and still do love Eric Clapton. My husband looks a bit like him too.
Great post that brought back brilliant (but unsavory) memories. Thanks, Mills. XXXX
haha this is so funny...well i certainly remember these cringeworthy details although i was very young (hey at least i was born in the 80s!)...and don't forget the scrunchies, which lasted all of the 90s too!
ReplyDeletex
you are truly hilarious... how did we live thru that??? i agree with brabourne... what were we all thinking??? xx pam
ReplyDeleteMillie- I remember it all and confess to liking most of it at the time... I repeat...at the time!
ReplyDeleteOh my- it makes me wonder what we'll be thinking 20 years from now... wonderful post- as always darlin'.
I am not a big fan of the 80's as you know but there were some good things.
ReplyDeleteGreat movies from the 80's - why else would they be remaking them now.
I was in college so that was a good thing too.
Miss Millie, Hilarious post! Fabulous! I loved the eighties. I had just graduated from 5 long, poverty stricken years at Uni and I was free! I travelled the world with all my worldly possessions in my back pack. Loved the music, love the fashions. The music lives on, either as covers now, by the current young folk, or by the originals.... now all wrinkley and still kickin' on. The music was timeless, it really was. If it wasn't for the eighties, my little 11 year old would not be a smokin' hot electric guitar dude. His favourites - Huey Lewis And The News and Dire Straits. We're still trapped in a 80's music time warp in this household with a little bit of classical music and ACDC thrown in for good measure. Rock on 80's! A-M xx
ReplyDeleteMiss Millie, your so funny!!
ReplyDeleteI absolutely loved the eighties, it was one of the best times of my life. However I'm not sure about the polka dot shoes, I only had stripes.
I don't remember the Black Tower, I only drank Rum & coke.
If I had legs like Jane now I would still wear leg warmers,
and very happy to drive a Range Rover, but maybe a black one.
Absolutely loved Dynasty, a stylist dream job.
I still love over patterned plates, the new hottest collecting item in china and I think it is a real treat when someone makes canapes these days.
Not sure about the mullet, never liked it then either.
My girlfriends all smoked St Moritz, I was a B & H girl,we all were at Vogue.
This was one of the best times of my life, however I must admit I did have some very strange clothes when I look back at some of the photos, but at the time I thought I was pretty cool.
I wore hats to work most days through winter. Little pill box hats and groovy brown felt hats to match my very groovey 'Prue Acton" (who I adore) skirts that were full of such glorious details. Perfectly described as a scrapbook style dress.
Bring back the eighties, memories and all. That was the time when I had the tiniest waist and dark eyebrows.
From you wacky friend,
xxx Coty
NOW THIS IS WHY I LOVE YOU!!!!!!
ReplyDelete(heaven help you if you threw those leggings away, there BAAACK!)
and girl, theres nothing more lovely than polka dot shoes and dress..except maybe wearing them to a duran duran concert!
love love love this post, and you!
xo
Lisa
coastal nest
quilty of almost all of those sins except the ciggies. Did I just admit that?
ReplyDeleteKaren
Hubby and I have just started re-watching that 80's television show, "Thirtysomething." It's caused some serious fashion flashbacks...let's just say that I was no stranger to the shoulder pad and Hubby had a mullet. :o Trina
ReplyDeleteI so want to see the photos of you with that hair! Tracey xx
ReplyDeleteOh Millie at the time I loved the 80's thinking I was quite the hip young thing! Now I look at these images and realise there might have been some great times, but it so wasn't a good look! The scariest thing though - a few weeks back Brunnel & I went to an '80's party, and it seems with very little effort I stepped straight back into the era - mullet hair and kindergarten committee suit I think some unkind person said! xx
ReplyDeleteDon't remind me!!! I remember getting married in the 80's baby's breath in hair, huge bow and of course hot pink bridesmaids with super curly permed hair Yuk! but its kinda of funny, great post as always xxxxx
ReplyDeleteOh Millie
ReplyDelete'How Embrassment!'
Yes well I think most of my salary during the eighties went on power suits [or so we thought], big hair bills for big hair do's and colour coordinated shoes [well almost].
Too SAD... haha.. I just found a pic of me from a ball I went to.. the dress isn't too bad.. only a little frou frou... but the hair! arggg.. my old passport had that hair.. and big glasses! I feel ill now have thinking about, not to mention the cheap wine! .. hahaha.. Well, never did do the menthols.. the real thing for me. Great post as always..x Julie
I watching all of this!!! Teen and young 20s through the 80s!!! FUN FUN FUN times!!!
ReplyDeleteOh Millie, what a fun post and I could relate to all of those, except the cigs.
ReplyDeleteDire Straits and Duran Duran were my favourites, I did and still like Eric Clapton too.
That brought back such lovely memories and a giggle, thanks.
Hugs
Carolyn
i used to sneak dunhill menthols....until i stopped sneaking them.
ReplyDeleteyou know. the shoulder pads are on their way back into fashion.
it is related to the economy.
bad times, big shoulders.
xx
What a fun/sad trip down memory lane. I taught junior high school during the 80s. Thirteen-year olds take everything to extreme, so you can imagine the 'fashion statements' I've witnessed. Thanks for the laughs.
ReplyDelete