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Following the footsteps of the late 60s and 70s, women were growing more and more ambitious and powerful.
Independence and style to prescience over women wanting to be wives and mothers. With such a mentality shift came an exciting and expressive era of lingerie.
Sexuality was embraced and celebrated and 1980’s lingerie styles and trends are still as iconic today as they were back then.
1980’s Pop Culture Influence on Lingerie
People were obsessed with celebrities and their fancy lives. Reality shows like Dynasty were everything at the time and pop culture influence made waves in the lingerie industry.
Watching how the rich lived, dressed, and tried to follow their every move. Celebrities and icons like Alexis Carrington were seen wearing power suits, furs, and huge hats that had an impact on how women saw fashion.
Flashy, flirty, and bold were in!
High-cut, high waisted, and bright colors were all themes of 1980s Lingerie Styles and Trends and it’s in large part due to the standout women in T.V. and music– Madonna, Princess Diana, Jane Fonda, and even Boy George.
This was the age of the centerfold.
The Contrast of 80s Lingerie
Feminine, dainty, frills and texture, soft pastels, and lace were the overarching theme for 1980’s lingerie. This wasn’t unlike decades prior. However, we’re seeing an edgier side to vintage lingerie for the first time.
Fishnets, leather, fringe, mesh, high-cut undies, and low-cut chemises were a stark contrast to anything we’d seen in lingerie. 1980’s lingerie’s edgier side was definitely the catalyst to codpieces, BDSM lingerie, and glam-rack bondage that was to come.
Another lingerie trend that would stick around until modern times was wearing underwear as outerwear.
It ages past, lingerie was a secretive wardrobe meant for only a woman and her husband to experience.
Pop idols including Madonna started wearing thongs, girdles, garter belts, and bras on top of leggings, bodysuits, or on their own. 1980’s lingerie styles and trends were incredibly unique and made massive impacts on the modern approach to luxury undergarments.
1980’s Lingerie Colors
Bright colors were everywhere and neons dominated the market. Wearing heavy makeup, thick and bold eyebrows, and dying huge hairstyles was in. Jewelry was also excessive, people wore enormous earrings and layers of necklaces.
However, most 1980’s lingerie was in soft pastels like Lancaster yellow, lemon leaf green, pale blue, and babydoll pink. The most common were peach and ivory.
So even though these hushed hues and pastel colors were subtle, the bold, trending styles were not.
1980s Lingerie Meets 1980s Athletic Wear
Focusing less on shapes and silhouettes, underwear became modern and fun. Aerobics were popular and were nothing shy of hours filled with thrusting, sweating, breathing heavy, and staring at the opposite sex. Most classes were co-ed making athletic wear an opportunity to show off and stand out.
Thong underwear made it necessary to wear thong bodysuits for exercise. This form-fitting sports apparel also made bras unnecessary. Throw on a headband and legwarmers and you were good to go.
Bodysuits for the bedroom were softer, loose-fitting, featuring lace and cotton, and often had a decorative trim along the bosom or towards the bottom of the garment. Much more understated than the bright, bold, eye-catching bodysuit worn for a workout.
1980’s Camisole Sets
The most popular lingerie of the 80s may have been Camisoles. Most sets were panty shorts with a loose-fitting, spaghetti-strap top. These sets were primarily satin and came in many different colors with lace embroideries.
This set was not only comfortable but gave an innocent and sensual look. You could wear it under your clothes or use it as sleepwear.
It was common for ladies to wear these ultra-feminine sets beneath an oversized power suit with heavily padded shoulders.
1980’s Teddy Lingerie
Flirty, fun, and romantic, teddies were a stylish take on a panty-cami set. This one-piece combines camisoles’ comfort and sleek look with the structure of a trendy bodysuit.
Often featuring a plunging neckline with ruffles down the front, the 80s teddy was loose-cut and showed plenty of skin. Teddies were featured a lot in 1980’s films. The bedroom or slumber party scenes usually featured a long, formless silk nightgown, or a seductively sweet teddy.
Fishnet Stockings
Inside and outside of the bedroom, it didn’t get anymore Rock-n-roll than fishnet stockings. Stylish and sexy, these were a much-needed lingerie accessory. Still today, fishnets are a symbol of a badass babe.
Paired with acid-washed, ripped jeans or layered beneath a corset dress, fishnets are iconically an 80s trend.
1980s Underwear
High-cut was the theme for 1980s underwear. Worn high above the hips, high-cut panties lengthened the legs and made short-shorts and mini-skirts possible.
In recent years, high-cut panty lines have made a comeback. In nearly every bikini picture on Instagram, models are wearing the bikini straps above the hip line.
Full Coverage, high-cut undies were also practical and offered extra tummy support since pants were very high-waisted in the 80s–another trend we see returning.
Most Popular 1980’s Lingerie Styles and Trends
A list of 1980s lingerie is incomplete without mentioning the following.
Corsets and Bustiers as outerwear: These are not the restrictive garments of the past. Corsets and bustiers stood alone as tops or layered over shirts and beneath leather jackets. Sex, edgy, and notably 80s.
Bodysuits: Whether it was all lace, spandex, or lycra–every woman had a bodysuit in the 80s. Both were worn as outerwear and underwear.
1980s Bra: Madonna brought back the cone bra but the trend didn’t last too long (thankfully). Then there was the demi-bra–subtle and sexy, this half-cup was perfect for plunging necklines.
Shiny, Bold Fabrics: From dazzling lurex bodysuits to metallic bra and panty sets, the 80s didn’t shy away from glitzy materials.
Satin Nighties: Every era has its version of the nightgown. Just as silky and thin-strapped as other decades, the only thing noticeably different at the time, were the dramatic slits down the leg and the color variety.
While some 1980s lingerie styles and trends came and went, one thing is for certain is that the era was iconic and one of a kind. Few other decades are as noticeably true to their time as the 80s.
Check out Etsy for an excellent selection of vintage lingerie.
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