For many of us who grew up during 80’s, it holds a special position. 80’s were the time for being rebellious and make your voice heard. It was the time of changing ideologies. 80s, however, had also seen major changes in the fashion frontier. Bold colors, mix matched style, baggy outfits, shoulder pads were all trademarks of the 80s. In hairstyle also 80s had been quite experimental. Long and bold bangs, short and super short punk cuts as well as big wigs- 80s had it all. Hairstyles of the 80s were most diverse and bold.
Like many other things, hairstyle during 80s hadn’t remained constant; rather, it underwent significant changes as the decade progressed. The 80s hair style hadn’t remained confined only to that period but again and again the fashion designers and hairstylists are trying to revisit the era by recreating 80s style. The early years of 80s had seen some super long hair styles. The hairstyles of 80s were greatly influenced by its emerging rock band culture and most of the styles were popularized by rock bands such as- Bananarama, Dave Stewart, Sisters of Mercy and the like. Suddenly volume had become the key concept of hair styles. The entire styling trend centralized around one concept-volume; the more the better.
Haircuts and styles were therefore developed to make the manes look more voluminous. It was then OK to have untamed hair standing out at every direction. Probably 80s had done maximum experimentation with hair cuts and colors. When long was the desirable hairstyle during the early years of 80s, short hair became popular at the late years. It was then OK to have the retro look provided you have your hair belched. Many hair care and styling products too had made their entries during 80s. There were hairsprays to enhance the volume of your hair and hair mousses to help hair stick up. There were stylizing products with glitters and sparkles to perfectly match the rebellious style of the 80s.
Punk was another prominent trend of clothing and hairstyle during 80s. Though it took off during mid 70s the cult following came in the 80s. The punk style was immortalized by the English fashion designer- Vivienne Westwood and her muse-The Sex Pistols. Punk style took the 80s by storm and it was completed by the various hairstyles. The punk culture followers were used to treat their hair with bleaching, coloring, teasing and asymmetric cuts. There were spikes, Mohawks and so on and so forth. You may not be interested in bringing back the 80s style but it might not hurt revisiting that period of bold fashion. Here is our tribute to the 80s hairstyles. Following are some popular hair styling trends of the 80s.
Big hair
80s were the time to wear your hair big and not only long. Lion’s mane style hairstyling is something that can be associated with the 80s. Both women and men alike wore their hair big during 80s. There were teasing, puffing, mousses and hairspray used to give the voluminous look.
Asymmetric styles
80s were the time to be experimental. The prim and proper looks of the 70s were the things of the past. Asymmetric cuts became the trend -popularized by the famous rock bands. Some popular asymmetric cuts were,
- Cutting short at the top and long around the head.
- Short hair on one side and long bangs on the other.
- Long bangs on the front and short in other places.
- Short hair in the front and long at the end, often tied or braided in a rat’s tail.
Perming
For those who were not gifted with natural curls, perming became the solution. Tight curls of all length could be seen during the 80s. It also contributed in creating volumes.
Wigs
Wigs were also important on the 80s for creating the desired looks. It was the time for big wigs. Wigs of all shapes, sizes and colors were worn during the 80s. Wigs helped in creating the illusion of volume which was the trademark of hairstyle in the 80s. Both men and women were taken to don wigs during this period.
Hair accessories
There were no dearth of accessories when it came to stylize the 80s hairstyles. Hairsprays particularly became popular during this era for giving body and volume to the hair. Some popular hair accessories are as follows.
- Hair bands
- Banana clips
- Hair spray- Aqua Net is particular
- Hair mousses
- Hair sprays with glitters
- Hair gel
- Hair colors
Popular hair style for men in 80s
During the 80s men too were inspired by the ongoing trends. Both men and women had worn their hair long during 80s. Some of the popular hair styles for men of that period were-
- Rocker’s style
- Medium-long wavy cuts
- Mohawks
- Spikes
- Punks
- Head banger style
Men with tight curls and long hair can try the rocker’s style. This asymmetric cut would help in creating volume to your otherwise unmanageable hair. Men with thin long faces with thin curly hair can try medium-long wavy cuts. The punk style is still a popular hairstyling trend, especially with the teens and young adults. You can still have the Mohawk cut and spikes. Use hair mousses to create spikes in your hair.
Popular hair style for women in 80s
In the 80s everyone wanted to look like the rock stars. Untamed, curly hairs were a commonplace sight of the 80s. It was the time to be yourself and be damned with what others think of you. Creative and removable braids were common hair accessories during the 80s and so were the side ponytails. Some of the 80s hairstyle are still in the popular trends. Following are some of the hairstyle that women sported during the 80s.
- Frizzy passion
- New Wave Lamestyle
- Fringed bangs
- Short styles
- Punk styles
- Straight choppy look
- Long and straight with bangs
- Mohawks
- Side pony tails
- Permed