Back to the 80s

I am going to an 80s party in March and am trying to sort out what to wear. I have decided to finally fulfil my teenage dream of looking like Siouxsie Sioux (I never dared at the time!).

Looking at You Tube videos of the early 80s, clothing was very monochrome - black, white and grey, with maybe an accent of red or blue if you were lucky - bands were fronted by black-haired women wearing white clothes, and they were backed up by men with bleached, white hair dressed all in black. (We have to discount Boy George - and do you remember Haysi Fantayzee? - they were strangely dressed exceptions and nobody I knew even approached that particular multicoloured, raggy fashion!). The general look was very asexual, with similar clothes and hairstyles for men and women, and lipstick and eyeshadow de rigeur for both sexes too. Annie Lennox looked like a bloke, David Silvian looked like a girl, and everyone else joined in the asexual revolution with not an inch of cleavage or a single chest hair to be seen anywhere in the whole of England. And everybody went round with strangely serious expressions on their faces, probably because if they smiled they might crack their mask-like makeup!

Anyway, back to my costume - basically I'm looking for any clothing in black or white - particularly a round collared shirt or a long, loose T-shirt, and one of those triangular scarves that the New Romantics used to wear around their necks. And I will have gloriously black eyeshadow with painted on brows and spiky red lips - fab! How I achieve the sticking-up, spiky hairdo is another matter, but we'll think about that later!

To get you in the mood, here is half my teenage record collection - Jodie's Alternative 80s, the music you probably forgot you ever knew - if indeed you ever listened to it in the first place! No Bucks Fizz or Tight Fit in my record collection, oh no!

The Mobiles

Japan
Wasn't David Sylvian of Japan soooo pretty! I never fancied him at the time but right now, watching that video, my little heart is going pitty pat!

Psychedelic Furs

The Creatures
Woo, go Siouxsie Sioux and - er - Budgie (scary punk name that!)

Split Enz
Watching that last link I just realised how long Neil Finn has been going. Here he was in Split Enz singing my favourite song of 1980 (my brother bought me the record at the time, and I promptly melted it by putting it on the cooker!) and I saw him in concert just two months ago in Crowded House. Which was a fab concert by the way.

Oh my god!! I have just remembered my 1980s rockabilly phase! I used to wear demin jeans with dayglo pink or green socks! Thought I was really cool. Stray Cats, woo! Look at those quiffs, how on earth do they stay vertical?!!
Stray Cats

And I can even top that hairdo - this one will make you spit your tea out - look at Vince Clarke's quiff here!! Candy floss anyone??!!
Yazoo

Ooh, I do like a stroll down Memory Lane.