Love or hate it, when it comes the prevalence of leg warmers, you’ve got the ‘80s to thank. The world went mad for all things fitness, but especially Jane Fonda’s workout videos that have now become a piece of pop culture history. To get a sweat on, women wore lycra body suits (I don’t get it either), under leg warmers and accessorised with sweatbands, all in punchy highlighter hues. Balletcore might be taking off in 2025, but when it comes to fusing fashion with fitness, the ’80s girlies did it first.
8. COLOUR-BLOCKING
Daniel SIMON
You’d probably get a few stares on the tube now, but in the 1980s, wearing blue, yellow and red all in one look is just another regular Tuesday outfit. Of course, not everyone dressed like this—Princess Diana, for instance favoured bold monochromatic looks, but bold nonetheless. Who could forget the bright indigo hat and dress combo she wore to Sandringham for Christmas? The People’s Princess was not afraid of colour.
9. MOM JEANS
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We might be all over barrel leg jeans at the moment but its ancestry could probably be traced back the mom jean. Princess Diana was a fan – as were many of the women at the time looking for high-waisted styles that relaxed around the thighs and tapered in at the ankles. Practical and freeing, the jeans went with women’s lifestyles of the time. Power suits during the week, mom jeans for the weekend.