An incredible revival of 80s rock fashion is happening, providing stylish ways to add fun and character to your ensembles. These timeless looks can easily add flair and personality to your eyes!
Ripped jeans and shirts were a favorite look of many rock artists. Black biker leather jackets were particularly beloved. Additionally, gloves and sunglasses could complete the ensemble.
Airbrushed T-shirts
Are You Dressing Like a Band Member from the Era or Just Looking For Something More Rock-Like? Consider an Airbrushed T-Shirt
Your shirt can feature any combination of colors in its design. Choose between neutral hues like black and white or vibrant neon hues like pink and yellow to achieve that grungy 80s aesthetic. Remember: the more colorful your shirt is, the more noticeable it will be at rock parties!
Many rockers in the 1980s favored both short and long hairstyles to complement their flashy outfits, featuring big perms or mullets for longer locks. A bandana can help complete the rock look; Axl Rose from Guns N’ Roses would often wear one while performing on stage!
Bodybuilding T-shirts
Bodybuilder-style T-shirts were a prevalent 80s rock fashion trend for men and women alike, particularly among younger generations. These T-shirts featured large graphics of famous rock bands like Iron Maiden and AC/DC. Often worn with skinny jeans and Converse shoes. Some tops even boasted band names in large letters to show your allegiance to these popular bands from that era.
Popular 80s rock fashion was the ripped jeans. Worn with band T-shirts or jackets and often featuring holes cut into them, these jeans signaled rebellion among young adults who didn’t shy away from standing up for what they believed in and acting out their convictions.
Motley Crue, Guns N’ Roses, and Kiss were some of the most renowned glam rock groups from the 80s, becoming known worldwide due to their extravagant hairstyles and use of heavy makeup. Additionally, they wore clothing usually composed of leather material and metal chains in their hair as part of their signature style as well as bandannas, ripped t-shirts, sunglasses, and gloves as part of their signature looks which became beloved icons around the globe.
Leather Studded Bracelets
The 1980s witnessed some of the greatest rock bands ever, leaving an indelible mark on music and fashion. Fans began dressing like their favorite bands; it remains a trend today.
One of the more prevalent styles was black biker leather jackets. Perfect for rock outfits, these pieces can be combined with other rock accessories like ripped clothes, scarves, and long, tattered hair to complete this look – often adopted by bands such as Kiss, Guns N’ Roses, or Cinderella.
Fishnet mesh was another popular gothic punk look at that time, mainly worn with studded leather. Siouxsie used this style with her leather vest and chunky studded bracelets for an androgynous aesthetic.
The 1960s was an exciting era in terms of fashion trends and styles; to understand your favorite artists’ styles and what you should search for when shopping, researching images of them can help understand what clothes they typically wore, so it will be much simpler deciding what pieces you need for your rock ensemble.
Long Tarzan Hair
Whatever your goal, whether dressing for an 80s rock party or just adding some relaxed style into your everyday wardrobe, you can achieve the desired look in numerous ways. Begin with accessories like leather bracelets, large hoops, earrings, and fingerless gloves; add a pair of eye-catching silver rings or pendants and complete your ensemble with bright lipstick colors and thick eyeliner.
Men can opt for a classic crew cut or buzzcut style with either beard or mustache; or for long-haired women with teased-back locks, they can tease it into an “elephant’s mane look,” curl, crimp and frizz them using hairspray and volumizing products to keep it all in place.
GNR and Poison set the fashion trend with their voluminous looks, but other bands followed suit with more subdued styles. Van Halen famously donned skin-tight clothing designed to make them appear larger. In contrast, arena rockers Bon Jovi and Aerosmith donned more conservative yet still stylish pieces such as blazers, sleeveless tops, and scarves – which was more commonplace during arena rock bands such as Bon Jovi or Aerosmith than grunge groups such as Nirvana or Soundgarden who embraced their inner darkness through gothic-inspired clothing like corsets, black leather fishnets and dark makeup – thus becoming popular with fans worldwide.
Over the Top Hats
Are You Attending a Rock Party? For an unforgettable look at a rock party, pair black leather pants with skinny jeans or leggings and pair them with either skinny jeans or leggings for maximum impact. Complete your look by wearing black shoes or boots featuring high heels; a Bardot-style tight black minidress topped off by a belt may also work well for women.
Another popular 80s rock fashion item was the over-the-top hats some band members don while performing live onstage. These hats often resembled leather police or top hats and would often come adorned with silver studding to complete their ensembles. Heavy metal bands favored this look; other rock groups could also wear it.
Other rockers would wear clothing with holes to show their rebellious side. From cutting their jeans with scissors or using sandpaper to create holes in them to wearing combat boots that gave an intimidating, don’t mess with me look, this style was often adopted to show rockers as unstoppable and uncompromising individuals.
Sleeveless Tops
Rockers of the 1980s typically favored sleeveless tops to show off their tattoos while remaining cool on stage. These tops could come either black and white or with colorful graphic stripes or diamond harlequin patterns; those wanting an added edge might incorporate leopard spots or tiger stripes – Freddie Mercury from Queen, and Motley Crue were good examples; each would wear skin-tight spandex outfitted with heavy makeup applications and overzealous hairspray applications to complete their looks.
Are You Attending an 80s Rock Party? Wear a T-Shirt With Bon Jovi or Aerosmith’s Logo | Pair This Outfit With skinny jeans in dark colors such as black or stonewashed denim for maximum impact at this party. Leather jackets were an integral part of 80s rock fashion; from Guns N Roses to Def Leppard, rockers wore leather jackets while their fans did as well; Members Only jackets also became very fashionable during this era and featured lightweight fabric, ribbed cuffs/collars, zipper front closure, and two slanted pockets; another excellent addition was Members Only jackets which featured lightweight fabric construction featuring ribbed cuffs/collars as well as zipper front closure and two diagonal pockets on either side.
Bandanas
Bandanas are an invaluable accessory, serving multiple functions. A timeless trend among musicians, models, and artists alike. Dating back almost 300 years, these square cloths have long been worn across different subcultures and cultures.
Bandannas were particularly prevalent among rock bands during the 1980s. They often combined leather and ripped jeans to complete an informal look. Some bands preferred more gothic looks, such as English singer Siouxsie Sioux who donned black clothing with back-combed hair and heavy makeup; other rock bands, like KISS, added metal chains or leather into their ensembles as part of their signature attire.
Rap music’s rise in the 1990s likely played a large part in reinvigorating bandana wear, with rappers such as Tupac making it fashionable to tie one above their heads. Bandanas became even more prominent within gay culture; their color or pattern often signaled sexual preferences or fetishes.
Are You Searching for an Authentic Rock Fashion Look? Try pairing a scarf with a leather jacket, skinny jeans, and a hat to create an authentic rock fashion look. Vintage or thrifted denim will help achieve this original appearance.
