6 Ways to Wear Men's 80s Fashion (and Why You'll Love It)

Men's 80s fashion has created some of the most popular trends we still wear today. Whether you're looking to add some retro style to your wardrobe or need some inspiration for a men's 80s party outfit, you're going to find an 80s look that fits you here.

Because men's 80s fashion didn't just have one look; it had a whole wardrobe of them!

The 1980s were the decade where fashion subcultures really became style choices. MTV broadcast music videos right into your home, showing fashion to fit any way you were feeling; were you more Iron Maiden than A-ha? More Technotronic than Tears for Fears?

With different trends to choose from, you can take your pick of 80s styles from our rundown on the most influential men's 80s fashion.

Born from the 80s new 'yuppie' culture (the Young Urban Professionals of the generation), power dressing was the way men dressed for success in the 80s. The signature of 80s power dressing? Oversized, baggy suits with large shoulder pads that created a silhouette as large as their goals for wealth and status.

While traditional dark suits remained a staple for seasoned businessmen (now with large, decorative gold buttons), men's 80s fashion also embraced vibrant color. TV show Miami Vice's cultural impact on men's fashion was huge, with Sonny Crockett's pastel suits ushering in brighter, softer shades to men's wardrobes.

Men's 80s preppy style is the "old money" of 80s fashion. Eighties preppy was about dressing like you were born to be on Ivy League campuses at Harvard or Yale, and it's still alive and well in today's trends.

Preppy was not just about your clothes, it was about being part of (or aspiring to be part of) a specific wealthy lifestyle of the US East Coast elite. Imagine summers spent in Nantucket, weekends at yacht clubs, and tennis matches at the (exclusive) country club.

Fueled by the sonic explosion of hard rock, heavy metal, and glam metal in the 1980s, 80s rock style was the polar opposite of our previous clean-cut, good-boy styles.

Men's 80s rock fashion was loud, flashy, and very anti-establishment. Bands like Mötley Crüe, Bon Jovi, Guns N' Roses, and Def Leppard were icons of the look, with tight leather or spandex pants, ripped denim, band t-shirts, leather jackets adorned with studs or patches, and BIG, teased hair.

Thanks to the rise of hair metal, men's 80s rock style often blurred gender lines with makeup and androgynous looks, prioritizing attitude and stage presence over gender norms and rules. The 2020s got a taste of how well loved this vibe still is when Stranger Things' Eddie Munson became a pop culture phenomenon in 2022.

How to dress 80s rocker

To channel the vibes of an 80s rock star, you'll need to get your hands on some authentic vintage:

• Leather jackets, often biker style, sometimes customized with studs, patches, or paint. Go vintage or go home here, the jacket should be well-worn and rugged.
• Ripped or acid wash jeans, tight fitting and tapered.
• Band T-shirts featuring your favorite rock or metal groups. Customized, bleached, torn, and worn only!
• Tight pants made of leather, PVC, or spandex. In black leather or even animal prints.
• Studded belts, often worn low on the hips (the same studded belts worn by goths, emos, scene kids and alt kids decades later!)
• Bandanas, worn on the head, around the neck, or tied to arms or legs.
• Boots (cowboy boots, combat boots, or motorcycle boots) or beat-up sneakers.
• Layered jewelry, including chains, crosses, skulls, and leather bracelets.

For 80s Rock style, layering textures is key - think a ripped tee under a worn-in leather jacket with torn acid-wash jeans. Multiple bandanas and scarves can be used as head, wrist, or waist accessories.

Eighties hip-hop fashion was the birth of streetwear as we know it in men's fashion.  Emerging from the streets of New York City, the style was pioneered by hip-hop music legends like Run-DMC and LL Cool J.

Adidas Superstar sneakers became legendary thanks to Run-DMC’s laceless look and their hit My Adidas. Nike Air Jordans and Kangol bucket hats became must-haves, while Carhartt’s rugged workwear made its way from factory to fashion when breakdancers and graffiti artists took the durable, practical styles to the streets.

Gold chains, oversized sunglasses, and matching tracksuits completed the 80s hip-hop look, with logos and flashy accessories showing off your wealth and success.

HOW TO DRESS 80S HIP HOP

To dress like the OGs of streetwear, you'll need these for an 80s hip-hop look:

• Tracksuits: Adidas, Puma, or Nike, preferably matching and in bright colors or three-stripe designs.
• Sneakers, spotless Adidas Superstars, Puma Suedes, Nike Air Jordans, or Air Force 1s.
• Bomber jackets, sheepskin coats, or oversized leather jackets.
• Thick rope gold chains, oversized rings, and flashy belt buckles.
• Kangol bucket hats, flat caps, or snapback baseball caps, match your tracksuit with your cap for a cohesive look or choose a bucket hat that goes with anything.
• Hoodies, sweatshirts, or T-shirts with bold brand logos.
• Baggy jeans (Lee or Levi’s) or shiny track pants.

Athleisure exploded as a trend in men's 80s fashion, turning gym wear into everyday style. Why? The fitness craze of the decade made looking sporty fashionable. Men wanted to project an active, modern image, whether they were actually working out or just heading to the mall. Tracksuits, windbreakers, and sweatshirts in bold neon, pastel, and graphic designs were suddenly leisurewear instead of just athletic wear.

Baggy, oversized fits were key, whether that was windbreakers, track pants, or quarter-zip sweatshirts. Clashing colors and prints were completely acceptable, and chunky white sneakers with tube socks completed the look.

How to wear 80s athleisure

If you want to bring back some men's 80s athleisure to your wardrobe, here’s what you’ll need:

• Tracksuits in neon patterned matching sets with abstract prints, pops of pastel, and color-block designs.
• Windbreakers, zip-front lightweight jackets with more crazy abstract prints and neon colors. 
• Oversized sweatshirts with sports graphics and geometric shapes.
• Sneakers: Classic white trainers like Reebok Classics or Nike Air Max.
• Accessories: Sweatbands, headbands, and sporty sunglasses.

For an 80s party outfit, a neon tracksuit and sweatbands are always an iconic look. But to dress the look down for a cool retro daily look, wear your neon 80s windbreaker with jeans instead of the matching track pants.

The most wearable look in men's 80s fashion has to be the everyday guy style; the casual young guy, the everyday hero from your favorite 80s movie. It's Back to the Future's Marty McFly, or for a modern inspiration -  Stranger Things' Steve Harrington.

Men's casual 80s fashion was the 80s cool kid aesthetic, created from the boom of pop culture media. Cable TV became affordable, and brand new channels like MTV broadcast music videos and celebs right to your home. Pop culture had never been this accessible or influential before.

The fitness craze and explosion of basketball's popularity pushed athletic wear like sweatshirts and high-top sneakers (Converse, Nike Air Jordans) from the court firmly onto the streets. Denim loosened up, ditching your dad's tighter 70s cuts for baggy, high-waisted fits seen all over MTV.

Iconic outerwear like the varsity jacket (worn by the popular jocks in American high schools) or baggy bombers were the essential top layer, always fitted at the waist.

HOW TO DRESS 80S: CASUAL COOL GUY STYLE

The easiest way to wear men's 80s fashion is to work some of the casual cool guy style into your daily outfits. This is what you'll need to nail that laid-back 80s look:

• A bomber jacket, either classic denim, shiny nylon, a neon windbreaker, or an American varsity jacket with lettering or patches.
• Relaxed-fit or slightly tapered light-wash jeans.
• Graphic T-shirts from your favorite TV show, film, or musician, or a flannel shirt.
• High-top sneakers like Converse, Nike, or anything brightly colored.

To style your 80s cool guy look, throw your baggy bomber jacket over a graphic tee that's tucked into your belted high-waist jeans. Roll up and double-cuff your jeans at the ankles to show off your high-top sneakers.

The look should be loose on top, cinched in narrow at the waist, loose on the hips, and then narrow at the ankles again. Creating this silhouette can turn any look into a cool 80s retro vibe.

Men's 80s fashion is still popular today because it hits us right in those nostalgic feels, even if we didn't grow up in the decade ourselves. The 1980s were a decade full of hype for the future: the new technology, the new pop culture, and the economic possibilities. It's an association that draws us back when the reality of the future isn't as fun as we thought.

Pop Culture Influence and Men's 80s Fashion

A massive reason why men's 80s fashion is still loved today is pop culture. Iconic movies like Back to the Future (1985) and Top Gun (1986), the launch of MTV with the boom of music videos (1981), and TV shows like Miami Vice (1984) created pop culture phenomena that cemented their featured looks in our minds forever. Even now, media set in the 80s or inspired by 80s style has more of a hold on us than any other retro decade.

The Fun of 80s Fashion

We're hooked on vintage 80s fashion because of the optimism of the decade. You see it in the clothes: neon colors, funky patterns, and a genuinely fun, playful approach to design. This vibrant energy is a powerful antidote to today's often more muted styles. Why wouldn't you want to add a bit more fun to your wardrobe?

Nostalgic 80s Technology

The 80s were the dawn of the personal computer age; video games (with their bright, pixelated graphics) and synthesizers in music created a new artificial, futuristic, and "electric" aesthetic. There is a large amount of nostalgia attached to "retro" technology like Polaroid cameras, Walkmans, boomboxes, and pixel art arcade games that we still enjoy. Men's 80s fashion, with its neon colors and geometric prints, is tied to that same nostalgia for retro style.

80s Style That's Still Cool Today

So much of fashion we consider "cool" today got its big break in the 80s. Sneaker culture and streetwear began with 80s hip-hop. The "American casual" vibe, broadcast through movies and TV, gave us classics like baggy jeans and bomber jackets. The preppy look is still chic, and athleisure has even become our daily wear! Modern fashion simply keeps coming back to men's 80s fashion to cherry-pick the best parts for each new season.

Men's 80s Fashion Is Easy to Thrift

The 80s also ramped up clothing production to levels we hadn't seen before. In America, mall culture took over, with a fast expansion of huge shopping malls packed with trendy stores (early fast fashion, before the quality dropped).

The upside for us now? Authentic vintage 80s clothes are surprisingly easy to find in thrift stores and vintage shops. This means you can score genuine, high-quality pieces of men's 80s fashion without the struggle that comes with searching for pre-fast fashion decades.

Men's 80s Fashion is Comfortable!

One of the best aspects of vintage 80s fashion is the loose fits, elastic, and oversized styles. They are forgiving (and comfy to live modern life in!). With 80s clothes, you don't have to worry that your vintage find will be a tight fit or too restrictive to relax in.

Eighties men's fashion is easy to wear on different body types and sizes compared to earlier vintage decades because of those lovely loose fits. Even if what you find is too big, you can simply cinch in your waist with a belt for the classic 80s shape.