The early eighties were a big time in my life. They were a part of my life during which I was trying to figure out who I was and who I wanted to be. I was in high school, which I graduated in 1982. At the time, some of the clothing trends were important to me. I guess I thought that if I dressed like others did then I’d be more likely to be accepted. There were many, many fashion trends at the time including Members Only jackets, preppy shirts, shoulder pads and stirrup pants. But, there were three fashion items that I especially loved. I didn’t realize it at the time, but looking back now I think some of these looks were definitely inspired by dance. Or at the very least movies about dance. Here are the three popular pieces of clothing that I desperately wanted to wear in the 80s.
Slouch socks
These were at the top of my list. Slouch socks were long enough that they could have almost been knee high socks. But, noone wore them that way. Everyone wore slouch socks pushed down to the ankles. Slouch socks were worn with pants, shorts, skirts, leggings, you name it and it was likely that people were wearing slouch socks with it.
There were plenty of companies that made them but Wigwam made the best ones. Wigwams were the best because they were super thick and super soft. And warm? Man were they warm! White went with just about everything and was very popular. But, people weren’t limited in color. There were dozens of colors of Wigwam socks, seemingly one for every possible shade of the rainbow. Looking at a Wigwam display in a store was like looking at a rainbow of socks.
The really “cool” kids would wear two, sometimes even three, pairs of socks at a time.
The most I ever wore was two pair of socks. I tried a third pair once and couldn’t get my shoes on.
Leg warmers
Leg warmers were sort of like the Wigwam socks, but they were even longer and they had no feet. They had elastic at one or both ends, but weren’t super tight. Leg warmers were long enough to go to your knee easily, but most people wore them a little bit lower and slightly scrunched. Dancers wore them to help keep their muscles warm and prevent cramping. Everyone else wore them as a fashion statement. Over leggings, with shorts, instead of pants, you name it and there was a way to wear them.
I do remember occasions where I saw people wearing two pairs of leg warmers, one up near the near and one down by the ankle. I never wore two pair of leg warmers. I often had a problem with leg warmers slipping down, so I didn’t wear them as often.
Capezio shoes
Capezio shoes were a brand of dance shoes. The particular style that was popular was basically an oxford for street wear. Everyone, or what seemed like everyone, wore these shoes – guys and girls alike. Although they came in black, almost everyone wore white. No matter what season it was, you could always find people wearing white Capezios. They’d look worn pretty quickly. And, you had to work hard to keep them looking clean and not grimy.
My Mom had a rule against wearing white after Labor Day, so she wouldn’t let me wear them. It was so important to me to wear them that I went behind her back and bought a pair of less expensive knock-offs. I’d leave the house in the morning and change my shoes when I got to school. My Mom found out one day and cut the shoes in half because I’d gone behind her back. I was furious with her for weeks.
In retrospect, I find it sort of interesting that three fads that put such an impression on me were all footwear related. Being that I hate shoe shopping because I have such big feet and all. Interestingly enough, since I’m cold all of the time now I’d probably still consider wearing slouch socks and leg warmers. Capezio shoes not so much.
Do you remember any of these fads? They say that all fads come around again. I haven’t found that to always be true, a good thing in some cases. I’m curious if you think any of the three of these fads might ever make a come back. If you could take a second to vote I think it’d be interesting to see what people think.
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I’d love to know what some of the clothing fads that you remember are.
Slouch Socks!!!!!! These were still popular in the early 90’s when I was in High School. They were quite comfortable!
Slouch socks were popular from 4th grade through in my middle school and high school. Late 80’s through late 90’s. Remember them worn with over leggings with oversized sweater and tops, over tights, with a dress or over cotton pants and jeans or with the pants and jeans cuffed. And don’t forget the Keds sneakers.
I remember those shoes. What you didn’t see was that they were falling apart and the top had separated from the sole. The punishment for sneaking was quick, dramatic, and got your attention. Just telling you hadn’t worked–although I admit I am not big for discussion.
LOL I remember envying people with those capezio shoes. Now both my girls wear them at dance.
I’m a 90s kid and really loved all of the neon we wore, as well as the grunge phase with baggy jeans and flannel shirts. Some of those trends can be found in stores now!
Great post. Brings back some memories. MY 5 yr old daughter has leg warmers that she had as a baby that she still wears to this day as either leg or arm warmers. LOL.
A blast from the past. It’s funny that the shoes have NO votes :).
I know! They look lonely. 🙂