The girls on Sex and the City may not include sisters in their circle, but we know urban Black fashions from the 80s-like nameplate necklaces and huge hoop earrings-have inspired the show’s stylist. And we can’t deny our impulse to dust off our doorknockers, throw on a fur and add a flip to our do’s. So how do you work your 80s look without looking like you just stepped out of Salt-N-Pepa’s “Push It” video?
ESSENCE’s fashion director Pamela Macklin suggests keeping it simple. “The 80s style can be translated to look really modern as long as everything is put together in proportion and in moderation.” Here’s how she makes these oldies but goodies work the second time around.
Do’s
Wear gold hoop earrings with a monochromatic outfit-black or chocolate turtleneck with matching pants or skirt. “Gold is huge and it’s going to continue for spring,” Macklin says. “But you don’t want to look like you put your whole jewelry box on in one outing.”
Rock logo items, but don’t overdo it. Wear one key piece, such as a T-shirt or jeans.
Slip on fur (faux or real) leg warmers over jeans. “It looks like you’ve got mink on the bottom of them,” she notes.
Sport leggings, but not by themselves. “The new way to do leggings is underneath a straight slim skirt or even a skirt that comes to about mid-calf,” Macklin explains. Stirrup leggings work just as well.
Work an acid wash outfit, but wear it appropriately. An acid wash dress, for example, covered with a jean jacket can look good, but “an acid wash fringed poncho is a bit much” anywhere.
Don’ts
Micro mini-skirts. Keep them way back in the closet.
Big shoulder pads. “These scare me because some people don’t know the proportions of them and can look zoot suity,” Macklin says.
Velvet leggings. Nuf said!
Too much of anything. “You’ve got your hoop earrings in, you’ve got on your gold mesh top, you got beads on the pants…that’s a bit much.”