Dress shabbily and they remember the dress; dress impeccably and they remember the woman.
How do you sum up the 80s in two words? Power Dressing. The 1980s has come to be defined by the silhouettes and the shapes of shoulder pads, as well as bright, bold colours, and big, big hair. It was a decade completely unlike those that had come before, and changed the way we dress, live and work forever. So, what actually happened that caused this and what has been the lasting impact of the evolution of women’s workwear in the 1980s?
The 1980s were a time when people had more money to spend, there was a younger population entering the workplace and there was undeniable change occurring in both international politics and pop culture. With the introduction of the birth control pill in the 1960s, women were gradually able to focus on careers instead of children, and were being educated to a higher level, meaning that by the 1980s there were more women entering the workplace. Women who had grown up in the 60s and 70s had known a completely different upbringing to that of their mothers.
The UK saw its first female Prime Minister elected in 1979, Ronald Reagan, a former actor, became the 40th president of the United States of America, Lady Diana was catapulted on the scene when she married Prince Charles in 1981, and the influence of the TV show Dynasty was undeniable in both the way people dressed and lived their lives. Simply put by writer Linda Watson, “the twin obsession of the 1980s, […] Dynasty and Diana.” (Perhaps a little ironic that a completely fictional dynasty shown on television was as popular as a woman belonging to a very real one.)
The 80s was a time for big hair, even bigger shoulder pads, flashy accessories and most importantly, a time when women were starting to be taken seriously in the business world. With a power suit, a woman was able to assert her place in the office by making herself physically stand out. These suits, with their bold colours and oversized shoulders, had a very masculine aesthetic. While not everyone was on board with women taking on this new found corporate responsibility, with some articles at the time claiming it was just a phase, unlike in earlier decades, female presence in the boardroom has only continued to grow.
The 1988 film starring Harrison Ford and Melanie Griffiths demonstrated the power plays at work perfectly through the costume design of legendary designer Ann Roth. The film encapsulates Coco Chanel’s words, quoted in the film; “dress shabbily and they remember the dress; dress impeccably and they remember the woman.” While it is hard to imagine a time when we weren’t glued to our television and making our own life decisions based on those of our favourite characters, the 80s was the first time this really began to happen, particularly in America. As Stephen Schiff wrote for Vanity Fair in December 1984, “Dynasty’s admirers don’t talk about it as if it were their favourite program. They talk about it as if it were their life.” The fashion made popular by costume designer Nolan Miller was adopted by women at the time, and to this day, 1980s inspired clothes are still visible.
In terms of what was available to the general public, magazines at the time were advertising exactly what you would expect. Nolan Miller designed a range of clothes similar to those in Dynasty that was available to buy, and Calvin Klein was offering a more relaxed approach to the traditional blazer, but it was Saint Laurent who stole the show, as seen in their American Vogue campaign from September 1985, with dramatic, oversized tailoring and knee length pencil skirts nipped in tight at the waist. (Pretty much the exact same as their Fall 2023 collection nearly 40 years later.)
The 1980s were a time when people dressed outrageously, spent excessively and began to think about a world in which men and women could work equally.
In the 1990s, the overall look of the decade became a little more subdued, shoulder pads were slowly phased out in favour of roll necks with mini skirts and neutral coloured blazers. Women were still climbing the corporate ladder and doing it in clothes that no longer needed to make such a statement. On the red carpet, Julia Roberts collected her 1990 Golden Globe for Pretty Woman wearing a man’s suit. Lady Diana had progressed from a timid, young princess to a hugely influential style icon and activist, with a mix of casual jeans and oversized blazers, and chic Chanel suits. On television, six friends in an apartment in New York were redefining what it meant to be in your 20s and a young, working woman. Rachel Green’s now iconic, and incredibly stylish wardrobe encapsulated the 1994-2004 time period with stylish white pant-suits, leather blazers, mini skirts and elegant maxi dresses.
Armani and Chanel lead the way in terms of work wear in the 90s, with Armani becoming the first major designer to dress celebrities, such as Richard Gere and Julia Roberts, and Chanel’s Spring 1993 collection becoming one of the most memorable Karl Lagerfeld shows of all time.
At the turn of the century, Reece Witherspoon’s naive, pink loving, yet surprisingly intelligent Elle Woods gave viewers a completely new way to look at work wear. Legally Blonde, whose costumes were designed by Sophie de Rakoff, has come to define a generation of women who do not feel the need to dress in a traditionally masculine way to be taken seriously at work. Another film, equally as significant in its portrayal of women’s work wear, is the super chic 2006 The Devil Wears Prada in which a ruthless New York fashion editor, brilliantly played by Meryl Streep, torments her hard working employees. While offering a potentially stereotypical insight into the fashion industry, the film has remained as one of the best dressed films thanks to the legendary work of Patricia Field.
In recent years, the ability to binge watch TV shows has allowed costume designers to influence a new generation of television audiences, and one show in particular which stands out is Suits. While the legal drama may sound familiar to a lot of people, being the show that launched Meghan Markle’s acting career in 2011, it is also a show full of quick wit, aspirational views and impeccable fashion.
One of the show’s costume designers, Jordanna Fineberg explained how they used the characters’ wardrobes as extensions of their personas, using a blend of Alexander McQueen, Roland Mouret and Alaia, among many other luxury designers, to create each character’s looks. In addition to this, when discussing the characters’ looks with her, she explained how small details such as the lengths of the female characters skirts and dresses was a reflection of their status. For example, a shorter, fuller skirt which gives a more playful silhouette was used for the more junior cast members, while Managing Partner Jessica (played by Gina Torres) and all round super-woman (and secretary) Donna Paulsen (played by Sararh Rafferty) were given longer, narrower skirts.
One of the biggest influences on fashion since the 1980s onwards is arguably film and television, and obviously not forgetting the recent introduction of influencers. With more work environments being depicted on screen, with more and more strong, empowering female characters to look up to, it is no wonder that fashion is adapting to reflect this.
The latest fashion week collections highlight that while the pandemic has undeniably changed the way we dress for work, power dressing is by no means a thing of the past. This season’s biggest TV influence on fashion though? Barbie. Even in the workplace. From Kate Middleton making a recent appearance in a three piece pastel pink suit, to Versace’s Pre Fall 2023 collection, baby pink suits are all the rage, showing that once again, a dash of pink in a wardrobe is the ultimate power move, (insert Elle Woods: “what, like it’s hard?”)
While women don’t necessarily use clothes the same way today as they did in the 80s, and while we have many examples of super successful and empowering business women to look up to, there is obviously still work to be done. Perfecting the Power Pose is still a tricky subject, but it’s definitely here to stay.
Disgraceful Magazine 