Anyone who wasn't around in the Eighties, will surely wish they had been – if only for its wardrobe. For the Eighties closet was akin to a children's fun house: colourful, bright and loud. Very, very loud.
From leggings to slouchy t-shirts, bangles to big hair, it was all about comfort too. So hurrah that the trend has returned for Autumn, and can be followed in a number of ways...
1. Shoulder Pads
Possibly the most recognisable facet of Eighties fashion is the shoulder pad. Why so? Power dressing.
It was in the Eighties when women finally began to smash through glass ceilings and for the first time enjoy success in the corporate world. But for this, they needed a uniform. Something that said: 'We mean business. Big business.'
And so power dressing was born. Anything oversized (to conceal the bosom), with big, broad shoulders, would do. Hence the emergence of shoulder pads.
In homage to this wonder of tailoring, the shoulder pad gets plenty of attention this season. Vivienne Westwood slots hers into oversized masculine suits, whilst Monique Lhuillier bolsters her shoulders up, feminine-style, with some padding for eveningwear. Christopher Kane inserts shoulder pads into masculine-tailored jackets and Temperley London goes all out and dresses theirs up in metallic.
2. Belts
Think Eighties, think belts – but not the sort that holds up your trousers. More, the kind that holds in your tum (and gives you that hourglass figure you wish you had forever). 'Waist belts', if you will.
Waist belts were big on the AW15 catwalks, and nowhere more so than on Olivier Rousteing's AW15 runway for Balmain. There, big buckled belts accessorised oversized coats (and also a delightful purple neon mini), whilst over at JW Anderson, waist leather belts wrapped around slouchy tops.
If you love getting waisted [sic], do it with a big ol' belt this season.
3. Wild Child
We love the 'Wild Child' look, probably because it so often comes in handy at parties (you know, when your tights have ripped, your lipstick's smeared and your eyeliner's half way down your face... but you couldn't care less because, a la Blondie, you're rocking the 'Wild Child' vibe.)
Saint Laurent nails the look this season. Black eyes, spiked hells, ripped tights, slashed leather – LOVE!
Alexander McQueen goes down a rather more 'gothic' rebel route – with leather chokers and black leather cropped tops – while Versace goes subtly rebel, with slashed bell-bottoms and matching jacket. Just thinking about it all is enough to make one go wild.
4. Frilly Collars
Princess Diana popularised the frilly collar, indeed no Eighties Sloane wardrobe was complete without one.
This season, they are everywhere. Giles, for instance, features a 17th century white high-top frilly collar, whilst Chanel channels the ruffle (with bow tie detail). Alberta Ferretti took the frilly collar to new heights, creating it out of embroidered flowers, but PPQ gave us what we really wanted: a big unfussy rim of frill. Just frilliant!
*** See more Autumn Winter 2015 trends in the gallery below...***
Trends Autumn Winter 2015
1 of 1270s
Those flares you just bought? Good shout, because the big 70s comeback is going nowhere for Autumn. Whether you're into hippie trail bohemia or uptown 70s chic, there's still a version of the trend to love. The models at Burberry and Anna Sui could have been mistaken for Joni Mitchell with their ditsy floral prairie dresses accessorised with fringed waistcoats and capes. At Chloe, the 70s vibe spanned from louche corduroy dungarees to peasant blouses and skinny scarves. See how to wear the 70s trend here... [From left-right: Burberry, Bottega Veneta, Jonathan Saunders, Anna Sui]
2 of 1280s
The 70s wasn't the only decade on the mood board of designers for AW15. There was also the beginnings of a move on to 80s- be warned that this trend will go mega next season. J.W Anderson in London led the brave new 80s revival with a collection which nodded to the power shoulders, colour block knits and rainbow colour combos which defined the decade of Dynasty, Bananarama and Wham! Meanwhile, Balmain and Saint Laurent sent out looks which seemed to echo early Madonna- think major ruffles, mini-length prom skirts- luckily, no perm required! [Left to right: Balmain, J.W Anderson, Saint Laurent]
3 of 12Sequins and glitter
Lurex, sequins and glitter are back! After seasons of pared-back plainness, designers were up for having some shiny fun for AW15. At Proenza Schouler, one dress alone was decorated with 300,000 sequins. Rodarte's glam-rock cocktail gowns shimmered with after-dark appeal while Julie de Libran at Sonia Rykiel somehow made embellishment look great for day by pairing her pewter sequinned pinafore with a polo neck. There was an intergalactic feel to Nicolas Ghequiere's silver tunic with glimmering streaks of gold at Louis Vuitton.[Left to right: Rodarte, Sonia Rykiel, Louis Vuitton, Michael Kors]
4 of 12Brocades
JThe ultra-luxe theme continued with a slew of shows packed with gorgeous creations which looked like they could have been run up with off cuts from the precious curtains of a stately home. Erdem set the tone in London by setting his show in a sumptuously decorated, imaginary Parisian apartment while Marques'Almeida made the look modern by styling raw-edged jewel-hued brocades in the same effortless way as their signature denim. In New York, Marc by Marc Jacobs designers Katie Hillier and Luella Bartley gave William Morris Arts and Crafts prints a fresh spin with their revolution themed collection. [Left to right: Marc by Marc Jacobs, Erdem, Marques'Almeida, Carven]
5 of 12Tweed skirt suits
Karl Lagerfeld introduced a decidedly ladylike mood to PFW proceedings with his Brasserie Gabrielle show at Chanel. The uber-chic bistro set provided the perfect backdrop to tweed skirt suits paired with delicate block heeled ballerinas. The Max Mara design team took images of Marilyn Monroe cavorting on the beach as a starting point point for timeless coats and knitted separates. In London, Roksanda Illincic's AW15 offering comprised cinched waist dresses, demure polo necks and opulent furs. Finally, legendary Vogue editor Diana Vreeland was the inspiration for Marc Jacob's elegant midi skirts and neat jackets which all came in rich fabrics and were worn with ladylike elbow-length gloves and handbags, fabulous! [Left to right: Roksanda, Chanel, Max Mara, Marc Jacobs]
6 of 12Layering
There are some trends which you'll be able to create simply from rethinking your current wardrobe. On the AW15 catwalks, there were a myriad of witty new styling ideas. Have your ever considered teaming your favourite tea dress with a crisp shirt? Stella McCartney shows that it can work a treat. At Hermes, it was all about polo neck plus shirt plus coat while Phillip Lim made us think that the new way to keep warm in winter is to clash our parkas with our double-breasted jackets. [Left to right: DKNY, 3.1 Phillip Lim, Stellla McCartney, Hermes]
7 of 12Bold graphic art prints
The most vibrant of the new season trends is the bold, graphic art-inspired mood which came in every hue imaginable at shows in all four cities. Monochromatic checkerboard prints appeared on drop-waisted dresses at Valentino while grey tunics at Loewe came emblazoned with red and black cubes. Christopher Kane's scarlett coat with black zig-zags is bound to be an AW15 must-have. [Left to right: Christopher Kane, Christian Dior, Loewe, Valentino]
8 of 12Dark Victoriana
Victorian frills and a mournful mood came together to create darkly decadent themes for AW15; Thom Browne centred his collection on the recent Met Museum exhibition 'Death Becomes Her' while Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen looked to the beauty and decay of a rose. Sheer fabrics, frilled details, luxurious embellishments and floor-skimming lengths are the essential components of this look. [Left to right: Givenchy, Thom Browne, Simone Rocha, Alexander McQueen]
9 of 12Margot Tenenbaum
The catwalks were awash with the coolest iterations of geek chic imaginable, with Margot Tenenbaum as the main muse. Gucci designer Alessandro Michele made his debut with a collection in which girls in glasses marched the catwalks in studious tweed, timeless loafers and prim pussy bows. The look was given a more saccharine edge at Prada as cute suits came in shades of pistachio and rose, styled with crisp shirts and Mary-Jane heels. Good girls never looked so great. [Left to right: Peter Pilotto, Gucci, Prada, Bally]
10 of 12Where the Wild Things are
If you thought faux-fur was big this winter then be prepared to see the trend explode- almost literally- come September. Stella McCartney's "Fur-Free Fur" hooded coats came enormous and cream while at Louis Vuitton coats were yeti-like in white, black and leopard. Fash ed fave Sacai trimmed cosy overcoats in long brown fur panels. If fuzziness isn't your thing, the woodland theme at Celine extended to animal printed cover-ups which chime perfectly with the wild mood. Rawwr! [Left to right: Louis Vuitton, Celine, Stella McCartney, Sacai]
11 of 12Caped In Glory
They might not have done Madonna any favours at the Brit Awards earlier this year, but capes are big this autumn. Kenzo put out weather-appropriate waterproof poncho capes in navy blue and green, whilst Vivienne Westwood Gold Label opted for a more dramatic approach (characteristically) with their unisex embroidered capes with distorted silhouettes. Giles Deacon went down the gothic route with a black silk cape dress with bow-pocket detail, whilst Orla Kiely opted for Parisian chic with their shoulder-enhanced, layered cape in baby pink. [From left-right: Kenzo, Vivienne Westwood, Giles, Orla Kiely. Picture: Jason Lloyd-Evans]
12 of 12Show Some Skin
Expect to see a lot of flesh on display this autumn. Whether subtly visible through Chanel's sheer lined blouses or Nina Ricci's lace skirts, or very obviously visable through embellished details, like Sass and Bide's 'slashed' LBD or Calvin Klein's 'keyhole' tunic, remember that skin is IN. [From left-right: Calvin Klein, Oscar de la Renta, Sass and Bide, Chanel, Nina Ricci. Pictures: Jason Lloyd-Evans]