THE 80'S ARE BACK! GREAT.....I THINK.

When it comes to shopping for clothes and shoes, I'm a bit simple. I know what I like to wear, I know who sells it, I know which sizes of which items fit me best so on the internet I go, click-click-click and there. Clothes shopping done. In fact these days the only time I seem to go out to do any shopping at all is when an item just can't wait, like something for the house, or a new DVD I want. Since I haven't done any proper clothes shopping for ages, I really don't notice fashion trends, so I was completely surprised to recently hear two women talking about how fashions of the 80's are coming back in style.

I was very excited to hear this because the 80's was my favorite decade. For everyone there is a time in life where the world is all excitement, fun and new experiences and the 80's was my time for that. I lived in a new city, had a new career, new friends, fun aplenty, and since the city I'm talking about is Los Angeles, people had to look gooooood.

It was easy to look good in the 80's because, well, there was so much to look at. A quick check into my 80's wardrobe closet would have revealed at least 10 different electric colored jackets, blouses, slacks, skirts, oversized knits and leggings of varying prints and patterns, all interchangeable of course. Naturally, there were the matching leg warmers, matching floppy socks and matching shoes and boots. If I wasn't tidy, the bottom of my wardrobe might well have looked like an explosion at a paint factory. Then there were the obligatory hair accessories, plastic bracelets and ear rings (again, in all colors), ripped sweat-shirts a la Jennifer Beals in Flashdance and studded leather jewelry and fishnet gloves a la Madonna. Other than the designer brands, jeans were non grata, and flat shoes outside ankle boots were absolutely verboten. For anyone who wasn't fully grown in the 80's and can't quite comprehend the nature of 80's fashion, here's a tip: rent the movie Purple Rain. It'll become crystal clear to you, believe me.

I was well dressed in the 80's. My job required it, I enjoyed it and despite it looking a bit complicated, it was surprisingly comfortable as fashion goes. It could even be practical. Having a bad hair day? No need to worry, just apply some spiking hair gel or spray and, way-hey, a new style is born. So, would I wear these fashions today? Absolutely. Would it still feel comfortable? Yes, I think so. Could I get way with it? Ummm.....in a photo-shoot with ten or more 1980's models wearing the same fashions, probably, but on my own at a local Chinese take-out, probably not. I think I'd look like one of those school chaperones who gets up to dance with the kids.

Still, these fashions looked good then, they look good now and I'd like to wear them again. So, Christie Brinkley, Paulina Porizkova, Elle MacPherson et al, let's show the world that 80's fashions are fun whatever your age. We know. We dressed that way...in the 80's.