Neon, synth-pop and other elements of Hotline Miami style. Influence of the film industry and show business
1980s style- a style that reproduces the style of clothing, makeup, and hairstyles of the 1980s. The main characteristic direction is excessiveness: representatives of the generation in clothing preferred flashy models, very short lengths, too narrow or too voluminous cut. Excessiveness also manifested itself in makeup and choice. Most typical images 80s – business woman, aggressive sexuality, romantic beauty, ideal athletic figure.
The main signs of the 80s style
General characteristics of the 80s style
The style of the 80s was formed under the influence of the cult of a beautiful and healthy body, subcultures, as well as the fashion industry and screen images. Fashion is intertwined with reinterpreted retro images, trends born of youth subcultures, musical and dance styles, the boom of sports. The determining factor in choosing clothes was the brand name. Since the 80s were characterized by excess, it was considered the pinnacle of style.
Clothes and accessories from such brands as Armani Jeans, Vivienne Westwood, Azzedine Alaia, Salvatore Ferragamo, Jean Paul Gaultier, Claude Montana, etc. have enjoyed success in different segments of society.
The main directions of style of the 80s
- Aggressive sexuality
In the 80s image sexy girl associated with revealing, aggressive and provocative outfits. In the USA, some representatives of the generation tore off tags with the names of famous people from the inside out and sewed them onto the front side.
Colors- green, yellow, lemon, red, fuchsia.
Prints– leopard, check, floral patterns.
Fabrics– denim, lurex, knitwear, lace, lycra, leather, stretch.
Cloth- mini, shorts, sweaters with, and jackets with wide shoulders, windbreaker jackets, bustiers, openwork, tops, including with sequins or rhinestones.
Bags– volumetric models and .
Accessories– lace mitts, neck mitts, ribbons, hair bands, clips, earrings and plastic, wide belts and belts tied at the waist or hips.
Hairstyle– perm, bleached hair or highlights, backcombing fixed with varnish.
Makeup– bright shadows, eyeliner, blush, lipstick with mother-of-pearl.
Brands— Yves Saint Laurent, Nike, Adidas, Vivienne Westwood, Azzedine Alaia, Moschino, Versace, Jean Paul Gaultier, Claude Montana, etc.
- Romance
Romantic direction in the 80s. was associated with the style of Princess Diana, a fashion icon of the time, including her 1981 wedding. and made this outfit from 40 meters of silk fabric. The dress consisted of a bodice with Empire style sleeves, a full skirt trimmed with antique English lace and a 7.5-meter train. Princess Diana's outfit inspired many designers to create romantic collections.
Colors– rich or pastel colors.
Prints– polka dots, checkered patterns, floral motifs.
Fabrics- lace, guipure, tulle, silk, crepe, crepe de Chine, boucle, cashmere, cotton, chiffon, satin.
Cloth– pencil skirts, bouffant skirts, sheath dresses, evening dresses, dresses, with flounces and ruffles, jackets, with a high waist.
Bags– shoppers, weekenders, sportsmen.
Accessories– plastic jewelry, hair bands, wide belts and sashes tied at the waist or hips.
Hairstyle- perm, spikelet.
Makeup– red, hot pink, brown lipstick, eyeliner.
Brands— Armani Jeans, Nike, Adidas, Moncler, Moncler R, Moncler Grenoble, Juicy Couture, etc.
Styles of youth subcultures
Popular subcultures and trends of the 80s. were , and .
- 80s hip hop
Colors– black, gray, white, yellow.
Prints– labels of famous brands, geometric patterns, techno-landscapes, aggressive animalistic, letter and portrait images.
Fabrics– knitwear, denim, polyester.
Cloth– sweatshirts with a hood, wide pants, tube jeans, wide.
Shoes– sneakers, sandals.
Bags– backpacks.
Accessories – massive jewelry, bandanas, wristbands, headbands, belts.
Hairstyle– perm, backcombing.
Makeup– bright pink, red or brown lipstick, eyeliner.
Brands– Reebok, Nike, Adidas, Moschino, Jean Paul Gaultier, etc.
- Gothic 80's
Colors– black, sometimes combined with dark red or blue.
Prints– images of crosses, skulls, pentagrams.
Fabrics– vinyl, mesh, leather, knitwear, silk, .
Cloth- sweatshirts in fine or large mesh, raincoats, leather jackets. IN women's wardrobe There were also torn tights, floor-length dresses, corsets, and miniskirts.
Bags- hobos, postmen.
Shoes– martens, platform boots.
Accessories- collars and bracelets with spikes, Celtic crosses, metallic jewelry with images of skulls or an eight-pointed star, torn gloves-mittens, sometimes piercings, by the end of the 80s - , .
Hairstyle– in the early 80s, goths wore their hair combed middle length, wide mohawks, dyed strands of hair blue, red or purple. By the end of the 80s, long straight hair became popular.
Makeup(for men and women) - black or blueberry lipstick, dark shadows, eyeliner, black nail polish; by the end of the 80s, a marble complexion, which was achieved with the help of theatrical makeup, became popular among the Goths.
Brands— Vivienne Westwood, Dr. Martens, Jean Paul Gaultier.
- 80's preppy
Colors– deep blue, red, bright yellow, sand, gray, white, khaki, beige. It is possible to combine them with pastel colors.
Prints– check, diamond, stripe, as well as a combination of these patterns.
Fabrics– tweed, cotton, wool, cashmere, viscose, mohair.
Cloth– jackets with wide shoulders, knitted ones, blazers, sweatshirts, coats, polo shirts, polo shirts, classic-cut trousers, banana trousers. Girls also wore shirt-cut blouses, pencil skirts, pleated skirts, A-line skirts and dresses.
Bags– satchels, backpacks, mail bags, totes, weekenders, briefcases.
Shoes– , ballet shoes, oxfords, derby shoes, brogues, shoes high heels.
Accessories– headbands, bows and ribbons for decorating hairstyles, ties, bow ties, neck and chest scarves, belts, bright knee socks and socks, patches with university and college logos.
Hairstyle– perm.
Makeup– blush and lipstick in natural shades.
Brands— , Ralph Lauren, Lacoste, Filson, Alden, Sperry Top-Sider, Quoddy.
Influence of the film industry and show business
- Men's fashion
Men's clothing style in the 80s was influenced by Michael Jackson, David Bowie, Boy George, Thomas Andersen and Dieter Bohlen.
Michael Jackson preferred hats, jackets and jackets with wide shoulders, leather jackets, scarves, loafers, loose trousers, belts, classic cut, gloves, white socks. The clothes and accessories of the King of Pop were decorated with numerous sequins and rhinestones.
David Bowie and Boy George chose jeans, T-shirts, jackets with patches, bright jackets, leather jackets, platform boots, scarves. On stage and in life they used makeup and dyed their hair. Boy George's image was more extravagant. He wore bright hats, jackets with metallic elements and rhinestones, used more makeup, and experimented with his hairstyle.
Thomas Andersen and Dieter Bohlen performed on stage in shirts, jeans, loose-fitting leather pants and leather jackets, often worn on a naked body.
From 1984 to 1990 The series “Miami Vice: Vice Squad” was broadcast on television. The character James Crockett, played by Don Johnson, was recognized as a style icon. IN Everyday life the hero of the series wore plain T-shirts under club jackets from Giorgio Armani, linen trousers and moccasins on bare feet, sun protection Ray-Ban glasses. James preferred things pastel colors. For one episode main character could change up to five sets of clothes. The fashion consultants for the series were Werner Baldessarini, and. Costume designer Bambi Brixstone stated that "the concept of the series is to be on top of all the latest fashion trends Europe".
During the five years of broadcast of the series, the demand for club jackets, jackets, Sunglasses Ray-Ban Wayfarer and light outfits pastel shades. The AfterSix company created a line of Miami Vice jackets, Macy's opened a clothing section called the Department of Morals.
- Women's fashion
On women's style major influences include Madonna, Grace Jones and Princess Diana.
Princess Diana kept things businesslike and romantic styles. She chose sheath dresses from Christian Lacroix, dresses with voluminous shoulder pads from Bruce Oldfield, suits from Chanel, shoes from Salvatore Ferragamo, Jimmy Choo, Manolo Blahnik, hats with moderately wide brims, scarves, etc.
On stage and in everyday life, the singer wore corsets from Jean Paul Gaultier, leather shorts, loose-fitting one-shoulder tops, embroidered jackets, miniskirts, belts and belts tied at the waist or hips, mitten gloves, sunglasses, massive jewelry , torn colored tights, cross chains, bright makeup, headbands and bows on the hair, backcombing, perm.
Grace Jones adhered to styles in their aggressive direction. The style icon wore Yves Saint-Laurent tuxedos layered with lingerie, leather dresses and jackets, leggings, uniforms, over the knee boots, high-heeled or platform shoes, outrageous hats, men's haircuts.
Fashion industry influence
In 1979, he released the James Bond spring-summer 1980 collection, in which he presented miniskirts, leather shorts and vests. IN next year the designer created the “High-Tech” collection in a hooligan style. In 1981, Giorgio Armani launched the youth lines Emporio Armani and Armani Jeans. In 1983, Jean-Paul Gaultier presented the women's collection "Dada" with numerous corsets, and founded the brand of the same name. The collections, created under the slogan “If you can’t be elegant, become extravagant,” were distinguished bright colors, using logos as prints, combining different materials in one outfit. In 1984, Jean-Louis Dumas, head of the Fashion House, released the first bag model, and Jean-Paul Gaultier created men's collection called “Male Object” with striped sweaters and skirts. At Jean-Paul Gaultier's Spring/Summer 1986 women's Dolls show, models walked the runway in black satin lingerie and stockings. In the mid-1980s, he created the famous tight-fitting dress with a cape for Grace Jones.
In the 80s, Japanese designers such as Yoshi Yamamoto and. became popular in Europe and the USA. offered clothes geometric shapes, kimono sleeves, sharp color combinations. When creating collections, the priority was a feeling of comfort and freedom.
The world-famous series “Miami Vice: Vice” has become the standard of 80s style. And today, when playlists are filled with synthwave, and a palm tree in the rays of a pink sunset has become one of the most replicated images, it’s worth taking a closer look at the clothes of that era and thinking about what would be appropriate in a modern wardrobe.
Baggy jackets andpowersuit
It would be redundant to quote Armani verbatim today. But nothing prevents you from experimenting with freedom of cut
The 80s are famous for their freedom not only in morality, but also in clothing. The famous Armani silhouette with widened shoulders and a loose waist today looks somewhat old-fashioned - even the maestro himself proposed narrow and short jackets in his latest collection. But we are ready to boldly predict that soon the fashion pendulum will swing back to the style of the 80s. Every year, custom fitting becomes freer, and fashion tends to exaggerate trends and turn them into grotesque. So Armani will still see his own style in a new interpretation. In the meantime, we advise you to think about a loose jacket - it will not only be comfortable, but also serve as an interesting fashion statement.
Power suit has massive shoulders, large stripes and a significant fit. Patrick Bateman's ax not included
The flip side of the “broad” fashion of the 80s is the power suit, business suit for a man who wants to look his best in business. This style is associated with high and wide shoulders, noticeable striped fabric, an emphasized waist and an impressive length (covered buttocks - at a minimum). Best examples- costumes of Christian Bale in “American Psycho” and Charlie Sheen in “Wall Street”. Alas, today it is relevant only in two cases:
1 — You are the owner or managing partner of a VERY large business;
2 — You put on the “power suit” solely as a fashion statement, with an emphasized reference to the 80s.
In all other situations, a power suit will look too pretentious. You can treat this however you like, but we still live in an era of lightweight and deformalized suits.
Formal with informal
Don Johnson in Miami Vice
Take a closer look at Don Johnson in Miami Vice and you will notice the main line of his style: he constantly combines incongruous styles. From a jacket and polo, which we have already written about, to a suit and T-shirt.
The “T-shirt with a suit” style has not lost its relevance in thirty years.
Such decisions are a slippery slope on which it is easy to stumble. Let's try to list ways to make such a combo successful:
1 — Avoid overly informal details: double collars, voluminous pockets, artificial tears and abrasions.
2 — Choose plain colors for informal items, but contrasting colors(see next paragraph). A horizontal vest strip also works.
3 — Styles - without extreme. In some episodes of Miami, Johnson's character almost has an alcoholic T-shirt under his jacket. Today people will look at this askance. But traditional T-shirts with o-shaped and v-necks will be quite appropriate.
"Artificial" colors
A wonderful stylization of the 80s "Watchmen" and the character Ozymandias in a purple double-breasted suit - not exactly an example of impeccable style, but a reason to think about what extremes the colors of men's clothing sometimes reach
Synthetics defeated organics in the 80s: the rapid development of technology and the revision of design postulates played a role in this. This trend also affected fashion: fabric dyes stood out most brightly (literally). “Eighties” colors include electric blue, pink, canary yellow, acrid green, magenta. They are great paired with white and black items, but will be over the top with everything else. A great example of “good bad” style is Saul Goodman from the TV series Breaking Bad, whose acid shirts are forever etched in the memory.
Saul Goodman in his signature '80s acid shirt
Whether you are ready to include these in your wardrobe is up to you, but we beg you, do not wear them to serious business meetings. 🙂
Large print shirts
From kitsch to sophisticated style- one step, which is superbly proven by fashion editor Alex Cvetkovich (photo from the summer Pitti Uomo 2017)
"Hawaiian" after heavy (for men's style) era of the 90s were stigmatized and actually identified with bad taste. But this summer, shirts with short sleeves and large prints, including floral ones, returned with triumph (about the same as what happened last year with turtlenecks). They are adored by renowned fashion journalists Way Coe (The Rake) and Tom Stubbs (Financial Times) and Alex Cvetkovic (The Jackal), and brands like Gieves & Hawkes and Cerruti are now being added to summer collections. Don't wear Hawaiian shorts with trousers that are too formal, so as not to break up the look - baggy linen trousers in the Oxford style of the 20s or classic shorts just above the knee will suit them.
More white
White trousers under a double-breasted blue blazer - although not a direct reference to the 80s, but effective way dilute the classic look
A full snow-white suit is perhaps appropriate only in a resort or coastal city. The only exception is if you get out of a red Ferrari or yellow Lamborghini in one and go up to a restaurant on the roof of a Moscow high-rise. And yet there are options to include white in Casual style weight. Pure white trousers with a blue blazer and brown loafers. White linen jacket under a striped shirt with two buttons undone and blue or light blue trousers. Well, a separate topic is an ivory tuxedo, which will become the pearl of your wedding or an upscale social event with a black tie dress code.
Chunky sunglasses
It attracted attention not only with its fast gameplay and the brutality of what was happening, but also with its unusual audio and visual presentation. We've broken down the play style into its key elements.
Neon
Hotline Miami's acidic palette is a nod to the '80s in which the game is set. Neon colors are one of the key colors fashion trends that era. Hot pink, yellow, orange and acid green were the main colors of the decade. Everything from the sneakers should have burned out the eyes:
Adidas ZX8000
Before the silicone bracelets popular at that time:
Hotline Miami diligently follows the rules of the era and is awash in vibrant colors. The authors of the game decided to use the aesthetics of the 80s after watching the film “Drive”, the documentary work “Cocaine Cowboys” and the TV series “Miami Vice. Department of morals."
Synth-pop
"Drive" also influenced the music of Hotline Miami. The film's director, Nicolas Winding Refn, was inspired by 80s synth-pop, under the influence of which composer Cliff Martinez wrote the soundtrack for the film. The film's title theme, Nightcall, was performed by Frenchman Kavinsky, who draws inspiration from the soundtracks of 80s films.
Despite the fact that the music of Hotline Miami and Drive sounds like synth-pop of the 80s, many classify it as a separate direction - retrowave. It's basically the same 80's dance pop music, only made modern composers, nostalgic for old films and video games. In the variety of such retro music they even distinguish separate genre outrun electro - tracks for night car trips around the city. The best way to keep up with the latest retrowave products is in the dedicated public in Vkontakte".
Masks
The hero of Hotline Miami goes on missions wearing animal masks, using them as a disguise. In an interview with Eurogamer, game designer Jonathan Söderström said that he saw the idea for masks in the movie Kick-Ass: “We discussed cheap ways to disguise ourselves and came up with the idea of masks. I started drawing animal masks because they scare me." Each animal in Hotline Miami has its own name; According to the authors, by putting on a mask, the hero ceases to be himself and becomes a different person, losing responsibility for his actions.
The concept of masks fits well with the aesthetics of the 80s: the maniacs from “Friday the 13th,” “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” and “Halloween” also hid their faces.
VHS
The VHS aesthetic is reflected in Hotline Miami on several levels. Firstly, the game looks like a typical movie from a worn-out cassette: poor image, noise, artifacts. Secondly, it pretends to be a B-category film that was not allowed into theaters - this is not a blockbuster, but a typical exploitation movie that profits from violence. Thirdly, Hotline Miami paints a picture of everyday life that was standard for the USA in the 80s: returning home from “work”, the main character often stops at the video store to buy a new film. By the mid-80s, there were more than 15 thousand video rental stores in the United States; some of them even opened in grocery stores and pharmacies.
DeLorean DMC-12
One small detail gives Hotline Miami a lot of style points: the game's protagonist drives to “work” in a DeLorean DMC-12, the same car of Doc Brown from Back to the Future. This is a unique car for the 80s: the DMC-12 was produced for only two years, made its manufacturer bankrupt and still became a cult car. Perhaps, in terms of significance for its era, only the Ferrari Testarossa, the favorite of the characters in Miami Vice, can be compared with the Delorean.
Our review of Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number will be coming very soon.
