29 things I love about the 1980s

Generally speaking, when peering back at the past this blog, we keep thing squarely to a pre-1965 timeframe, however today we're going to deviate from the norm for a little while and spend a few minutes getting reacquainted with the the exciting world of the 1980s.

“Why, Jess?” I hear you asking, no doubt just as curious about that point as you are about why I went with the seemingly completely random number "29" for the number of entries on this list, instead of rounding up to, say, thirty. The reason for both of these things can be found in the fact that tomorrow is my 29th birthday and that, on a scorching hot July day, I was born in 1984.

Given that I only got to experience six years of this decade, I won't even begin to claim that I can remember every last detail of it with crystal clarity, nor that I was able to experience all of its highs and lows firsthand. However, from about the age of three onwards, I do recall quite a lot of what I lived during the enjoyable eighties and thought that today, on my birthday eve, it was high time I paid tribute to some of the things that I adore most from this decade.

The 1980s were many things to many people, but for most - at least in society's overall perspective - they were a positive time. By and large, the middle class was still thriving, technology was making huge strides, fashion was fun as all get out, brunch was the king of meals, music was toe-tappingly cool, and there was absolutely no shortage of toys, TV shows, movies, books, and even clothing lines (OshKosh B'Gosh, anyone?) centered at children.

By the eighties many of the people who had been born during the immediate post year wars of 1945-1960 had come of age, started their careers, settled down and begun to raise families of their own. These parents were often markedly different than the generation that had proceeded them. Many mothers began working outside of the home, and the era of the latchkey child was in full swing.

Kids - at least where I grew up - still played outside all around the neighborhood, walked to school alone, decided to see their friends on their own terms (the notion of scheduled play dates was scarcely alive yet), and usually had a wish list of toys about ten miles long. We had sleepovers, Scholastic book fairs, penny candies, ALF, and a whole lot of Molly Ringwald movies.

Our parents might have been yuppies, our older cousins Valley Girls, and our teenage babysitters, New Romantics. Everyone, it seemed, tried to fit into one group or another (not that there was anything terribly new about this point in the 80s, of course), and - for the most part - the bulk of these different cliques got along pretty well (despite what many a teen flick of the time might have you believe).

When I think back to the 1980s, it was often sunny (at least where we lived), people were happy, groceries (and gas) were still affordable, and there was always a great song on the radio (or new fangled CD player).

While, of course, I would have loved to have been alive during the mid-twentieth century, I'm grateful that I still got to partake of the tail end of this incredible part of human history.

The 1980s weren't all sunshine, rainbows, and sparkly unicorn stickers, and I don't claim for the a second that such was the case, but when all is said and done, there's a lot to love about this decade.

Therefore, today, just hours before I enter the last year of my twenties, I'm going to share a list of 29 of my favourite (completely random) things, celebrities, movies, TV shows, and foods from the awesome eighties with all of you (note that not while not all of these listings were invented or first rose to fame during the eighties, they were certainly big hits throughout the decade).



1. Pastels




2. Big (permed) hair



3. Miami Vice



4. Super Mario Brothers Nintendo games



5. Power Suits



6. Making mix tapes



7. Cabbage Patch Kids dolls



8. Ferris Buellers's Day Off



9. Michael Jackson's music



10. Oregon Trail (computer game)



11. The Golden Girls



12. Alphie II toy



13. Super lacy bridal fashions



14. The Sony Walkman



15. Muppet Babies



16. Orange Julius drinks



17. Preppy fashion (and it's UK counterpart, Sloane Ranger fashion)



18. Babysitter Club books



19. Popples



20. Gelly Bracelets



21. Barbie and the Rockers



22. Anything Lisa Frank (from stickers to Trapper Keepers to clothes)



23. Paint With Water coloring books



24. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles



25. Bubble Tape chewing gum



26. Scratch and Sniff (Smell) stickers



27. Jump Rope for Heart



28. Stick On Earrings



29. Color Me Beautiful books and "draping" consultations

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Now, if this list doesn't make you want to tease your bangs, toss on some slouch socks, pop a Lean Cuisine in the microwave, and head on down to the video store, I don't know what will!

As I look back at the 1980s with adult eyes, I realize that they were akin to my (and I'd imagine many peoples') twenties. A time of highs and lows, scads of changes, plenty of loud music, fab fashion, and a certain sort of youthful spirit that I know I will always regard with a special kind of fondness.

Neither was perfect (by a long shot), but I'm truly grateful for both spans of time, and am looking forward to starting the last year of my twenties tomorrow, every bit as much as I am about the prospect of kicking off my thirties in a mere year and a day from now.

I hope that you all enjoyed this quick peek back at one of the most energy packed, fun filled, ever-changing decades of the last century, as I did putting it together (I'd love to hear about some of the things you adored most about the 80s as well).

While I'm a child of the eighties and I'll always reflect on this decade with oodles of love, my wardrobe and greatest passion for the past lie in earlier decades, which we'll be returning to (as per usual) in the next post here.

Right now, I'm off to whip up a yummy gluten-free cheesecake, narrow down the list of possible outfit choices for tomorrow, and crank up some Michael Jackson - after all, you can take the birthday girl out of the 80s, but you can't take the 80s out of the birthday girl! :)