Rock the Gym with 80s Fashion

Thank the 80s for making athleisure cool.

It’s where the fitness meets fashion trend started and was popularised by iconic films like Fame and Flashdance. Many of the 80s key looks are still around today and it was the forerunner for the athleisure trend we know and love today..

Fashion North takes a nostalgic look into the archives to see how the 80s fitness fashion fusion started.

Fitness and film

The 1983 film Flashdance helped create a multitude of fashion trends, including athleisure wear. The ripped-collar top that fell off the shoulder became a staple look from the film. Today we still see this style being worn. 

Another film that helped pave the road for the current athleisure wear style was Fame (1980). The characters in this film would layer leg warmers over leggings, wear baggy sweatshirts, crop tops, mesh tops, sweatpants, headbands, and fingerless gloves. The style of the film lines up with what most people think of when talking about 80s athletic fashion: bright neon colors, fishnet stockings, leg warmers, and crop tops. 

While wearing neon colors or leg warmers may not be as trendy now, there are still heavy influences from this film. This includes the crop tops, baggy sweatshirts, leggings, and sweatpants. We are also seeing a comeback of the stretch headband worn at the hairline. 

You can still wear an outfit similar to those found in these films.  

Get the look without breaking your bank

You can get this adorable oversized and off the shoulder sweatshirt from Pretty Little Thing perfect for a modern take on the 80s style. The shirt comes in grey, black, pink, and yellow so you can keep it neutral or add some color. The best part is that it is currently only £12!

For the bottoms, keep it simple with these black high-waisted leggings from Primark for only £5. The high-waisted fit of these is another way to tie in that 80s look. 

That is the base of the look done, but every outfit needs accessories! For shoes you can wear a high top trainer or even chunky trainer such as these trainers from Primark. These are a good neutral color that won’t distract from the rest of the outfit and they are only £16. 

As stated earlier, the film Fame included the trend of layering leg warmers over leggings. While leg warmers aren’t popular anymore, this still influenced the trend of layering socks over leggings. These socks from Amazon come in a pack of 3 (white, grey, and black) for only £6.69. They are a perfect way to keep that leg warmer look from the 80s while staying on trend for today’s fashion. 

The last accessory to tie in this modern spin on 80s athleisure wear is a headband. This style of headband has made a comeback in recent years and you can get a pack of 8 different headbands in different colors for just £5.49 from Amazon.

With this outfit you could blend into 80s films like Fame and Flashdance while also being able to wear this outfit now with no one batting an eye. 

Do you love the 80s fitness and fashion look? Let us know @fashion_north