Who’s That Girl? Madonna’s Reign Over 80s Fashion

Madonna was all the rage during the 80s, she was a hit music artist along with Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson and then going on to be a major style icon known for her streetwear and provocative boy-toy style, volumised perm and layered necklaces. Madonna would style her curls with oversized vibrant bows and headbands or swept up into a side ponytail with the iconic puffed fringe. These hair accessories matching with gloves and patterned tights gave her a feminine look with a rebellious edge to her sexuality on show. Her hair style influenced teens of the 80s to experiment with bleach and perms to achieve Madonna’s curly do. 

 

Madonna’s streetwear style is still influential today with her love for mesh that can be seen in today’s party and rave culture, miniskirts over the top of bright coloured and patterned tights dominated the 80s that has been continued to today’s streetwear. Well known album, Like A Virgin, was released in 1984. In the same year, Madonna attended her first MTV music awards wearing her iconic bridal inspired look. This was the first look of her famous boy-toy studded belt, designed by her close friend, jewellery designer Maripol. Decorating her chest, she wore layered cross and pearl necklaces that show innocence and purity for her album along with long white lace gloves. The bridal look uses a puffed mesh skirt with an asymmetric trim patterned with opaque hearts. Tucked into the skirt Madonna wears a white lace bustier designed by her friend Maripol too. During her Like A Virgin phase, she popularised wearing underwear as outerwear which influenced many naked looks, wearing bras, corsets and bustiers as regular tops. 

 

 

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Madonna’s second tour Who’s that Girl? in 1987 started in Japan, finishing in Florence, Italy, to promote albums Like A Virgin and recently released True Blue. Throughout these album eras, Madonna had been spotted in corsets left, right and centre. The corset in this concert look was designed by Angela Dean was based on the 1950s bullet bra intending to enhance women’s breasts with sharp cups. This particular cone bra corset has gold detailed stripes down the bodice with gold nipple covers and black tassels extending from them styled with fishnet tights, black leather boots and black bikini style hot pants. Eventually these corsets led to the renowned Jean Paul Gaultier ivory cone bra corset that is seen in Madonna’s Blonde Ambition tour in 1990.

Get the look: Like A Virgin 1984

 

1. Junia Underwire Lace Corset Top in ivory from OhPolly – £55

2. ASOS DESIGN Godlet Lace Mini Skirt in white – £20

3. Vivienne Westwood Felicity Necklace – £690

4. Moschino Logo-Lettering Leather Belt – £220

 

Get the look: Who’s That Girl 1987: 

1. Romera Satin Corset Playsuit in black from OhPolly – £35

2. Vintage Black & Gold Floral Lace Corset Top from Beyond Retro – £13

3. PrettyLittleThing Women’s Kelsie Medium Net Fishnet Tights – £5

4. Block Heel Ankle Boots from Bershka – £39.99

 

Let us know on our socials @FashionNorth your favourite look from Madonna and an 80s trend you cannot get enough of.