Polka dots, puffballs and power suits – 80s fashion is back! How to wear the trend in 2025
Dust off your shoulder pads and fasten your pussybow. Forget the quiet 90s minimalism we've been wearing to date – flamboyant 80s dressing is back. And this time around you don't need a perm or Lycra!
Fashion's cyclical nature is not a new notion, but why the return to Yuppie consumerism and loud looks now? Not only was the taste for nostalgia seen on S/S 25 runways at Stella McCartney and Loewe, TV has also revived the thirst for this aesthetic.
'At Ebay, shoppers are gravitating towards vintage pieces like those featured in shows with retro styling, such as The White Lotus,' says Kirsty Keoghan, the platform's global general manager of fashion. In true 80s style, we may even be facing a recession, with economic contraction in the US.
So, as fashion often reflects the times, 80s power suits, molten fabrics, statement jewellery and polka dots are all on summer's style set list. Here and over the page, we show how to wear 80s trends today.
From left to right:
PUFFBALL
Iris Gold Dress £329
Shop
Sophie Dearden-Howell, fashion director
'As someone who is never willingly underdressed, I love the glamour of the 1980s and am thrilled with the revival. This gold dress was so fun to wear.'
NEW ROMANTICS
White 100% Cotton Barrel Leg Jeans £34
Shop
Rixo Black Denver Embroidery Jacket £350
Shop
Hannah Skelley, fashion editor
'I may come from the 90s, but embracing my curls, smearing on red lippie and slipping into this New Romantics-inspired jacket made me wonder if I'd been born a decade too late.'
Jacket, £350, rixolondon.com. Blouse, £99, mintvelvet.com. Jeans, £34, next.co.uk. Vintage earrings, £275, susancaplan.co.uk. Belt, £5.99, newlook.com. Boots, £130, jonesbootmaker.com
SHARP SUITING
Ariella Pinstripe Blazer £90
Shop
Ariella Pinstripe Straight Leg Trousers £55
Shop
Lila Flint Roberts, senior bookings editor
'A suit isn't far from my comfort zone, but a tie is. Now I'll be wearing one to the office. The 80s can keep its heavy make-up, though!'
Blazer, £139, trousers, £89, phase-eight.com. Shirt, £39.50, marksandspencer.com. Scrunchie, £12, urbanoutfitters.com. Vintage earrings, £175, susancaplan.co.uk. Tie, £99, hollandcooper.com. Bangle, Lila's own. Shoes, £245, russellandbromley.co.uk
Six ways to get the look
SHARP SUITING
A power suit will amp up your officewear and, trust us on this one, your wedding-guest season. City-boy tailoring might have been itchy and heavy 40 years ago, but this season it's all soft wool blends and linen. H&M Studio has great runway-like cuts at high-street prices, such as its wool-mix greige marl suit (trousers shown above). If you're petite, look for blazers with waist-slimming panels or cinch with a belt. Sophisticated courts finish the look.
Shoes
CHUNKY EARRINGS
Magpies among us may never have stopped wearing big, blingy earrings. But if you're new to anything larger than a huggie hoop, avoid Pat Butcher chandeliers and try gold geometric pieces. Daisy's vintage-inspired selection includes lattice studs (below) that look as if they were plucked straight from Dynasty. Greek heritage brand Ysso creates beautiful ear candy (above) worthy of becoming heirlooms.
NEW ROMANTICS
Pair military jackets and frilly blouses with caution – if you resemble Simon Le Bon you've gone too far. Opt for jackets in a single tone, rather than clashing colours or gold brocade. Replace your denim shacket with Mint Velvet's sleek black iteration (above) or, if you're a khaki die-hard, Joe Browns' army version (below).
Jacket
£70 Shop
POLKA DOTS
White Polka Dot Bandeau Felicity Midi Dress
£99 Shop
Here comes a welcome swapover from animal print. Avoid micro dots and stick to wearing large, bold versions of the pattern instead. Nobody's Child's Felicity monochrome bandeau dress (above) is polka perfection. Its fitted bodice with detachable straps is ultra- flattering, while the ruching keeps it contemporary rather than staid. New Look's pussybow blouse (below) has a sultry sheer finish and will look great tucked into linen trousers or a puffball skirt.
Blouse
£18 Shop
METALLICS
Today's take on the 80s molten trend is sleek and luxe rather than Bacofoil inspired. Just be sure to step away from metallic jumpsuits and only go molten with one element of your outfit. Sézane's glitzy gold shirt (above) is perfect for parties and the sunset hour. Or keep things simple with a shiny accessory, such as Charles & Keith's woven silver shoulder bag (below).
Bag
£99 Shop
PUFFBALLS
M&S Bubble Hem Midi Skirt and Top
£69
Shop
It seems we've reached peak puffball. Depop, the vintage clothes-selling app, has seen searches for 'bubble dresses' spike by 127 per cent since 2024. Meanwhile, M&S has recorded it as the brand's bestselling silhouette this year. We're not surprised the store's shoppers are hunting for this shape: the brand's flattering bubble midi skirt (above) sits firmly on the right side of mushroom to be just bulbous enough in the hem. And don't forget to finish your outfit with a pair of 80s-style oversized frames. Jimmy Fairly has some of the best, including the Nax (below).
Styling: Jessica Carroll.
Hair: Alex Szabo at Carol Hayes ysing Philip Kingsley
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