80s Fashion

80’s fashion – Leg Warmer

Fashion keeps changing with the era and like all other time 1980’s also has its own Fashion style known as 80s fashion. A style that was distinct from all previous decades. Unlike 1970s where fashion was outlined by loose bottoms and close fitting tops, 80’s fashion trend boasted of just the reverse. There was everything from miniskirts to parachute pants. There was craze for everything. Nothing was made exception.

One thing that always comes to mind whenever one talk about 80’s Fashion is leg warmers. Anyone who had even a small bit of Fashion interest at that time could be seen wearing a leg warmer now and then. This fever of leg warmers mainly affected people in the beginning of 80s fashion. They ruled the market at that time. Though they were meant to be used by professional dancers, common people or rather say fashion conscious people began using it every day.

Leg warmers as the name suggest were meant to keep lower portion warm. It was not a case that these leg warmers came into existence in the 80’s only. These leg warmers were present way before 80’s but were then used by professional dancers. Ballet and other classic dancers used to wear it as it covered the lower legs. Before 80’s leg warmer was more like a function dress than something which can make a style statement. It was initially made from wool, but when it hit the fashion charts it began to be made from cotton and synthetic fiber blend also. Leg warmers can be described as a pair of socks which is thick as well as comfy but is footless. It is of varying length but thickness is same for every leg warmer because it is stretchable in nature.

Leg warmers were readily accepted by teens and made a way into their wardrobes. They were coolly accepted by them, who were affected by films Fame and Flash-dance on the silver screen. Anyone who had even minimum knowledge of fashion had at least half a dozen of leg warmers in their wardrobe. Leg warmers were worn with every dress like jeans, knit pants, miniskirts, parachute pants etc. They were also worn with an aerobic dress, leggings.

The leg warmers were very eye catchy and told about the personality. At that time wearing a leg warmer was an indication of being cool. It did not bother the fashion conscious people whether they knew dancing or not. Leg warmers were in such a craze at that time that even, when it was a hot day outside, an 80’s fashion fanatic wore jeans or miniskirts and then a pair of leg warmer over that. Though it sound weird, but this was what was in the fashion at that time. Anybody at this time will not consider this practical but there was no care for practicality at that time. Everyone wanted to look cool and they did not care for the price they had to pay in return.

Nevertheless, as we say that nothing is constant in this changing world, only one thing that is constant is change. Same applies with fashion also but change occurs frequently here. Leg warmers also climbed down the fashion charts and began to fade away in the mid 80’s. Teens began to realize that wearing a pair of leg warmers with miniskirt did not look cool anymore. It now looked senseless to wear leg warmers because it did not make you look like a dancer anymore and so the coolness associated with it died somewhere in between.

However, in the world of Fashion, nothing is constant and everything follows a cyclic routine. The leg warmers which boomed and then died in 80’s will surely return and again will become a style statement.