Perhaps one of the most influential trends from the ‘80s that has
resurfaced in the present day fashion world is leggings. Leggings were a wardrobe
staple for women in the ‘80s, and still a staple for women today. The difference is
in the way they are worn: leggings in the ‘80s were almost always brightly
colored in a spandex material, textured, or had stirrups, while today, leggings are
most popular in basic black cotton-stretch or leather. Today, leggings are worn
with tunic tops, a shirt that extends below the backside, and is considered the
appropriate way to wear leggings, where as in the ‘80s, it was common for
women to wear their leggings with cropped tops, which was not considered a
fashion faux pas as it is today. Another popular way to wear leggings in the ‘80s
was with a pair of leg warmers on top. Leg warmers were also a big fad of the
decade. Leg warmers are basically thick socks without feet, and were found in the
drawers of every woman who had any bit of fashion sense in the ‘80s. Leg
warmers originated long before the ‘80s fashion trend for dancers to wear to keep
their legs warm. When the movie Flashdance debuted in 1983, leg warmers