Clothes were never more important than they were in the 1980s. If you didn’t have your Airs or parachute pants or leg warmers in order — and have them from the right makers — dude, you were like a total hoser. Luckily, these popular 80s clothing brands kept us all gnarly and ridin’ in high style throughout the greatest and loudest decade ever invented.
Adidas
The German sports apparel company’s clothes, including its trademark three parallel bars on the logo, were quite popular in 80s. Their outfits of choice? Sneakers and a pair of jeans would do just fine! They still sell today but have been overtake by Nike in terms of overall popularity
Aeropostale
This clothing brand was a staple among 80s teens, with its affordable prices and cute offerings. Its clothes were available in a variety of colors including the signature teal color that it’s known for today! You can find them all over malls across America even though they filed for bankruptcy in 2016.
Levi’s
The 80s Levi’s brand isn’t the same as what you see today! In 1982, they released their vintage clothing line that replicated 1950s styles and were a hit with both men and women alike. Nowadays, most of these clothes are available through eBay or thrift stores but there is also a then-modern 80s edition of the Levi’s brand that has 80s-inspired clothes as well. If you want retro denim, Levi’s is the one for you!
Lee
Unless … you preferred Lee jeans!
Along with Levi, Lee really helped to bring jeans to the mainstream, making them the preferred attire for 80s youth. Lee’s 80s jeans were a big hit and are still popular today, and some of the vintage models can bring big(ish) bucks on the secondary market.
Jordache
The 80s also had their own brands of jeans for men and women. These include Jordache, Gloria Vanderbilt, Calvin Klein Jeans (the first designer label to offer a career-oriented collection), Guess?, Laura Ashley – the British company that revolutionized denim by adding prints like leopard spots and paisley patterns; Esprit, 80s clothing brands.
Among these, Jordache stood out as a real trendsetter and, along with Levi and Lee, helped build the denim market into an empire.
Indeed, a lot of 80s kids in America and around the world were rocking Jordache jeans, which helped build a strong following for that brand.
Nike
Nike is an interesting case, because it didn’t have a very significant presence in 80s to start with but had huge growth potential thanks to its affiliation with a few basketball players, and thanks to an affinity for the brand by one young hoopster in particular — none other than Michael Jordan.
Jordan’s success with the brand was what really got Nike going as a phenomenon in its own right, and their alliance in creating the “Air” line really put basketball shoes on the map as an industry in its own right.
Sasson
The 80s saw the rise of Sasson, a brand that was very popular with teenagers.
One look at their ads tells you why they were so in-demand: bright colors and patterns, plenty of sweaters and beads to make your outfits more than just “plain Jane” — for its time anyway.
Guess
Guess has a long history in the 80s, with its origin dating back to 1977.
They first started out as denim jeans for men and women, but soon expanded their offerings by including tailored shirts and then finally children’s clothing.
Their most iconic 80s product? The “Tuess” logo on a luxe-looking tee.
Coogi
Thanks to Bill Cosby and his popular sitcom, The Cosby Show, big sweaters with bold, asymmetric patterns gained in popularity through the latter half of the 1980s.
And who was a master at producing just that sort of gear?
Why, it was Coogi!
The company was founded in 1969 and its 80s product line consisted of sweaters, cardigans, vests and more.
(affiliate links)
Note: When you click on links to various merchants in this post and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network and Amazon Associates.
