I'm glad I'm not from the 80's, but for one night I want to look like I am.

February 15, 2009 3:02 PM

In a month or so I'll be going to a pretty epic 80's themed college party. I need ideas for a costume/ where to get it. I've read up on some websites with suggestions, but I figured metafilter would have better taste. I am a thin white male. I am willing to pay up to $100 but would prefer less than that. I want it to be something Ic an dance in. Any suggestions on what to wear or where to get it?
posted by vegetableagony to clothing, beauty, & fashion (36 comments total)

As a fellow thin white boy, who is from the 80s, I prescribe Duran Duran.
Yes, that is a white fedora.
posted by Fiasco da Gama at 3:10 PM on February 15, 2009

You can't go wrong with Crockett...
posted by benzo8 at 3:13 PM on February 15, 2009

You absolutely must have a tie. And the tie must fulfill all of these adjectives: skinny, knit, cotton, square-bottom. Black is preferable, but optional.

If you have enough bangs, you'll need hairspray to get that whole jutting-wing in the front.
posted by adipocere at 3:14 PM on February 15, 2009

When we had an 80s party a few years ago the best male costumes were:

Miami Vice look
Surfer dude
Metal guy complete with beer bong

All seemed to have gotten their items at Goodwill, Salvation Army or thrift shops.

Have fun with it!
posted by maxg94 at 3:21 PM on February 15, 2009

My first thought was Daniel Larusso. (Heck, you could even wear his shower costume to the party, then take it off when you want to dance.)
posted by brandman at 3:22 PM on February 15, 2009 [1 favorite]

Club Devo sells Energy Domes (the jello mold hats) and the yellow radiation suits, if you wanted to go as a member of Devo. $30 for the hat and $50 for the suit, so plus shipping would be close to but under your limit. Plus you would be going as something awesome instead of something lame with only kitsch value. Duty now for the future, spud!
posted by DecemberBoy at 3:23 PM on February 15, 2009

-navy blue sport jacket with brass buttons, striped polo shirt with white collar, khakis, black shoes
-black shirt, black pants, khaki trench coat
-denim shirt, denim jeans

you know the ones
posted by knowles at 3:24 PM on February 15, 2009

skinny leather tie
posted by Rumple at 3:28 PM on February 15, 2009

knowles beat me to it. You have to rickroll this party.
posted by crinklebat at 3:45 PM on February 15, 2009

I say buy black & white clothes, a skinny black tie, and either Doc Martens or creepers and go as a ska boy. Listen to a lot of Madness, Selector, The Specials, English Beat... any 2 Tone Band. Watch Quadrophenia. And when it comes time to dance, learn how to skank like there's no tomorrow.

Extra points for a scooter.

Extra extra points if the scooter has fifty four rear view mirrors.
posted by miss lynnster at 3:47 PM on February 15, 2009

Another idea... go as a member of Reagan Youth.* Because wow, they were annoying as fuck.

*Not the punk band. I'm referring to the pastel preppy Alex P. Keaton wannabes in their plaid shorts and pink polo shirts with the collars up. Oh, and they always wore boat shoes (aka Sperry Top Siders). Often without socks. And their hair was short and generally very combed.
posted by miss lynnster at 3:52 PM on February 15, 2009

Yeah, even better? Watch this and go as Steve Perry. I'm sure you can find all of those clothes and a bad wig at a thrift store. Note: THE CLOTHES CANNOT BE TOO TIGHT. At the party, overact everything you say as though you think you are in a Scorcese film. Occasionally pretend to play instruments to the music being played.
posted by miss lynnster at 3:55 PM on February 15, 2009

I went to one several months ago and rocked the pocket protector, black rim glasses, etc as one of the nerds from Revenge of the Nerds. BIG hit. The ugliest shirt plaid shirt I could find at Goodwill, along with pants that were way too short, white socks and black dress shoes.
Frightfully ugly, but a great costume that went over very well.
posted by willmize at 3:59 PM on February 15, 2009

Obviously I'm from the 80s. Jeeeez. I'll stop now. I could keep going forever on this topic.
posted by miss lynnster at 3:59 PM on February 15, 2009

Marty McFly items would be easy to pick up at Goodwill. I went as Crockett one year (even though i'm a female) and it was a huge hit.
posted by Ugh at 4:06 PM on February 15, 2009

Is your hair long enough to effectively Flock of Seagulls? (I did this once in high school--the trick is glue stick and lots of aqua net.)
posted by phunniemee at 4:11 PM on February 15, 2009

Piano keyboard tie.
posted by urbanwhaleshark at 4:42 PM on February 15, 2009

Again, you need the hair for this, but Robert Smith of The Cure could be an interesting anti-preppy choice - original 80's goth rock. It's all in the hair and makeup, the clothes don't matter too much - just wear black.
posted by lizbunny at 4:47 PM on February 15, 2009

Lloyd Dobler or John Cusack. Thrift store trench coat, camo pants, English Beat t-shirt, Docs or white Nike trainers. All the 40-year-old women will love you, but treat you badly because you're "too nice."
posted by Sweetie Darling at 4:50 PM on February 15, 2009 [1 favorite]

Ooooh. I so wish you were Asian... 'cuz every 80s party needs this guy to shake things up.
posted by miss lynnster at 4:59 PM on February 15, 2009

Being thin, you can wear quite a few 80s outfits. If you wear jeans, they need to be skinny jeans -- tight and tapered at the bottom. If you can't find tapered (try the women's section...), then roll them up at the bottom, while tucking in a little as you roll them up (like this).

And, as that website reminds, please consider parachute pants (like today's cargo pants, but made of slick material and worn tight) -- totally hot, especially if you wear white ones like that cute guy in 8th grade... sigh... $56 is a small price to pay to look that good!

Parachute pants plus Converse sneakers and any t-shirt -- totally 80s.

Totally 80's on the cheap, a knit polo shirt/golf shirt (knit, with 3 buttons on the top). Wear 2, in different colors (like, pink and yellow), with the collar "popped" -- standing straight up. Ditto for your hair (straight up). Loafers, preferably "boat shoes," aka topsiders. Instant preppy, and you can wear the shirts again after the party.
posted by Houstonian at 5:01 PM on February 15, 2009

If you take Fiasco da Gama's advice, and dress like Duran Duran, please consider a hint of eyeliner.

Whichever way you dress, remember that this word: Excess. Excessive hair (big), excessive size exaggeration (big shoulder pads, skinny pants), excessive accessories (hats, jewelry, etc.) -- boys and girls, and everyone was a bit "pretty".
posted by Houstonian at 5:14 PM on February 15, 2009

And all spray used to make your hair larger must be Aqua Net.
posted by miss lynnster at 5:24 PM on February 15, 2009 [2 favorites]

Would you consider shaving lines in your hair like Jonas? Because that was so cool when I was...well...twenty-whatever years ago.
posted by peagood at 5:28 PM on February 15, 2009

Anything involving hair. Lots of hair.
posted by Simon Barclay at 6:04 PM on February 15, 2009

Egon Spengler!
posted by Faint of Butt at 6:28 PM on February 15, 2009

No offense, gang, but most of these suggestions are sooooo obvious and easy. I recommend you dig a little deeper and go as Chris Knight from Real Genius, complete with t-shirt, bunny slippers and (for bonus points) a pencil behind the ear.
posted by dhammond at 7:10 PM on February 15, 2009 [1 favorite]

if you're comfortable showing off your legs, why not go as tom cruise in risky business? It would be a pretty simple costume - white dress shirt, white boxers, white socks, black sunglasses. Bonus points if you slide across the floor while carrying a Guitar Hero guitar.
posted by kerning at 7:38 PM on February 15, 2009

My first thought was David Bowie, in the "Let's Dance" era. A sharp grey suit, crisp white shirt, and that little twinkle of "oh yes, everyone in this room wants me, and I might just let it happen".

But then again, I graduated from high school in 1985 so I might have a bit of a lingering Bowie thing.

Or there's always Brian Setzer if you can rock the quiff.
posted by catlet at 9:16 PM on February 15, 2009

David Byrne in the big suit.
posted by carterk at 9:29 PM on February 15, 2009

Put a bagel in your pants!
posted by cazoo at 10:25 PM on February 15, 2009

Magnum P.I.

Short, OP shorts. Hawaiian shirt. Fake mustache. Detroit Tigers hat.

(It's surprising how hard it is to find images of him wearing the full get-up, but the combined elements are unmistakable in evoking the zeitgeist.)
posted by lionelhutz5 at 10:49 PM on February 15, 2009

Black leather jacket with padded shoulders
White elastic ankle boots
Fingerless black gloves
Skintight black unitard
High top fade haircut
Red codpiece...

Larry Blackmon of Cameo.

And for your How-80's-Can-You-Get moment, may I recommend viewing 2min 27sec into the video.
posted by buzzv at 11:19 PM on February 15, 2009

I have to second the reagan youth thing. Went to an 80's party a few years back, and everyone was dressed cliche new wave/mtv video, except this one guy. He had on a polo shirt, collar up, and jeans. Very subtle, but definitely the best outfit there. You might have to wear it with the right attitude to pull it off (disdain for non preppies).
posted by newpotato at 3:35 AM on February 16, 2009

wow. no one has mentioned Members Only jackets yet?
posted by kuppajava at 9:10 AM on February 16, 2009

No offense, gang, but most of these suggestions are sooooo obvious and easy. I recommend you dig a little deeper...

Yeah, well... they may be obvious to those of us who were there... but to a room full of people who aren't "from" the 80s, maybe not. Gotta consider that obscure stuff might just go over their heads. We grew up on a different planet.

I've been to costume parties where I had to spend all night explaining what I was, and it wasn't half as much fun. One Halloween I went as Joan Crawford, carrying around a wire coat hanger. I looked *GREAT*... had my hair and eyebrows done by my roommate who was a stage actress... shopped for weeks at vintage stores until I found a great crinoline dress (wore it with two pairs of shoulder pads in place)... and I practiced doing overly dramatic impressions of her in the mirror. I was *so* happy with that costume, I thought it was going to be really funny and all my work would totally pay off.

Then I showed up at work thinking I was gonna win the costume contest hands down only to find nobody in my department ever watched old movies, they didn't even know who Joan Crawford *was.* I lost to some guy who dressed up as a baby by wrapping a sheet around himself.

Yeah, I was bitter. My outrage worked perfectly with the costume though.
posted by miss lynnster at 9:54 AM on February 16, 2009 [1 favorite]