Do we really want to re-live the '80's?

Today's blog topic is the 80's (or 70's or 90's, depending on your age). I was a child of the '80's. Looking back, the fashion and hairstyles were laughable. Yet, I see some of it sneaking back into the mainstream. *eek*

I wore my fair share of oversized rugby shirts with those pencil-legged jeans, WIDE belt at the hips, fluorescent shirts with matching socks and door-knocker earrings, and a watch to match every outfit. I never did the parachute pants, Michael Jackson leather jacket, or "Members Only" jacket, though. With my head lowered in shame, I admit that I did attempt the "Valley Girl" speak for a short time, even though I lived in southern Mississippi. I'm not proud of it, and hearing the "young girl accent" these days reiterates how absolutely ridiculous my friends and I must've sounded.

My absolute FAVORITE parts of the '80's were the hair bands and those Brat Pack movies. St. Elmo's Fire, The Breakfast Club (had a HUGE Judd Nelson crush), Pretty In Pink (*still* love Jon Cryer), Sixteen Candles (although now I wonder what the big deal was about "Jake Ryan"), The Outsiders, and Red Dawn all bring back so many memories. I still watch some of them EVERY time they come on TV, and I *still* think Patrick Swayze is way yummy. ;-D

When Pretty In Pink came out, Molly Ringwald's style meant that I had to have a whole new look. I'd describe an outfit or article of clothing to my mom, and she'd make it for me. Thank goodness she was (and is) such an amazing seamstress! If I couldn't find a pattern that was close to what I wanted, she'd MAKE a pattern and then the outfit. Thanks, Mom!

And those hair bands...I'll admit that I have one of those "Monster Ballads" CD sets, along with several other compilation CD's of Twisted Sister, Whitesnake, Great White, Motley Crue, and so many others. On the Pop scene, A-Ha and Tears For Fears were the be-all, end-all of bands in my eyes. It makes me feel old to find out that the soundtrack to my teens is now "Classic Rock".

The very first concert I went to was Whitesnake and Great White. It was 1988, and I went with a guy that I'd had a major crush on for about 3 years. Although I wasn't allowed to wear make-up, I had to look just right for that night. The wings and mile-high bangs were shellacked to the point that a hurricane couldn't move 'em! We had a great time, but I decided not long afterwards that I was little more than an ego boost to this guy. We never went out again.

I have good and bad memories of that decade, but who doesn't look back on their teen years that way? There's no way that I'd ever want to re-live those years, though. It was hard enough the first time!