Even though I have fond memories of the 1980s fad for painted denim jackets, I never owned one myself, to the best of my recollection. I don’t know why. Maybe I couldn’t decide which band I wanted painted on the back? I was equally devoted to the Beatles and Duran Duran.
I did have a standard Levi’s-style jacket in 1984 (I bet it was by Guess though!). Here I am wearing it with my favorite neon-pink Guess top on the first day of my senior year of high school.
Click for a post about neon colors that included this photo.
I then upgraded to an oversize jacket that I thought was much more stylish and “New Wave.” As you can see in this photo, I was still devoted to the pink Guess top (with a matching skinny scarf) and popped jacket collar.
In California.
If you look closely, you can see that I’m wearing the pink rhinestone heart earrings that I still own and previously posted here.
By 1985, I had switched from blonde bangs to dyed-black hair, but I kept the New Wave jacket. In the photo below, you can glimpse one of my favorite shirts under it. It was a long button-down with a cartoon pattern that I wore over leggings or Guess ankle-zip jeans.
Whoa! The collar is down.
The next photo isn’t very good quality, but you can see the shape and size of the jacket. It reminds me of my oversize leather motorcycle jacket from the same era.
A bulky look was in!
When I found these photos, I said to gorgeous designer/stylist Stacy Lomman, “I loved that jacket soooo much. I wish I still had it.” She took one look and said, “I’m glad you don’t.” Ha!
You are too cute, I have Shihtzu that looks like ur pup. I luv ur denim & ur customized one espec.
Question: how does ur anti-spam pick such fabu words or do u have a special setting??
I have a special setting 😀
I think someone should do an evolution of the denim jacket over the years. I keep having to buy new ones to stay modern (current one is a Current/Elliott cropped, ha), and I know I’ve dumped a number over the years. Fairly sure I’ve got at least 5 now, from skinny to oversize to white to destroyed to $$ (this one, but I wear it all the time).
I love your hair in these. I just had long boring hair in the 80s, product of going to a liberal Ivy League.
Which Ivy? I graduated from Columbia!
I was just chatting to my high school friend about how lucky I feel that bulky was in for our younger years!! I am so glad I got to wear giant polo tops, huge mom jeans and cable knit sweaters! Even the shoes were huge. I remember my fav outfit was a denim shirt under a kelly green sweater (denim cuffs rolled up over the sweater and DEFINITELY pop the collar out) with more denim on my bottom half and concrete heavy boots. I transitioned to tighter clothes when I wanted to, not back when I was a psycho self conscious drama teen. Thank you, 80’s and 90’s!!
Stacy and I have talked about that a lot too. And the thing is, back then we all thought bulky was sexy so it was the best of all worlds. Covered but still hot (at least in our minds)!
I also just bought a denim jacket! I really like the one you’re wearing in the first photo…and all the ’80s hair.
Hi there! Gorgeous pictures and I love both the denim jackets, you would have rocked the 2nd one this time round too!!
Aw, did I say that? You’re so cute in these pix! Love the highlights!