Issue Date: June 7, 2009

The '80s are back

Bold colors, big shoulders and sexy cutouts look like it's 1985 again.

By Michele Meyer

The '80s again? Like, totally. Designers are reviving padded shoulders, Crayola brights, sexy cutouts and helmet hair for fall. The power play is the same, but the motives are new.

Back when Reagan ruled, women's "warrior wear" declared that the boardroom no longer was an all-boys club. "Now, we're in survival mode, flashing colors to fend off danger and wearing big shoulders as protection," says Marc Gobé, president of Emotional Branding.

The sword-sharp shoulders of Zac Posen and Narciso Rodriguez put swagger in our step. Add Jil Sander's neon orange, Marc Jacobs' kelly green and Michael Kors' hot pink -- plus Brian Reyes' bold cutouts and Alexander Wang's bare midriffs -- and we're dressed to kill.

"When people are losing jobs, they want to put on a brave face and a look that says, 'I'm strong and in charge, not defeated,' " says Jane Buckingham, president of L.A.-based trend-forecasting The Intelligence Group.

Natural complements to bold clothes are big hair and fierce makeup, says Ted Gibson, collections hair stylist for Carmen Marc Valvo, Lela Rose and Vena Cava, where pompadours ruled. "You want to stand out -- and look like you can get the job done," he says.

Awesome. "Working Girl" is back.

Michele Meyer last wrote about the return of '30s-era shiny garb.