Category: Fashion

In the wild and colorful world of 1980s fashion, leg warmers carved out a place of unforgettable prominence. These thick, slouchy tubes of knit fabric were originally meant to keep dancers’ muscles warm and flexible—but by the mid-1980s, they were being worn everywhere from high school hallways to shopping malls to MTV sets. Often paired with spandex, miniskirts, or oversized sweaters, leg warmers weren’t just a fad—they were a cultural phenomenon. Cozy yet flashy, practical yet purely decorative, leg warmers were the unofficial sock of the aerobic generation, and for a few years, they were absolutely everywhere. The roots of…

The 1980s were no stranger to strange and unforgettable fashion trends—jelly shoes, leg warmers, acid-wash jeans, Members Only jackets, and shoulder pads all had their moment. But few fashion phenomena burned as brightly—and as briefly—as the Hypercolor shirt craze. These temperature-sensitive garments could change colors with body heat, and for a fleeting moment in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, they were the most talked-about pieces of clothing in American schools and shopping malls. Hypercolor wasn’t just a trend—it was a perfect encapsulation of the 1980s’ obsession with novelty, science, and standing out. It was equal parts fashion statement and…