What Accessories Was Every Girl Obsessed With in the 80s?
Just like Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, let’s step into a time machine and set the dial to Saturday afternoon at the mall. The air smells like Boardwalk Fries and Electric Youth perfume. The environment is filled with a distinct visual landscape of bright plastic, neon colors, and incredible volume. Being a girl in the 1980s included accessorizing to the max. The '80s fashion guide was simple: if it didn’t click, clink, or jingle, it was boring. A retrospective on the specific pieces that defined a generation of youth culture yields to wonderings about how to incorporate that joyful energy into today’s modern style.
The 80s Girl Accessory Starter Pack
The ultimate checklist of 80s girl accessories was defined by layering tactile, brightly colored items that showcased your personality. Inexpensive materials like rubber, plastic, and cheap metals were elevated to high-style status to create an armor of fun personalization. From neon laces of your sneakers to the giant bow on top of your head, every single square inch of an outfit was an opportunity to add another pop of color, a brand-new texture, or a sentimental token.
Charm Necklaces: The Must-Have of Every Mall Trip
The most exciting part of the mall pilgrimage was the stop at the colorful novelty store. Concert posters, silly lamps, candles, and more. You could also find these incredible bell charms to add to your collection at this shop. These charms were like a wearable diary and the ultimate conversation starter. Built on a base of a colorful chain link necklace, the goal was to collect and clip on charms that broadcasted to the world who you were and what you loved. Whether that was a miniature basketball net, a tiny notebook with a real snap, or a mini telephone, every necklace told a highly individualized story.
These nostalgia feels and personal storytelling drove me to rejuvenate these charms. When I recreate these modern 1980s-style charm necklaces in my studio, I hope to create that same magic. What I love most about the original '80s designs is that they sparked conversations and trades and community among girls. My modern collections channel that playful spirit to provide a customizable piece of wearable happiness.
Scrunchies, Banana Clips & Hair Everything
Hair accessories also had their time to shine in the 80s. The banana clip, the scrunchie, and bows were in the spotlight. The banana clip, a double-hinged plastic clip pulled hair into a long, cascading waterfall that made a standard ponytail look special. The scrunchie (currently making a comeback) was sported in neon spandex, metallic foil, or jewel-toned velvet. Some held their high side-pony with a scrunchie, while others used it to put their hair half up. Bows were extra extra large in the 80s, sitting atop heads of super volumized hair.
Friendship Bracelets, Jelly Bands & Wrist Stacks
No body part was left unaccessorized-the wrists were covered in multiple jelly bands and homemade woven friendship bracelets. Jelly bands were made of flexible, stretchy rubber and were donned by pop icons, such as Madonna and Cyndi Lauper. Girls would mix neons with black and white and make a statement from their wrists to their elbows. Alongside the jelly bands, some girls worked painstakingly on friendship bracelets handmade out of colorful embroidery floss taken from their moms’ cross stitch box. Wearing multiple faded, well-loved friendship bracelets was a badge of honor.
The 80s Accessories Worth Bringing Back Today
Why are these pieces making such a massive comeback right now? Modern fashion is bored with minimalist aesthetics. After years of neutral tones, we are craving items that feel tactile, human, and joyful. Bringing '80s accessories back into your modern wardrobe is all about celebrating you and remembering who you are/were. A bright, multi-charm necklace acts as the perfect contrast to a crisp white t-shirt or a simple gray sweatshirt. Popping a vibrant scrunchie into your hair or layering a few colorful bands on your wrist adds an instant mood boost to an otherwise quiet outfit. Adding this piece of nostalgia and joy is about injecting a sense of playfulness back into the simple act of getting dressed every morning.
Ready to shop your own modern stack? Explore our collection of nostalgic 1980s plastic charms and find the perfect pieces to tell your story today!
