The Eighties Are Calling…

…and I may go there for good!

Last weekend, Big A. and I got into the spirit of the school fundraiser, a dinner and auction with a 1980s theme. We’re prime targets for the theme, having gone through all of junior high and high school in the 80s. And we had a blast!

I also learned a lot. Even getting ready was both educational and entertaining.

In true 21^st century, social media-driven, sound-bite form, here are some of my insights:

--Dear Thirteen-Year-Old Self, It will be okay. You will learn to do make up. They will invent anti-frizz hair products. Your appearance doesn’t matter nearly as much as all the amazing things you will accomplish. Your true friends will embrace you and your offbeat style. You will fall in love with an amazing man who loves you and it will be wonderful.

Proof that an 80s survivor decorated the bathroom.

--On the other hand, please don’t say I look like Debbie Gibson. Just…no.

--The 80s had rock stars with style. C’mon, I had to say it. And if you don’t remember that, you didn’t watch enough bad TV to memorize the ad for the 80s Time Life collection or whatever it was.

Check out that ticket price!

--Men’s shirts, untucked. Hello? Why did we ever stop the giant, oversized shirt thing? SO FREAKIN’ COMFY!!!

--Everyone had his or her own 80s. We saw Wayne and Garth types, we saw Top Gun types, and Blues Brothers types; we saw Madonna wannabes, Olivia Newton John wannabes, and honest-to-goodness vintage Hammer pants. Just between the two of us, we paid homage to Molly Ringwald, Jennifer Grey, the Miami Vice look, and Ferris Bueller. Like anything else, the 80s was in the eye of the beholder.

--In terms of music, everyone also had his or her own 80s. This would explain a set comprised of “Mony, Mony” then “Electric Slide” then “Blister in the Sun” then Michael Jackson. We dance to half of those; you guess which half.

It got weird when the DJ found my husband afterward and said, “We played ‘Blister in the Sun.’” 

Big A. looked baffled—he was. 

The DJ said, “Didn’t you request it?” 

Big A. said he didn’t. 

The DJ went on, "Really? Oh. Well, some guy who looks like you was begging for that song." 

Some other six-foot-three guy in a linen suit and Save Ferris t-shirt? Okay. If you say so. We sure did enjoy the song, though—shout out to the crew from OC this summer!

Well, readers, whatever your 80s were, I hope you had fun. We sure did!

Genuine 80s vintage items I own/wore: boots a la Molly Ringwald in Breakfast Club, a black belt with that "V" shape in the front, the jean jacket my brother handed "down" to me in about '87, a Laura Ashley handkerchief, aaaand my prized Christmas 1985 Swatch watch. Oh yeah.