Fun and fabulous!

Whether at Montgomery Blair High School or John Hughes' famed Shermer High, the 1980s invasion is in full effect. The '80s were a time of high fashion and even higher hair and it's all coming back. Fashion is constantly changing, but the latest trends spotted suggest that we're going backward in time instead of fashion forward. And Blazers infatuated with '80s style are putting their own spin on the '80s fashion.

Band it up

Headbands are one of the many '80s items that have found their way back into 2009 fashion. Senior Michelyn Bouknight is among many Blazers who have fallen in love with these tiny fashion statements. According to fashion designer Estella Ogbonna, owner of the Estella Couture clothing line, headbands were a popular accessory in the '80s revolutionizing headgear. This everyday fashion item has recently been modified to give it a more modern look. Today, headbands are often made out of braided leather and include decorations such as feathers, bows, flowers, gems and rhinestones. This versatility allows fashion forward students to wear headbands with a t-shirt or the classic miniskirt, which makes it both casual and chic.

Flaring Hair

The '80s would not be the '80s without memorably big hair. Senior Mady Nadje has noticed that Blazers care about their hair as much as they do their clothes, so going with the '80s; trend the hair is bigger and higher than ever. Popular hairstyles in the '80s such include the high top fades, low afros, the bob, the side ponytail, teased hair, big hair, the Mohawk and shaved phrases on the side of the head. Senior David Nelson is one of the few Blazers who dared to pull off the high top fade. "I wanted a style that was unique," says Nelson.

Flashing lights

With all the bright colors floating around, it might soon become necessary for Blazers to wear sunglasses indoors. Neon colors from the '80s are everywhere, from jackets, shirts and ties, to jeans and shoes as well. The new craze this year seems to be the return of neon colored sneakers, and it doesn't look like it will stop any time soon. According to junior Jordan Copeland who wears neon colored skinny jeans and high top sneakers, it is all about "taking something old and making it in to your own style." Sneakers have been mainstream since the 1960s, so in the '80s designers decided to put a new spin on an old staple with bright neon coloring. Among the resurfacing '80s items, these different colored shoes seem to be the most likely to stick around because of the many different ways they can be worn.

Denim mayhem

Whether they are ripped, tight, skinny, fitted, faded or high waisted, we can't get enough of jeans. According to Estella Ogbonna, the '80s were the time of the first official breakthrough of denim. Denim is the official language of comfort, and both those who are always in style and those who don't even dare to care, everyone owns a good pair of jeans. One of the types of jeans that surfaced in the '80s were skinny jeans, which have been so comfortable submerged in to our everyday style. Skinny jeans are tight straight cut types of jeans which can slim the lower part of the body making it look "skinny". Senior Nellie Garlow describes her styles as "classic and comfortable", and cannot go a week without her skinny jeans. Skinny jeans are convenient and help pull off a sophisticated but yet simple look for busy Blazers. As long as students pull all nighters, there will always be comfortable denim to help ease the following day.

Personalize and Accessorize

The '80s were notorious for everyone's accessories, and no outfit is complete without them. From visors to multiple colored bracelets, from gold chains to spectacles and even in some cases, leather jackets, the '80s had it all. Although Nadje is not one to conform to popular trends because they are "in," he too could not help but flaunt '80s items such as the gold chain, visor and leather jacket. The visor adds a sporty touch to the classy look of the leather jacket. Accessories like these are great because they can help take an outfit to the next level, giving even traditional ensembles such as a polo and jeans a unique touch.

The '80s offered us a remarkable number of trends and revolutionized fashion in a major way. Although the '80s invasion seems to be in full force, experts predict that it won't be around for long. Ogbonna says that "fashion runs in a cycle." About every 30 years, fashion recycles itself so things that were once out of date tend to come back in style. The participation of celebrities such as Kanye West and Keri Hilson has contributed to the '80s trend. Once Hollywood begins to get over the trend so will stores, marking the end of this remarkable '80s trend.