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I'm hazarding a guess but it seems leather jackets were far more popular in the late 70s and early 80s with the punk thing, while in the mid-80s those business-style suits and skinny ties were all the rage. Those University sports jersey/jackets (e.g. like the one Michael Jackson wore in 'Thriller') also seemed popular in the 70s before fading away.

The early 80s were still very much discofied, even if disco was dead.  Lots of designer jeans, feathered hair, platform shoes, glitter, etc.  The mid to late 80s were getting into the neo-hippie revival, the Valley Girl era, stuff like that. 

The early 80s were still very much discofied, even if disco was dead.  Lots of designer jeans, feathered hair, platform shoes, glitter, etc.  The mid to late 80s were getting into the neo-hippie revival, the Valley Girl era, stuff like that. 


Yeah, the whole Glam thing definitely lasted past 1980, though it was a sort of subdued version of early 70s Glam.

Overall, the early '80s still looked alot like the '70s, for most rather "ordinary" Americans, particularly those living out of the big cities. As was said, designer jeans and the feathered sort of hair, and even the Farrah Fawcett and Suzanne Somers hairdos, were still around. Also, the preppie look was beginning to be big, though it stuck around in at least a modified form for the rest of the '80s. The "new romantic", yuppie suit, new wave, etc. fashion crazes hit heavily in the mid-'80s. It was definitely a more "toned down, '70slike" '80s, not as many bright colors and a more gritty, aged look. Also, there was a big art deco revival.

Mid-'80s leaned towards the pastel colors, frosted crimped or heavily teased and hairsprayed hair, still rather heavy make-up (on women), and preppy looks. The early '80s still had a '70s flair to it, such as the feathered fly away hair or the long straight do's, depending on the person, the make-up probably wasn't quite as heavy put on as in the mid-'80s.