Forget the AI Filter — Here’s What 80s Fashion Actually Looked Like (Leg Warmers Included)

Have you seen the recent trend on social media? You give AI a photo and it will give you an 80s fashion makoever? It will spit out a crazy rendering of you decked out in neon colors and aerobics wear. It's most definitely a fun flashback, but a bunch of us actually experienced the 80s (and all that fashion) in real time.

I remember those fashion fads very well. Heck, I was at the mall shopping for some of them. Here's a 'totally rad' look bad at five of the decade's most bitchin' fashion trends.

#1- LEG WARMERS

There's no doubt about it. The 'aerobics' fashion movement of the 1980s was propelled (or jumping-jacked) into the mainstream by Olivia Newton-John's video "Physical."

It was that aerobic movement that eventually launched the popularity of leg warmers. Remember those?  Without a doubt, the movie that helped put those toasty accessories on the map (and the legs of 80s ladies and dancers everywhere) was Flashdance.

Case in point. Check out this video for the song "Maniac" by Michael Sembello. It was one of the hits from the Flashdance soundtrack and its video is an iconic showcase for leg warmer and aerobic fashion.

#2- PREPPY WEAR

Polo shirts, khaki pants, pastels, rugby shirts, blazers, Izod knits. These defined the 'preppy' wear of the 1980s, a look routinely accentuated by characters in John Hughes movies.

Look. I graduated high school in 1989, so I was immersed in this particular part of 80s couture culture. My hometown - Owensboro, Kentucky - had a store called Levinson's. If memory serves me correctly, it was just across from Disc Jockey records inside Towne Square Mall. I loved that store because they had a huge selection of rugby shirts.

I remember going on a ridiculously preppy shopping spree before my senior year of high school. I remember buying three rugby shirts and a couple of pairs of khaki pants for about $100. I looked like that particular 80s fashion trend had thrown up. I was in it. I was living it.

#3- ACID-WASHED JEANS

If you grew up in the 80s, the chances are strong that you begged your parents for and wore acid-washed jeans. There were lots of jean brands that competed for superiority in the 80s - Jordache, Guess, Levi, Bugle Boy, Calvin Klein - but, in my estimation, there was no jean fad as popular as this one.

Not all acid-washed jeans were created equally, though. I remember that I once got a regrettable version of them for Christmas from my grandparents. They were 'galaxy-washed." Yep! You guessed it. They were acid-washed in a way that made them look like they had cosmic constellations on them. They were horrific. Thank goodness my grandmother kept the receipt!

#4- BIG HAIR

The big hair trend in the 80s was popular among women AND men. You can thank Aqua Net and White Rain hairspray for the big bangs that endangered ceiling fans everywhere. The first truly 80s hair that I remember dates back to Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" video. Honestly, that particular video featured A LOT of 80s fashion trends: the big bracelets, the oversized earrings, the neon colors. But I distinctly remember Cyndi's big hair. It was as big as her voice.

But that 80s fashion trend was just as popular among men thanks to the legion of 80s hair bands like Bon Jovi, Poison, Def Leppard, Europe, Cinderella, Mötley Crüe, Twisted Sister, Whitesnake, and more.

Big hair was everywhere! Pardon the pun, but it was just as deeply-rooted in the halls of Daviess County High School as it was in pop culture.

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#5- MADONNA

As iconic as 80s fashion trends were, no one inhabited them and elevated them like Madonna. She took already established trends and was able to reinvent them and elevate them into a distinct fashion movement of her own. It's this video,"Like a Virgin,"  that made young women take notice and hit the malls.

The next year, Madonna cemented herself as an 80s fashion icon (and movement) with the release of Desperately Seeking Susan. While the movie was a critical flop, its fashion was infectious. It essentially defined and dressed an entire generation of 80s ladies.

In my very conservative hometown, it was a tough sell for my female friends to convince their parents to let them dress like Madonna. But, when they were allowed to do it, their looks were iconic.

So, what about you? What 80s fashions were you rocking in the hallways of your middle or high school?