From Shoulder Pads to Huge VCR's: The Style and Decor of the 80's

[RedHawk]

20 minutes ago, Umbelina said:

whoops, wrong thread!

Meanwhile, I still miss those pants Elizabeth wears, tired of my ass hanging out of the super low cut jeans. 

And I have a high waist, so those styles worked better for me. The '80s look keeps sort of coming back but the low-rider pants hang on. Apparently super-low-cut jeans are due for a comeback very soon. UGH. 

For years I missed my lovely cotton dresses from the early '80s that were sort of an 1940s style updated. They came to just above the knee and had a fitted waist and bodice with a flowing skirt, very figure flattering. They did not have big shoulder pads as that would come later; I don't think they had any extra shoulder padding. They buttoned all the way up from the waist and had a round collar; one was pale pink and the other a floral pattern. The quality of the cotton material was great, they held up even though I wore them week after week (to my job at JC Penney) during the summer of 1983. I also was required to wear hose at work which was kind of a pain but I also recall that my heels were about 1 and a half inches and comfortable. Can't even find nice, basic low-heeled shoes like that anymore.

Edited March 23, 2017 by RedHawk
Added more

[Umbelina]

In the sixties they had very low cut jeans as well, but with a very real difference.  The front was cut down to pubic hair level, but the back was subtly cut higher, you could bend over easily and show nothing, and no danger of the pants practically falling off either. 

[SailorGirl]

2 hours ago, RedHawk said:

Maybe that was just you! ;-)

I don't remember a band. There was a restaurant called the Georgetown Diner, I think. (It finally closed in the early 2000s.) It was a late-night place in a former row house on Wisconsin Ave just above Q Street where people hung out. It was a greasy spoon basically, where you could get breakfast food at 2 a.m. after everything else had closed. I remember that place and Au Pied de Cochon being the only late-night dining options, at least in Georgetown. There was also Whitlow's down near DC Space and the 9:30 Club, and the Waffle place (not called Waffle House was it?) across from Ford's Theatre.

Until reading this I totally forgot that Au Pied had a KGB connection story! It takes place in November 1985, so we might even get a hint of it next season.
http://ghostsofdc.org/2012/01/23/if-walls-could-talk-au-pied-de-cochon-and-1335-wisconsin-ave-nw-part-1/

No, that wasn't it. This was strictly a pizza joint run by an older European man. My memories are quite fuzzy given that we didn't even go until after closing Annie's, or Crazy Horse, or Paul Mall, or Winston's, or the Bayou, or, or, or. . .  its all good! 

OMG -- totally forgot about Whitlow's! We never were all the way over by Ford's Theatre.

What was the name of the place that was New Orlean's themed? Lulu's? I remember the big square bar in the middle and all of the black wrought iron. It was on the way in to Georgetown . . .  God I'm old. 
 

[TexasGal]

OMG - Au Pied!!  Memories! Blurry, vodka-colored memories!

[RedHawk]

3 hours ago, TexasGal said:

OMG - Au Pied!!  Memories! Blurry, vodka-colored memories!

My blurry gin-colored memories are of the way Cagney's was. It was located at 1 Dupont Circle. Ever dance there to Simple Minds?

7 hours ago, SailorGirl said:

No, that wasn't it. This was strictly a pizza joint run by an older European man. My memories are quite fuzzy given that we didn't even go until after closing Annie's, or Crazy Horse, or Paul Mall, or Winston's, or the Bayou, or, or, or. . .  its all good! 

OMG -- totally forgot about Whitlow's! We never were all the way over by Ford's Theatre.

What was the name of the place that was New Orlean's themed? Lulu's? I remember the big square bar in the middle and all of the black wrought iron. It was on the way in to Georgetown . . .  God I'm old. 
 

I remember Lulu's, if that was the name! The big square bar and black wrought iron. Wasn't there often. Was it the place that later became Rumors, at the corner of M and 19th? Rumors was a "fern bar" that had the same center bar setup, I think. Or was Lulu's in Georgetown down near Key Bridge? I remember Poseurs on the corner near the bridge.

Relevance to the show? Hmmm...I used to love the caviar burger at Hamburger Hamlet on M St.

Fingers crossed that Henry and a pal or two will have the courage to venture out of the suburbs and into DC nightlife. 9:30 Club was all ages but the area around 9th and F Streets was quite rough in the early '80s. That's why we loved it...
 

[SailorGirl]

17 hours ago, RedHawk said:

My blurry gin-colored memories are of the way Cagney's was. It was located at 1 Dupont Circle. Ever dance there to Simple Minds?

I remember Lulu's, if that was the name! The big square bar and black wrought iron. Wasn't there often. Was it the place that later became Rumors, at the corner of M and 19th? Rumors was a "fern bar" that had the same center bar setup, I think. Or was Lulu's in Georgetown down near Key Bridge? I remember Poseurs on the corner near the bridge.

Relevance to the show? Hmmm...I used to love the caviar burger at Hamburger Hamlet on M St.

Fingers crossed that Henry and a pal or two will have the courage to venture out of the suburbs and into DC nightlife. 9:30 Club was all ages but the area around 9th and F Streets was quite rough in the early '80s. That's why we loved it...
 

OMG HAMBURGER HAMLET!!!  I'm pretty sure the name was Lulus -- I feel like the outside sign was purple neon script, really big. Rumors was a completely separate place.  

Poseur's --hee! Oh that place . . . all I can say is HEE!! 

Remember the Adult toy store with the giant mannequin in the window dressed in full latex? It was around the corner from Annie's, on the way down the hill toward the Bayou? It was on the right and 1789 was across the street. . .. 

Edited March 24, 2017 by SailorGirl

[RedHawk]

1 hour ago, SailorGirl said:

OMG HAMBURGER HAMLET!!!  I'm pretty sure the name was Lulus -- I feel like the outside sign was purple neon script, really big. Rumors was a completely separate place.  

Poseur's --hee! Oh that place . . . all I can say is HEE!! 

Remember the Adult toy store with the giant mannequin in the window dressed in full latex? It was around the corner from Annie's, on the way down the hill toward the Bayou? It was on the right and 1789 was across the street. . .. 

I definitely remember the Lulu's neon sign. And the mannequin! 

[Inquisitionist]

So was Stan watching Breaking Away on a VHS tape-player or a Betamax?  Inquiring minds want to know!

I'm also wondering whether Philip and Elizabeth have regular STD screenings.  As I recall, the mid-80s were when chlamydia and HPV started to explode.

[sistermagpie]

This ep reminded me how Paige always wears a style of sweater I hated in the 80s. The kind with those slightly puffy sleeves. 

[Domestic Assassin]

Quote

 

So was Stan watching Breaking Away on a VHS tape-player or a Betamax?  Inquiring minds want to know!

I'm also wondering whether Philip and Elizabeth have regular STD screenings.  As I recall, the mid-80s were when chlamydia and HPV started to explode.

 

Wasn't Betamax pretty much obsolete by 1984?  Also, I've been kind of wondering if AIDS is ever going come up in this series.  I guess the general public didn't obsess about it as much before Rock Hudson in 1985, but it was still in the news before then.  I guess they assume they'll be safe since their honey traps have all been heterosexual, but I would think it might come up as an issue.

[curbcrusher]

12 hours ago, Moose Andsquirrel said:

Wasn't Betamax pretty much obsolete by 1984?  Also, I've been kind of wondering if AIDS is ever going come up in this series.  I guess the general public didn't obsess about it as much before Rock Hudson in 1985, but it was still in the news before then.  I guess they assume they'll be safe since their honey traps have all been heterosexual, but I would think it might come up as an issue.

Betamax - As I recall if you wanted to rent movies you had a VHS, but you could still buy Beta tapes and movies in beta. My first VCR around 81/82 was a Betamax and I didn't get a VHS until late 85. But I do remember that movie rentals were hard to find.

AIDS - I really don't remember AIDS being a thing in the US until after 85/86.  The biggest reason I remember it in 83/84 was because of some time spent in West Africa and it was an issue for some there.  My memory of the pre-85 STD issues was that it wasn't as much about prevention as treatment since the biggest concerns were syphilis and gonorrhea, which were treatable with penicillin .  Pregnancy was the biggest side effect of sex that I remember people trying to avoid. 

[Inquisitionist]

I got my Beta VCR in 1981, I think, and since it was so damned expensive (even with my brother's employee discount), I was still using it in 1984/85.  The rental selection was more limited, but it existed as I recall renting a Star Trek movie in late 1984 for a guy I was wooing.  :-)

Re STDs, a research article notes:

Quote

Early in the 1980’s the surprising prevalence of CT [Chlamydia trachomatis] in the sexually active population of the U.S. became apparent. Not only was CT as prevalent or even more prevalent than NG, but it also could lead to pelvic inflammatory disease, infant pneumonia, and conjunctivitis, and significant downstream sequelae, including upper genital tract disease that could cause infertility. With the understanding of these potentially serious outcomes, particularly in women for whom the disease was often asymptomatic, the wider utilization of diagnostic tests gained a new urgency.

I first recall being offered chlamydia screening in 1988, so maybe 1984 is still a bit early.

[RedHawk]

In the early '80s (TIME did a cover story in July '83) AIDS was in the public eye but still considered the "gay disease". It was mid '80s when we began to hear more about heterosexual transmission and then came the big push for everyone to use condoms.

[Umbelina]

Stan's been lugging around VHS tapes, not BETA tapes.  BETA was big in Asia, but never really caught on all that well here.

AIDS was indeed "the gay disease" in most minds back in 1984.  I lived in San Francisco so was much more aware than the majority of America at that time I'd say.  It was known, but not really a huge story or fear for most until later.  Herpes was the big bad at the time, no one wanted that.

[Inquisitionist]

2 hours ago, Umbelina said:

Herpes was the big bad at the time, no one wanted that.

Ah, yes, herpes.  E&P should be on the lookout for that!

[White Sheep]

I love how they use this song from 1982 for this fan video

 

[kokapetl]

Tuan is dressed like Corey Haim and Marty McFly

[kokapetl]

Girl Chris inspired by Elizabeth Shue?

Wheat thief Elizabeth 

Pushy Mary Kay consultant

Oleg's three dates:

Deirdre's man, Gus

And Wheat Guy's Patrick Nagel woman

Edited May 1, 2017 by Kokapetl

[crgirl412]

@Kokapetl

They are so cool!!  Thanks for posting!! 

[Razzberry]

On 4/29/2017 at 5:57 PM, White Sheep said:

I love how they use this song from 1982 for this fan video

 

Love it!  I wish the show was still that exciting.  Best part - no Paige.

[Denverluv]

I feel like they could have done a better job with the home as far as making it look 80s. Too much white trim. Most homes had natural wood doors and trim. And the kitchen with the weird back splash drives me crazy. It would just be brick or painted. They should have hired the stranger things set designers. 

[lucindabelle]

Don't forget that people in the 80s and their houses too didn't fly down to earth fully formed. Houses still had decor from the 70s 60s and even 50s. High school kids might have the latest thing because they are growing but everyone else would have some 70s stuff. I saw the Farrah fawcett shag until about 1987, no lie.

 

We had (have) a lot of Formica in our house. We did coincidentally redecorate in 1981 (and not a lot since then lol) but we didn't redo the whole kitchen so the backsplashnis what it is. 

 

i was in California in 1984 and aids was already a thing. By 1985 everyone on campus knew all about it.

Edited September 18, 2017 by lucindabelle

[White Sheep]

[kokapetl]

Aderholt’s style. Inspiration? Billy D Williams, Tubbs. 

Henry’s style. Inspiration? Teen heartthrob in winter. 

[kokapetl]

Vera Cherny makeup test wigs? 

Bad

Good

[Umbelina]

I really wish we had seen Tatiana during season 5, running the Residentura, and training the new (probably odious) guy.  I liked that character so much.

Also, Elizabeth killing her in season 6 would have had so much more impact, most people didn't even know who she killed until told.