#popular 80s hairstyles

[pygartheangel]

[stairset]

I'm looking forward to the 90s X-Men revival cause for one it'll be a huge breath of fresh air to have a new high-profile Marvel cartoon that's actually based on Marvel Comics and not the MCU which we haven't had since like 2012 and for two it'll be fun seeing how nerds desperately look for any reason to bitch and moan about how They Made The X-Men Woke or whatever as if they haven't literally always been "woke" since forever.

[hexsrealityarchived]

The fact that Dream is loosely based off of Robert Smith (and I also believe Daniel Ash), but the Netflix series didn’t give Dream his big hair is beyond disappointing.

[hotvintagepoll]

Propaganda

Louise Brooks (Pandora's Box, Diary of a Lost Girl)—Louise Brooks started off as a dancer and went to work in the Follies before going to Hollywood. Disappointed with her roles there, she went to Germany and proceeded to make Pandora's Box, the first film to show a lesbian on-screen (not her but one of her many doomed admirers in the film), and Diary of a Lost Girl, both of which are considered two of the greatest films of the 20th century. She helped popularize the bob and natural acting, acting far more subtly than her contemporaries who treated the camera as a stage audience. After the collapse of her film career and a remarkably rough patch as a high-end sex worker, she was rediscovered and did film criticism, notably "Lulu in Hollywood," which Rodger Ebert called "indispensable." Also, christ. Look at her.

Vilma Bánky (The Son of the Sheik, The Eagle)—She's famous now for being a silent star ruined by the transition to talkies, unlike her frequent co-star Ronald Colman. I think that's a shame, as she has a real vivaciousness and charm in The Winning of Barbara Worth. In this *checks notes* western about environmental engineering, she rides around the desert and gets wooed by both Colman and a young Gary Cooper (good for her dot gif.) Even in stills from films that are sadly lost, I think there is a distinctive warmth and individuality to her. Also she is extremely hot in her extremely pre-Code dress in The Magic Flame.

This is round 2 of the tournament. All other polls in this bracket can be found here. Please reblog with further support of your beloved hot sexy vintage woman.

[additional propaganda submitted under the cut.]

Louise Brooks:

"Defined the style of the modern flapper. A gaze that could make a stone fall in love."

"Louise Brooks left a legend far greater than her real achievement as an actress, but even today few people have seen her films. In our own time, the fascination with Brooks seems to have begun in 1979 with a profile by Kenneth Tynan in the New Yorker, which revealed that the actress who made her last movie in 1938 was alive and living in Rochester, N.Y. Such was the power of Tynan's prose that people began to seek out her existing films, primarily this one, to discover what the fuss was about. What we see here is a healthy young woman -- she was 23 when the film was released -- with whom the camera, under G.W. Pabst's influence, is fascinated. There is a deep paradox in Brooks and her career: the American girl who found success in the troubled Europe between two wars; the vivid personality who briefly dazzled two continents but faded into obscurity; the liberated woman who had affairs with such prominent men as CBS founder William S. Paley as well as with women including (by her account) Greta Garbo but wound up a solitary recluse. And all of this seems perfectly in keeping with her most celebrated role in Pandora's Box. For despite her bright vitality, her flashing dark eyes and brilliant smile, Brooks's Lulu becomes the ultimate femme fatale, careering her way toward destruction, not only of her lovers but eventually of herself."

"She invented having bangs to indicate that you have borderline personality disorder"

"chances are if youve ever seen a "flapper girl" character or even just art of a generic flapper type made after the 20s it was based on her appearance - particularly the bob hairstyle! she had some pretty rough experiences through her life before during and after her tumultuous acting career which ended in 1938 but she made it to the 80s, wrote an autobiography and did a lot of interviews that she was never afraid of being honest in about her own life or peers of the age, and apparently was unabashed about some affairs she had with well known women (including greta garbo!!)"

"She read Proust and Schopenhauer on set between sets. She was one of the original flappers/new women of the 1920s. She had a one night stand with Garbo and was the inspiration for Sally Bowles in Cabaret. Truly a stone cold fox."

"on her wikipedia page it says her biographer said she "loved women as a homosexual man, rather than as a lesbian, would love them" and while i have no idea if this is true or not i thought that was very gender of her"

"despite being american she was big in german expressionist films and thus her aesthetic was unmatched!!"

So far ahead of her time in regard to portraying complicated women. Timeless elegance. "I learned to act by watching Martha Graham dance, and I learned to dance by watching Charlie Chaplin act.” - Louise Brooks

Vilma Bánky:

I love Vilma Bánky! She was called "the Hungarian Rhapsody" and apparently had a thick Hungarian accent which I think is cute. Several men fighting over the same women can be very cliche but when I saw her in The Winning of Barbara Worth (1926) I got it because my god she really is that drop dead gorgeous. She's also a wonderful actress though, expressive yet natural. I read once that seeing her in The Dark Angel (1925)—a film now seemingly lost—inspired Merle Oberon to become an actress :)

This is more of a factoid but she was apparently the women's golf champion at Wilshire Country Club through the 1940s. [link] I just think she's neat.

I love herrrrr she’s my everything. Watching her kiss Rudolph Valentino in Son of the Sheik made me so flustered I had to pause the movie to cool down. She’s the prettiest the most beautiful the most incredible woman I’ve ever seen. I could look at a picture of her for hours

[thesimline]

With both the 50s revival and the explosion in popularity of hair metal bands, the 80s were probably the most bombastic decade when it came to men's hair. I had so much fun putting this one together! CC links under the cut.

You can find more of my male hair collections here:

1970s ✺ 1990s

1 - Viktor by Birksches

2 - Bermuda by GoAmazons (TSR)

3 - Short Hair with Wavy Long Bangs by Kijiko

4 - Peter Parker Fornite Conversion by Busted Pixels

5 - Igor by Okruee

6 - Bandanas Are Lit by Luumia Sims

7 - Maurice by Johnny Sims

8 - Lonely Eyes by Dreambot

9 - Ember by Okruee

10 - Stevie by Serenity

11 - Rio by Okruee

12 - Love Affair by Adrien Pastel

13 - Swept Back with Neck Hair by Birksches

14 - Nerdy by Bed & Musae

15 - Medium Curly Version 2 by Kiara Zurk

16 - Billy Recolour by Sloe Dancing

17 - Rodrigo by Veve Sims

18 - Retro ReBOOT 80s Hairstyle by Oranos (Bandana - TSR)

19 - Carmina by GoAmazons (TSR)

20 - Hermes by Okruee

21 - Jackson by Okruee

22 - Hair 33 Tourmaline by QR Sims

23 - Eddie by Simstrouble

24 - Greaseball by Cement

With thanks to some amazing creators: @bustedpixels @okruee @dreambot @serenity-cc @its-adrienpastel @sloedancing @oranos @qrqr19 @simstrouble @cmescapade

[localnokia]

Elevator Hitch Genderbending rambles (part one of maybe many)

Hello! Thought I'd flex a little of my research and talk about my designs. Obviously these are pretty fluid, but yeah!

Ms. Protagonist!! Oh the miss average lady you are.... That's really the core of her: average. She dislikes standing out and prefers high pants and a jacket that's loose with little/no scaffolding. She's very obviously feminine/a woman but likes to be a lot more lowkey about it

I like the idea of her having a perm...or at least having one at one point! Maybe the Co-worker convinces her to. But her hair is rather short and a little closer to her head than c!protag's. I'm very okay with her hair being less strict to the time period, since her masc counterpart isn't :}

A general "rule" I have for genderbends is to give or take about 4 inches if you're going one way or the other. She just radiates 5'3 woman to me. I apologize. She wears a cute wedge, which gives her about an inch or two.

70's makeup was much more simple/lowkey compared to the bumper eras of the 60s and 80s. There was a lean more for natural makeup, popularizing pink tinted lip gloss and the invention of cream eye-shadows. F!PT does closer to the minimum, lip-gloss and mascara, but nothing intense.

Oh Ms. Co-worker... Oh miss ma'am...

Some people may not agree with me on this one but I cannot resist a big lady opportunity. She very much is tall and broad-shouldered, but very confidently super feminine. She's already tall but loves a good heel so she gets to be even taller. as a treat <3

She loves fashion and has more outfits than triple the years she's been alive and she wears ALL of them. She also changes her hairstyle very often. Art above is just what I think she wears for the game events.

Her makeup is the 70's STANDARD. She does the whole thing and man does she do it well.

You KNOW F!CW is all over that pastel eye-shadow oh my goodness. She can get away with more eccentric/less work appropriate make-up since she's 1) gorgeous and it fits her perfectly 2) nepo-girlboss

Some more examples!

I won't go into insane detail about how 70's makeup worked--maybe in another post, though!

Normal Gal!!

Sorry for such a more low-effort drawing haha. Didn't even get her hair the way I wanted to...

She's also ! utterly average! Which is the point I think haha. She wears a similar outfit to canon with an office skirt that doesn't hug her form much and tights with a pump potentially like this

She doesn't wear any make-up other than mascara and a lip-gloss :} there is no blush/skin/eye definition to keep that sorta flat/off feel c!normal guy has.

Her hair is inspired by this! I didn't draw it totally properly, but it's rather short with two clips on the side and asymmetrical to keep the same gestures as C!NG

Hope this was at least to fun to read ^^! Will definitely be toying with their designs etc more in the future!

[kaetor]

dracula drawings! drawculas, if you will!

(ID in alt text; transcript of all my little notes under the cut because I know my handwriting is messy and my spelling leaves a bit to be desired)

Notes: On Jonathan w/ the wine bottle: Didn't like this vibe for Jonathan's face; Tweed is a popular informal choice for menswear [in the 1890s]

On the Mina half-body: In the 1890s, women's fashion is becoming much more practical; Shirtwaists (a shirt worn over a skirt vs. a dress bodice) + jackets are popular women's daywear; Dracula takes place in 1893, so fashion is in a transition between the popular silhouettes of the 1880s and 1890s

On the painted Jonathan & Mina busts: I personally cannot sit well with popular men's hairstyles of the time so... we'll excuse some anachronisms; I have solid thoughts on what the Harkers look like but everyone else is in progress [except Van Helsing. I put my pen down and bam! He appeared fully formed]

On Mina: Eyebrows!; Lotsa moles; Strong chin; Sort of a toned down version of the Gibson Girl hair

On Lucy: Curled bangs popular in the '80s & '90s; Face ref: Evelyn Nesbit (sorta); slightly weak chin

On Van Helsing: Required top hat; Van Helsing's hair is a bit old fashioned; Stand collars are very high in the 1890s

On Jonathan: Beaky nose; eyes of a man who's seen the horrors; sideburns are the most [period] accurate hair I'm willing to get

On Dr. Seward: Hair slicked back; Good forehead (book-accurate); Weird Victorian glasses; Mustache but like, a shitty one; Strong jaw (book-accurate)

On Renfield: Softer features; kind of a nice [looking] face; very round eyes & eyebrows

On Quincey: Bushy eyebrows & squinty eyes; Bumpy nose; MUSTACHE

On Arthur: Unpictured but Art has red hair; He's got a bit of baby face; Straight nose; bit of an underbite under the 'stache

On the little silhouettes: Men are usually expected to wear hats outdoors-- bowler hats & top hats are most commonly worn. Fedoras are just starting to become a thing.

[connorntofficial]

forever and always thinking about just how important Eds hair is to him! i never really meant for it to be as important to him as it is but whatevs!

Ed always keeps his hair very long, he HATES cutting it and instead of getting haircuts every few months or so he prefers to just trim it every couple of weeks, keeping it at a pretty consistent length! he also refuses to let other people cut his hair! this is all because when he was a kid, his dad would always shave his hair, a lot of times being done as a punishment once it became clear how much Ed HATED getting his hair buzzed! he hated the feeling, the sound of the clippers, he hated all the small hairs on his neck and back, and he hated how different it made his head feel after it was done. eventually when Ed started school his dad stopped shaving his head, both because different hairstyles were popular and Ed wanted to fit in, and because of how exhausting it got to get Ed to cooperate for these haircuts.

as Ed got older he was able to have his hair grown out and loved it! once he finally moved out he stopped getting as routine of haircuts, he was independent, he was on his own, he was starting to really find himself! though once he started at the GCPD he began cutting it again, it was still considerably long, but it was still kept shorter then if he let it continue to grow out. it was after he became the Riddler that he really could do whatever he wanted with it! he was himself, he wanted to look and be unique and youd be hard-pressed to find anyone saying his hair is anything but eccentric!

theres many things he likes with his hair, it just feels nice having longer hair, he likes having something to fiddle with, in Gotham where it can get quite cold its nice to have longer hair, he likes how it looks, and its also very gender affirming. Ed isnt cis (he doesnt reaaally know that, he doesnt know hes agender, he just feels it) he says hes a man and hes comfortable as a man but he isnt a MAN. he doesnt fit into the much more rigid social expectations of men and masculinity that were around in the 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s. it felt nice to in some way break away from that and feel affirmed and right

tldr: Ed likes his hair it looks good

[madam-kumo]

J-Street Fashion Banners/Moodboards

Kogal Gyaru A street fashion very influenced by 80's - Y2k fashion in the west. This fashion involves bright tans, blonde hair, and doll-like eyes. This specific substyles of Gyaru is extremely common with teens in Japan as it allows them to wear Gyaru but still wear their uniforms. There are many more exaggerated form of Gyaru like Agejo, Tropical Gyaru, and Hime. This style is most commonly known for being the exact opposite to Japanese beauty standards at the time.

Sweet Lollita

A Japanese street fashion most commonly associated with Rococo and Victorian clothing. Its most well known for its very lacy and ruffled trims and extremely ornate patterns (usually ranging from sweets to cute animals). Also, please note that the fashion has no association with the novel of the same name and the same name is merely a coincidence. Other substyles of Lollita includes, from goth to punk to the very ornate Hime Lollita. This fashion style is all about the desexualization of femininity and appealing to your inner fancy princess.

Visual Kei Visual Kei or V-Kei is most well known for its music because of their association and similarities to western goth music. Visual Kei is actually referred to as a branch of the umbrella term "Goth" and its most popular influences are bands like Malice Mizer and Dadaroma. Visual Kei, like Gyaru, has seen a boom in popularity because of the comebacks of 2000's fashion and the acceptance of alternative styles. Visual Kei is most noticeable by the multiple black layers along side dramatic hairstyles and makeup. The most popular substyles of V-Kei are Eroguro-Kei, Tanbi Kei, and Angura Kei. This style is all about visual dramaticism, hence the name, and creative expression.

Decora-Kei

Decora fashion is most well known for its visually bright and very colored style. This style involves kid-like fashion but times ten. Most Decora wear extremely bright or bold colors and eye catching clothing and multiple accessories. Many Decora's describe themselves as "Straight out of a Lisa Frank coloring book" and they show that influence in their extremely bold and flashy style. Decora's generally wear bright tennis shoes or platforms with multiple pieces of jewelry and hairpieces. Common themes are kid's shows, hello kitty, and rainbows. This style is meant to appeal to appeal to your inner child and be as eye catching as possible.

Menhera (Trigger Warning for mentions of Self-harm, suicide, mental illness, and general gore themes.)

Menhera is mostly well known for its art work and media that slowly influenced into a fashion type. Menhera's are usually wear medical related things like bandages, pill themes, and paying a bit of homage to nurse or school girl uniforms. This style is usually colored with hot pinks, pastel colors, white, and lavender. The most noticeable part of this fashion is the implications of self-harm with bandages on the wrists and thighs and a boxcutter; this is seen a lot on a popular character named Menhera Chan. This style's purpose is to bring awareness to mental health and the importance of it because of Japan's high suicide rate.

Mori Kei

Mori Kei is a street fashion centered around cottage living and as if living in a forest. Mori Kei consists of blouses, green ruffled skirts, and general "nature-like" fashion. This style is most commonly associated with "Cottage-Core", which is a western subtype of this fashion as Mori Kei really took off in 2009 while Cottage-Core became popular in mostly the 2020's. Mori Kei focuses on naturality, like a lack of overly expressive makeup and more toned down clothing that less visually eye-catching but no less beautiful. Mori Kei is also centered around hobbies from sewing, to reading, to even photography.

Sukeban

A Japanese style that got incredibly popular in the 70's when a movement started to stop the overly strict school systems for women. Girls began to do the same as males, sitting "unladylike" and making ugly faces in pictures, and began to intimidate teachers. These women first began changing their uniforms, making them longer and wearing unauthorized accessories, as a form of protest. This style was very looked down upon and still is today because of its association with gangs and violence. However, this style has slowly but surely grown in popularity due to social media, manga, and a popular Japanese movie called Sukeban Deka. This style is centered around the empowerment of women and to fight back against social and gender norms.

[jazeswhbhaven]

im scared about belphegor looking ugly too honestly 💔 the double iris thing is cool but between that, the short eyebrows and exposing his forehead with the pushed back hair im scared he's gonna look like an alien/bug in the bad way

im holding out hope though, i used to be into a lot of 80s/90s metal bands where they honestly wouldve gone for a similar nonhuman kind of look (except he is nonhuman lmao) with weird eyebrow shapes/contacts/piercings/hairstyles so it can definitely be done in a hot way

which that would be really cool honestly if that was the inspiration (although i do kind of doubt it since thats such a specific thing lmaoo) since some of them would use military and religious type imagery and ive scene some people say it'd be cool if he had an alternative tired eyes look in contrast with being from how his country is, so hopefully pretty busy goes for the 90s weird alien tired metal guy look 🙏 or at least he still looks good, they haven't let us down so far

sorry for going on kind of a tangent lmao, can i be 👽 anon for the alien belphegor thoughts ?

OH yes, I remember that trend popping up and it being really popular around that time even in the early 2000s If you're referring to Vkei bands btw that's what Belphie's eyebrows remind me of and I used to shave my eyebrows off and do the same (my forehead is smol tho) I am predicting that he will be hot. I'm knowing he will be. I just need to get used to seeing his forehead lmao I have a feeling that's going to be the joke for him. YES THO HI 👽 anon

[fuzedatti]

Did you know that Alastor is canonically mixed? He is half white half creole !

I just discovered that today, and I made a design of my own based on others fan arts (I only found 3)

I also went on and made my FC a human version too ^^ His hairstyle was very popular among women on the 80's (Closeted trans guy things)

[lilyginnyblackv2]

T&B Clothes and Style Analysis:

This all started when I was thinking of a way to try and get a better gauge on Ryan’s age, but then it started to kind of become it’s own thing. Basically, something I’ve noticed is how aspects of many (though not all) the character designs are indictive of the decade they grew up in.

Let’s start with the oldest of our heroes (I’m limiting it to heroes so this post won’t be any more massive than I’m sure it will already be).

Kotetsu and Antonio: We know that they are both 38 in S2, so that means they were born in 1942. So their childhood and teen years were the 1940s and 1950s, and you can see the influence of those time periods on their outfits.

Back in the 1940s and 1950s cowboy inspired fashion was very popular. My grandfather had a bit of this style too, and he was born sometime in the 1930s. Of course, Antonio’s outfit is also meant to reflect his NEXT persona as well, being Rock Bison and having, iirc, a meat sponsor.

Meanwhile, Kotetsu has that snazzy look about him. Clean cut, button up shirt, tie, sleek and ironed pants,  button up vest - his look is, in a way, rather hip in comparison to Antonio’s look. I also feel is has more of an upscale, blue collar vibe to it than Antonio’s, which style originated with blue collar, “working on the farm,” and legit cowboy types. Of course, Kotetsu doesn’t hold himself in that way, though I do think that his outfit is what adds to the moe gap and charm of Kotetsu. He has this put together appearance to him, but his life is a mess and he can be very immature at times, lol.

(This post is SUPER long and image heavy, so the rest is under a Read More!)

Next, let’s take a look at our newest heroes, since the 1980s influence on their style is obvious. All three of them are teens, so it would make sense that their fashion style and sense would reflect the 80s the most.

Subaru’s is, imo, the easiest to draw a link to in regards to possible inspiration. The outfits aren’t an exact match, but that puffy life preserver like jacket + jean pants combo just screams Marty McFly. I know he is also meant to reflect the “Red Ranger” trope found in series like Super Sentai and stuff like that, but I also think that Subaru’s problems with being looked down on and such is similiar to Marty’s with his issues surrounding being called chicken and what not. They can both be impulsive and quick to anger in that regard.

Lara has a school uniform on or, at least, an outfit inspired by one. Obviously, there are some liberties taken with the design, certain elements to make it cuter and more in-line with how school uniforms are often depicted in anime. The blazer top is really what gives it the 1980s Japanese school uniform vibe though. And since Lara is meant to represent magical girls, it makes sense that she would be wearing a school uniform.

Thomas has the most..anime-like outfit of everyone, imo. His outfit isn’t something you would someone wearing just every day, ya know. I tried looking a bit into high fashion/runaway fashion and the like, but didn’t get very far with that. I think the aspects of his outfit that have some basis in the 1980s though is the combo of “very shiny leather jacket” + tight jean combo like we see MJ wearing in his Thriller MV. 

Okay, so now let’s take a look at characters that we know the exact age of, or have a very good, general idea of how old they are. First up here is Barnaby.

Listen, Barnaby’s outfit really doesn’t have much going on in the way of 60s or 70s fashion (the eras when he was a teen), but his hair absolutely does! Without a doubt, the inspiration for Barnaby’s hair was Farrah Fawcett and her hairstyle became popular in the 1970s, when Barnaby would have been in his late teens and early 20s. He had more of a general shaggy hairstyle in the few flashbacks we see of him as a younger teen.

This chunky gold chain is also very 70s. 

Now we are more in the “we have a general idea how old they are range, and it was confirmed via outside sources.” The one that I feel most concretely on this is Karina, who is 19 in S2. That means she was born in 1961 (one year earlier than my parents, lol) and her childhood was in the 1960s and her teen years were pretty solidly in the 1970s outside of 19.

Whenever I think of Karina’s dress in S1, I my mind just always goes to the kinds of short dresses that were really popular in the Brady Bunch era. Other elements of her design are definitely different, but that dress is such a key aspect. Her S2 design feels more mature and like Mary Tyler Moore-esque.

Ivan, I believe, is 21 in S2. I think it was confirmed, somewhere, that he was 18 in S1. So he is only a little bit older than Karina and his teen years were the 1970s, period. Design-wise Ivan is a complete fish out of water. At least Barnaby had the hair and jewelry tying him to the 60s and 70s. But Ivan is meant to be a Weeaboo, so that whole idea and concept is far later, and his visual appearance reflects that.

However! Edward Said’s book Orientalism, which goes on to describe the term as:

the exaggeration of difference, the presumption of Western superiority, and the application of clichéd analytical models for perceiving the "Oriental world". This intellectual tradition is the background for Said's presentation of Orientalism as a European viewpoint reflecting a contrived Manichean duality.

(Source: The Wikipedia on Orientalism)

And that fits in with Ivan’s Weeaboo persona quite well. It’s a critical concept that is well known today (and which has a long standing documentation of existing before Said’s book was publish), but was only brought into the spotlight with this book in 1978. 

Edit: Check out my reblog where I have more information on how Ivan’s outfit actually connects back to the time period.

The last character that we have a general idea of around about what age they are is Pao-lin. She was 13 or so in S1 and around 16 in S2.

The major inspiration for her outfit is obviously Kill Bill, lol. Especially with the martial arts and everything. But, of course, her S1 outfit also takes inspiration from jumpsuits that really gained popularity in the 1970s and tracksuits too. Her later outfits in The Rising and S2 are more masculine presenting and have her wearing tank tops and hoodies, both of which started becoming more commonplace as everyday wear in the 60s, 70s, and 80s. (This could also apply to Ivan, who is wearing a black tank top under his jacket.

Finally, we get into the characters whose ages are vague: Ryan, Nathan, and Keith. Now, Ryan is younger than Barnaby. That’s basically all we have to go off of really, but in The Beginning we can see that he looks in his late teens (he has a slimmer face similar to Thomas and Subaru).

His outfit there also has a very 70s disco vibe about it. Though the hair and other aspects of it are also a bit late 90s/early 2000s in feel too. His earlier designs were quite 60s and 70s inspired too:

The one in the top left almost feeling New Wave / Hippie-ish to some extent (a part of me would have loved if they went with that design, but I love his current design too). His outfit in The Rising (and S2, which I won’t even bother talking about here) are a bit more:  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ design-wise.

The closest stuff I could find were like sports jerseys/sport shirts from the 70s and those shorts pictured, lmao. Those shorts are a bit shorter than Ryan’s, and they don’t have the more visually appealing hanging material, etc. But they do show how there were these sort of long shorts/pants in that era as well. Though, visually, Ryan still fits more in the 2000s era here. I started this whole research and post hoping that some of Ryan’s outfit could give more insight into his age...but nope, lol.

More info on Ryan’s outfit! :D

Anyway, our final two are Nathan and Keith. Nathan has made statements that make it seem that she is older than Barnaby and Keith, but likely not quite as old as Kotetsu and Antonio. I’ve always assumed that Nathan was in their 30s. Placing their teen years closer to the late 50s and 60s. 

And while a lot of Nathan’s outfits can just be simplified to the idea of being flamboyant, I feel a lot of Nathan’s presence and the air about them is very similar to the Ballroom Scene of the 60s:

While the outfits are not one-for-one matches, there are similarities in posing, feathers, mesh, color choices, and just the outlines that are created. I will say that the shoulder pads in Nathan’s S1 outfit are far more 80s though, lol.

Edit: I realized I forgot to explain what the Ballroom Scene even is and how it relates very specifically to Nathan’s gender identity. From the Wikipedia page:

The Ballroom Scene is an African-American and Latino underground LGBTQ+ subculture that originated in New York City. Beginning in the late 20th century, Black and Latino drag queens began to organize their own pageants in opposition to racism experienced in established drag queen pageants. [...] While the initial establishment of Ballroom mimicked these drag queen pageants, the inclusion of gay men and trans women would transform the Ballroom scene into what it is today: a multitude of categories that all LGBTQ+ people can participate in.

There is a fantastic documentary on this whole subculture and scene called Paris is Burning (link is to the YT video of the full documentary). I watched it back in college in my Queer Studies class. It’s very enlightening and insightful, but it does deal with some heavy topics (SA, suicide, etc.). I definitely suggest giving it a watch if you can though! 

Edit: Some more excellent information on Nathan's and Pao-lin's styles. Pao-lin's connection to Bruce Lee and Nathan's fashion connection to the 1970s glam era + visual kei (his The Rising outfit).

FINALLY! We have Keith. His age is completely unknown. I’ve always felt that he was closer in age to Barnaby than Kotetsu and Antonio. His outfit really doesn’t tell us much. It’s a very “All-American, Hard Worker” guys kinda outfit. Definitely something you would find in the 70s (image pictured above is from the 70s) and 80s, though his pants are more 80s-like than 70s (more straight than flared). 

(Though, looking at that above image, it seems like Barnaby’s big belt is also very 70s-ish!).

Anyway, I feel I can’t talk about Keith and his appearance and style without also mentioning this: 

Keith looks like Tom Cruise, and once you see and know that, you cannot unsee it either, lmao.

Okay, okay, let’s wrap this up! I’m going to be including sources and references for the clothes images and that’s basically it. If you have anything else to add, please do, and thank you to anyone who has read all the way to the end! It’s greatly appreciated and I hope you enjoyed reading this! <3 

Sources:

Antonio’s: blue17 and Vintage Dancer

Kotetsu’s: Vintage-Retro

Lara’s: qph.cf2.quoracdn . net

Pao-lin’s: Plaidstallions

Nathan’s: Esquire

Ryan’s: Vintage Vixen and Bored Panda, Dress That Man and The Empire Tribe

[legendary-guest]

There are a lot of ideas out there as to what Dr. Drakken and Shego get-up to post-Graduation. From remaining in traditional villainy, turning good, laying low and going corporate to a life of domestic bliss.

Well, what about... Dr. Drakken becoming a teen pop sensation? Becoming hero of the world has reinvigorated public interest in his hip-hop debut on American Starmaker. It becomes a huge hit! Ridiculous views on the Internet, the song is being played on the radio, in malls, it's everywhere! A record label reaches out to him - they want an album. He's the biggest thing since the Oh Boyz. Pardon from the UN, a medal, acknowledgement of his genius and now his artistic prowess is being recognised, too?! He's a real Renaissance man (he pronounces the 'c' as a 'k')! Like, what's-his-name - Leonardo Decaprio! How can he say no, Shego? Like everything he does, this is not without consequence. The song's popularity serves as Junior's villainous breakdown - he is seething with jealousy, with fury. Shego's old, out-of-shape, so-pale-he's-blue boss, with a face that not even the world's most prestigious plastic surgeons can save - not to mention that nasty scar! And his hair! His awful, terrible - what is that - a mullet? The 80s called, they want their biggest mistake in hairstyle history back where it can stay dead and buried. It even looks like he cuts it himself! Senior. Sr. can see what's happening, and he can't believe it. Is this it? Has his son found his villainous purpose? His raison d'etre? He can hardly keep his composure, he's about to cry tears of joy, of villainous joy!

O, and how poetic, Senior Sr. goes on as Junior - paces, o, he's pacing like he's actually thinking - no, plotting, scheming! - to have it be that his teacher's former student rises up against her employer! Well, it doesn't quite roll off the tongue and it's a bit of a convoluted trope, but it will have to do. It's the modern era, after all, things change.

This moment is immortalised with a Polaroid picture - it's blurry, but it will have to do, since Junior is so focused. Besides, it gives an air of uncertainty, of mysticism, of - and Junior interrupts with a well-timed chastising exclamation of "Father!" Junior ropes in Bonnie, he must, for he will surely need some moral support and a beautiful partner in this caper. She agrees once he assures her there will be custom outfits for them to wear, only the very latest, and most expensive, in fashion today. Dr. D's debut album is called Blue Period. A very special thanks to @gogofordrakgo for volleying ideas with me, having him get a record deal and for having Dr. D pronounce the 'c' as a 'k' in Renaissance man.

[hotvintagepoll]

Propaganda

Louise Brooks (Pandora's Box, Diary of a Lost Girl)—Louise Brooks started off as a dancer and went to work in the Follies before going to Hollywood. Disappointed with her roles there, she went to Germany and proceeded to make Pandora's Box, the first film to show a lesbian on-screen (not her but one of her many doomed admirers in the film), and Diary of a Lost Girl, both of which are considered two of the greatest films of the 20th century. She helped popularize the bob and natural acting, acting far more subtly than her contemporaries who treated the camera as a stage audience. After the collapse of her film career and a remarkably rough patch as a high-end sex worker, she was rediscovered and did film criticism, notably "Lulu in Hollywood," which Rodger Ebert called "indispensable." Also, christ. Look at her.

Ruth Weyher (Secrets of a Soul, Warning Shadows)—my vintage crush

This is round 1 of the tournament. All other polls in this bracket can be found here. Please reblog with further support of your beloved hot sexy vintage woman.

[additional propaganda submitted under the cut.]

Louise Brooks propaganda:

"Defined the style of the modern flapper. A gaze that could make a stone fall in love."

"Louise Brooks left a legend far greater than her real achievement as an actress, but even today few people have seen her films. In our own time, the fascination with Brooks seems to have begun in 1979 with a profile by Kenneth Tynan in the New Yorker, which revealed that the actress who made her last movie in 1938 was alive and living in Rochester, N.Y. Such was the power of Tynan's prose that people began to seek out her existing films, primarily this one, to discover what the fuss was about. What we see here is a healthy young woman -- she was 23 when the film was released -- with whom the camera, under G.W. Pabst's influence, is fascinated. There is a deep paradox in Brooks and her career: the American girl who found success in the troubled Europe between two wars; the vivid personality who briefly dazzled two continents but faded into obscurity; the liberated woman who had affairs with such prominent men as CBS founder William S. Paley as well as with women including (by her account) Greta Garbo but wound up a solitary recluse. And all of this seems perfectly in keeping with her most celebrated role in Pandora's Box. For despite her bright vitality, her flashing dark eyes and brilliant smile, Brooks's Lulu becomes the ultimate femme fatale, careering her way toward destruction, not only of her lovers but eventually of herself."

"She invented having bangs to indicate that you have borderline personality disorder"

"chances are if youve ever seen a "flapper girl" character or even just art of a generic flapper type made after the 20s it was based on her appearance - particularly the bob hairstyle! she had some pretty rough experiences through her life before during and after her tumultuous acting career which ended in 1938 but she made it to the 80s, wrote an autobiography and did a lot of interviews that she was never afraid of being honest in about her own life or peers of the age, and apparently was unabashed about some affairs she had with well known women (including greta garbo!!)"

"She read Proust and Schopenhauer on set between sets. She was one of the original flappers/new women of the 1920s. She had a one night stand with Garbo and was the inspiration for Sally Bowles in Cabaret. Truly a stone cold fox."

"on her wikipedia page it says her biographer said she "loved women as a homosexual man, rather than as a lesbian, would love them" and while i have no idea if this is true or not i thought that was very gender of her"

"despite being american she was big in german expressionist films and thus her aesthetic was unmatched!!"

So far ahead of her time in regard to portraying complicated women. Timeless elegance. "I learned to act by watching Martha Graham dance, and I learned to dance by watching Charlie Chaplin act.” - Louise Brooks

Ruth Weyher propaganda:

[audreydoeskaren]

Abridged History of Qing Dynasty Han Women’s Fashion (part 5: Late Qianlong & Jiaqing eras)

(artwork from 1782)

Previous posts:

Late Ming & Shunzhi era

Kangxi era

Late Kangxi & Yongzheng eras

Qianlong era

The last two decades of the Qianlong era, the 1780s and 90s, formed one aesthetic continuity with the reign of Qianlong’s successor Jiaqing (1796-1820). This period was characterized by a turn to extreme formal simplicity and what I believe to be a revival of the tastes of the Ming-Qing transition.

We see sleeves of women’s robes, tight fitting and short to create a practical look in the previous era, become wider and longer. The folded cuff design was retained, though now more difficult to manage as the sleeves became wider. In the last post I discussed how the construction of dajin similar to Manchu men’s fashion became en vogue among Han women and replaced the earlier center front closing robes----this remained the same. We see some of the first instances of binding strips being used around the collar and the dajin, which would become a highly popular and elaborate craft later in the 19th century. Around this time, the binding strips used were usually thin and minimal, commonly of a black color. Plain cloth or bead tip buttons were popularized earlier in the Qianlong era, and metal clasp buttons (zimukou) became increasingly rare. The shape of the standing collar remained the same as that of previous centuries, soft, unstiffened and tall.

Artwork from 1796 showing a group of courtesans. You can see the black binding on some of their robes. A note about the dating of this artwork: while it’s quite a common reference image for Jiaqing era fashion, I wasn’t able to find an exact date until I read about it in the book Pictures for Pleasure and Use by James Cahill (spectacular book discussing the importance of vernacular and commercial art, highly recommend) and he said the date of creation was signed in the cyclical calendar and corresponds to either 1736 or 1796. He was inclined to 1736 because of “similar face shapes” or something to Yongzheng era artworks, but since he wasn’t a fashion historian he probably wasn’t aware that the fashions depicted here would not have been possible before the 1780s, so I think 1796 is instead the correct date.

Late Qianlong/early Jiaqing era artwork, showing two austerely (and fashionably) dressed women.

The more radical departure from the previous era, however, was the complete eradication of ornament. Robes and skirts of this era were often entirely plain, with no brocaded patterns or embroidery of any kind. Gone were the roundel patterns, quatrefoil motifs on collar facings and decorative strips around skirts----only solid color blocks remained. Pastel colors like light pink, blue and green were among the most popular for robes besides bright blue and red, whereas skirts were white or black.

Late Qianlong/early Jiaqing era paintings of the Anglo-Chinese school showing the new style of plain garments.

Artwork from the era showing a woman in a light mustard robe with dusty pink cuffs, white skirt and red sash (sashes were still commonly worn).

The other significant changes happened in hairstyling. The 1780s did away with the iconic tall knots of the earlier Qianlong era, instead moving the mass and volume of hair toward the back. We see the re-emergence of the swallow tail. The front of the hair could be middle parted or completely pulled back. Flowers and other ornaments could be worn on the sides of the hairdo, behind the ears. The general shape of hairstyles stressed horizontality rather than verticality, as was the case before.

A 1943 copy of a turn of the 19th century original, showing the front and back of hairstyles.

Bust portrait showing the new hairstyle.

A unique hair accessory of the 1780s and 90s was a new iteration of the mo’e, which now had a sharply pointed triangular front and was worn high on the head instead of at the forehead. I think it became less common as the 19th century approached.

Export artwork showing a woman musician, likely 1770s or 80s as she is still wearing the ornamented, center front closing robes popular in previous decades.

Minimalism was not to last long, however, and soon decorative patterns began to reappear on robes, sleeve cuffs and skirts. Hairstyles began to gain volume and became more puffed, forming a sort of face framing crown. New styles of decorating skirts appeared, with binding going around the qunmen and the edge of each pleat, and embroidery on each individual pleat. The rectangular or circular patterned patch popular prior to the 1780s returned.

Early 19th century export painting at the Brighton Pavilion, maybe 1810s. We can see roundel patterns on the blue robe, embroidery on the cuffs and skirt, and the lady in red wears a pointed mo’e.

Presumably later Jiaqing era artwork, ca. 1810s, showing a group of women. Floral embroidery is present on the sleeve cuffs, the skirts are decorated.

[lunarlegend]

The Japanese Cultural Significance Behind Older Ignis’ Hairstyle

this is something i’ve touched upon a couple times before, but i felt like going a bit more in-depth and i have 24/7 blorbo brain, so here we go

for those who are unaware, the pompadour is a bit of an infamous hairstyle in Japan (taken from Wikipedia):

it actually first rose to popularity in the 50s-60s...

...and remained that way on and off up until the early 2000s.

(source is this article, which has a lot more great examples, but unfortunately is also pretty full of annoying ads, lol)

a lot of notable thug-type characters sported the pompadour hairstyle in anime/manga from the late 80s - early 90s...

...and the stereotype is still used in more modern anime, too.

but the way i first learned of the hairstyle’s significance was through the manga Shonan Junai Gumi (precursor to the more popular Great Teacher Onizuka series), where protagonists Eikichi & Ryuji...

...choose to purposely get rid of their pompadours so they can start trying to pick up women (it’s a shonen series from 1990, just bear with me):

but as soon as they step outside, they get challenged by some punks...

...and immediately fix their hair back up so they can participate in the fight.

it’s a huge statement on what it means to be a stereotypical “delinquent” in Japan (obviously taken to the extreme in this case for humor’s sake, but it’s a joke that’s intended to be immediately understood by the audience).

so, what does any of this have to do with Ignis Scientia?

of all the Chocobros, Ignis is definitely the most straight-laced. he’s had the responsibility of being Noctis’ caretaker from a very young age (six years old!) and prides himself on being the most practical of the group, making sure everyone eats healthy and stays out of danger. he drives the car, he manages the money...at 22 years old, he is wise beyond his years, and often joked to be the only true “adult” on the team.

but even as a teenager, Ignis looked far older than his age (pictured here at only 17):

quite the opposite of any of the thugs seen above, young Ignis dressed for his role as a servant of the Royal Family and never acted much like any “typical” teenager. in fact, in his Brotherhood episode, he’s already learning to take on some of the King’s parental responsibilities towards Noctis as Regis’ health noticeably declines...certainly not what one would expect of the normal adolescent experience.

Ignis didn’t really have a childhood (another topic i’ve frequently touched upon), and that’s part of what makes his post-timeskip hairstyle so interesting. instead of keeping his “cockatiel” hair from the main game or simply letting his hair stay down, 32 year old Ignis specifically chose a pompadour:

i’ve often seen it said that Older Ignis looks younger than 22 year old Ignis, and that’s absolutely true. but it’s more than just the softness of his features; it’s that Older Ignis sports a hairstyle you’d normally expect to see on a teenage punk.

given the very little information we have about the 10 Years of Darkness (laziness on the developers’ part imho, but i digress), i consider Older Ignis’ choice of hairstyle to be a significant clue to how he carries himself in the World of Ruin.

here is an Ignis who has accepted the consequences of his decision to wear the Ring, who has gained newfound confidence and stubbornly trained himself to navigate through an endlessly dark world. here is an Ignis who taught himself to hunt again, taught himself to cook again, who has honed his other senses to the point where he can fend for himself in a daemon-infested nightmare that would probably send a less-disciplined person running to their death. 32 year old Ignis quite literally rebelled against his own fate; he chose to survive.

considering that Insomnia is a Japanese city (based on Shinjuku), and that Ignis himself is from there in the original Japanese version of the game (no accent, born in the Kingdom of Lucis just like the others), i can only assume he would understand the cultural significance behind the pompadour hairstyle and what it represents. it’s also a lot of effort for someone who not only exists in a dark world, but who also cannot see himself...there is no doubt in my mind that Ignis chose this style on purpose.

and that’s why i find all of this so fascinating. especially considering what few details we are shown about each of the bros post-timeskip, here’s something about my favorite character that stands out to me as a form of deliberate symbolism and allows me to easily draw conclusions from it. to me it reinforces what a resilient person Ignis is, and it also fuels some of my headcanons that Older Ignis is less uptight and more confident (something that his younger Japanese version self struggles with).

it’s an aspect of Ignis that i feel is extremely significant, but i think has the potential to get overlooked by fans who are not familiar with Japanese culture, which is why i wanted to share it here.