We've put together the ultimate resource guide to recreating the quintessential fashion favorites of the 1980s for your 18-inch doll such as American Girl®. For more inspiration, be sure to check out our other style guides such as our 1970s Fashions Style Guide.
Giveaway Alert: Scroll to the bottom of the page to enter our $50 Pixie Faire Gift card giveaway!
We all know trends come in cycles, and we'll likely see the puffed sleeves, scrunchies, and "fold-over jeans" of the 80s come back in style once again very soon! But with the newest release of the 1986 Historical character, Courtney Moore™ from American Girl® that trend has laready hit the doll clothes fashion world!
What better way to reflect on this fashion era than through the eyes and memories of Pixie Faire designers! I think many of us are still in shock that this is considered a historical time period - thanks American Girl! But seriously, here's a fun look at eighties fashions in all their glory!
Key features that are so fun to play around with in design are:
- Bold Bright Colors
- Pleated Jeans, With High Waists, Fold-over Waistbands, and Contrasting Colors
- Acid Washed Denim, Spandex, and Leg Warmers
- Bold Prints and Wide Stripes
- Ruffled Accents, Big and Small
- Large Collars and even Larger Puffy Sleeves
- Fun Accessories Like Suspenders, Big Sunglasses, and Roller Skates
Find the entire collection of 1980s Patterns For 18-inch Dolls on Pixie Faire.
Go deeper and create the ultimate 1980s wardrobe for your doll by joining the fun in Sewing With Cinnamon! This month's topic includes member-exclusive pattern hack videos and tutorials to build on this theme. Check it out HERE.
The 1980s Trend - Big Puffy Sleeves
One prominent design element that was hard to miss was large puffed sleeves, followed closely by bubble skirts too! We saw this style worn by young and old, on dresses and tops, made in satin and calico - the possibilities were endless! Featured above you can see them modeled by Pixie Faire Designers: Donna Kinley (DKinley Designs), Rebecca Bocock (Crafty Lil' Turkey), Shari Fuller (Thimbles and Acorns), and sisters Cinnamon & Terah (Liberty Jane and Lilie Stone).
Recreate this look with these great 18 inch doll clothes patterns:
1980s Dresses - Did Someone Say Gunne Sax?
If you weren't into the "rocker" scene, then prairie style dresses were all the rage! This softer side of the eighties was made iconic with the brand "Gunne Sax" which had long been in business but in the 80s the label's prairie, Victorian, and Edwardian-styled designs became so popular and featured prominent elements such as lace, gingham, and calico. Pictured above modeling this lovely fashion style: Cinnamon (LJC), Donna (DKinley Designs), Peggy's Daughter (Frog PRincess Fashions), and Margie (LMM).
Recreate this look with these great 18 inch doll clothes patterns:
1980s Big Bold Stripes
Wide stripes, big stripes, brightly hued stripes - pretty much any stripe will do! Get creative and use your striped fabic to recreate a variety of vibrant 80s looks! PS. Don't you think Shari (Thiumbles and Acorns) and Margie (Little Miss Muffett) represent this style perfectly?
Recreate this look with these great 18 inch doll clothes patterns:
80s Trend - Collar Details and Plaid Fabrics!
Plaid fabrics and ruffled trims were all the rage in the 80s too! This look can be found in a variety of styles, from the classic button-up shirt, to an elegant wedding dress (shirtdress style). These designers look pretty fabulous here too! Donna (DKinley Designs), Peggy (Frog Princess Fashions), Cinnamon, and Margie (Little Miss Muffett)
Create this look withthese patterns for 18-inch dolls, add a ruffle to the cuffs, collars, necklines, to bring them the 80s flair!
80s Awesome Accessories
These shoes and accessories are the perfect way to add a hint of the 1980s to an outfit, or to go the extra mile and create an authentic look. We don't have a sunglasses pattern on Pixie Faire, but these designers sure did represent this style well, don't you agree? Elizabeth (Ladybug Doll Quilts), Peggy (Frog Princess Fashions) , and Cinnamon (Liberty Jane).
Add 80s flair with these great 18 inch doll accessory patterns:
1980s Bright Colors and Fun Styles
Bold bright colors are what stood out most in the 80s! Neon took center stage, followed closely by hot pink, turquoise, purple, and yellow. It's all about creating a contrast or highlighing the unique geometric shapes and designs through color! These cute shots capture the colors and styles perfectly, pictured are: Cinnamon (LJC), Rebecca Bocock (Craftyl Lil' Tiukey), and Terah Lites (Lilie Stone).
Recreate these looks and others that capture this idea with these 18 inch doll clothes patterns:
There's so much more that we didn't cover here! Be sure to check out our full 1980s Fashions Collection to exlore all the great deigns available to recreate the ultimate 80s wardrobe for your 18-inch dolls!
ENTER TO WIN A $50 Pixie Faire Gift Card!
To enter this week's contest, simply click the link below and then enter through the giveaway widget at the bottom of the blog post, there are many things you can do to earn multiple entry points!
Contest Details: You enter through the entry form that is embedded on this page and appears just below this paragraph, if you don't see it, be sure to visit the page from your desktop or an alternate browser such as Google Chrome. It may not appear on all mobile devices. The complete rules and entry details appear on the entry form. This is not a comment contest - in other words, leaving a comment on the bottom of this page is not an official entry method. The only required entry method is to leave a comment under this post and then confirm that you did it in the contest widget. One person will receive the digital gift card from Pixie Faire. You can enter once, or gain multiple entries by completing the other entry methods and increase your chances of winning. Please review all Terms and Conditions on the giveaway page before entering. While we wish we could run this contest everywhere, for legal reasons it is only open to eligible residents of the U.S. and Canada, not including Rhode Island. This contest is exclusively endorsed by Liberty Jane Clothing and Pixie Faire. Not endorsed by or affiliated with American Girl®.
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We'd love to hear from you. Leave a comment and tell us - which '80s trend represented above is your favorite! Commenting below and confirming your entry in the widget above gives you one entry method, the other methods are listed in the widget above, be sure to enter in as many ways as you can to receive the maximum amount of entries to win one Julie™ Doll!
Thanks, everyone!
The Pixie Faire Team
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Shelly Hammond
October 19, 2020
I think the puffy sleeves.