The Most Painfully '80s Celebrity Photos of All Time
Nothing says "painfully '80s" like our favorite celebrities and their fashion choices of decades past. From the brightly colored pandex and leg warmers to the big hair and even bigger shoulder pads, celebrities helped to solidify the '80s as an iconic (albeit somewhat cringe) time for fashion.
Madonna changed the fashion game with her "Like a Virgin"-inspired ensemble, complete with layered necklaces, a messy ponytail, and lace accents. No one can forget the decade-defining, skin-tight workout wear which left little to the imagination (and often came with a whole lot of in-your-face color). Then there was the over-the-top makeup and gender-bending outfits that gave kids of the '80s the silent permission to play with fashion in a way very few had before.
A slew of iconic fashion moments and outfit inspiration came out of the '80s, giving us some of the truly most painfully '80s celebrity pictures of all time.
Roads? Where we're going—a trip down '80s cringe memory lane—we don't need roads.
Madonna
No one embodied the '80s like Madonna. From her layered necklaces to her big hair and "Like a Virgin" dress, Madonna's iconic fashion statements defined an entire generation, and for good reason—you can still see her fashion influence today.
Tina Turner
You can't take a stroll down '80s memory lane without thinking about the Queen, Tina Turner. Turner's look included lots of sparkle and whole lot of leg, and came to define '80s rock 'n' roll in all its big-hair glory.
Janet Jackson
Rhythm Nation, stand up! Nothing screams '80s like Janet Jackson and her iconic "Rhythm Nation" ensemble.
Whitney Houston
Big hair, don't care! The late, great Whitney Houston defined the '80s with her incredible voice and breathtaking performances, both on the stage and on the big screen.
Boy George
From the colorful wardrobe to the makeup to all that hair, Boy George ruled the '80s with his unapologetic style.
David Bowie
The man, the myth, the legend. Simply put: There would be no '80s without Ziggy Stardust.
Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson's leather jackets and singular glove came to define an entire fashion genre in the '80s. Honestly, we're still here for it.
Joan Jett
Joan Jett's "whatever, forever" attitude became the national anthem for every punk rock '80s kid who said: "We're not gonna take it, anymore."
Billy Idol
Billy Idol perfected the duck lips before duck lips were even a thing! There's certainly no shame in his mean muggin' game.
Christie Brinkley
Holy big hair and pink spandex, batman! What says the '80s more than Christie Brinkley in leg warmers? (Hint: Nothing.)
Michael J. Fox
Gone are the days when men donned feathered hair, but we will always have Michael J. Fox and the '80s.
Matt Dillon
Matt Dillon captured the hearts of an entire generation in his '80s classic film, The Outsiders:
Brooke Shields
Brooke Shields gave us big hair and even bigger shoulder pads, cementing herself as one of the fashion icons of the '80s.
Tom Cruise
It's the bolo tie for us. Tom Cruise's iconic film Top Gun premiered in 1986, cementing Cruise as a Hollywood legend and '80s "it boy."
Ralph Macchio
Nothing says the '80s like Daniel LaRusso fighting the good fight in all three Karate Kid films. Wax on, wax off!
Lisa Bonet
Lisa Bonet was the epitome of effortlessly cool in the '80s. (Hint: She's still effortlessly cool.)
Drew Barrymore
Drew Barrymore captured hearts and minds as a young Hollywood star trying to help E.T. get back home.
Oprah Winfrey
The big hair! The shoulder pads! The bedazzled everything! Oprah Winfrey is never to be outdone.
Whoopi Goldberg
The iconic movie Ghost premiered right at the tail end of the '80s, in 1990, solidifying Whoopi Goldberg as a star and leaving an entire generation obsessed with pottery.
Matthew Broderick
Nobody embodied cool in the '80s like Matthew Broderick as Ferris Bueller, forever determined to skip school and have the best adventure day of all time.
Jane Fonda
Only Jane Fonda could make a bright yellow spandex leotard, big hair and yellow and purple leg warmers look this good.
Judd Nelson
The ultimate bad boy from The Breakfast Club, Judd Nelson embodied the problematic '80s heartthrob you just couldn't help but love.
Molly Ringwald
Whether she was stuck in school detention or just trying to enjoy her Sweet 16, Molly Ringwald was the ultimate '80s "it girl."
Rob Lowe
It's the perfectly coifed hair and the glasses, for us. (Note: Rob Lowe has aged like a very fine wine, folks.)
George Clooney
Where's the petition to have George Clooney bring back his '80s hair, and where do we sign?!
Sarah Jessica Parker
Material girl Sarah Jessica Parker is channeling her inner Madonna with this "Like a Virgin"-inspired look. Turns out, Parker's '80s fashion sense was a lot like Carrie Bradshaw's.
Val Kilmer
The Iceman was forever serving us looks in the '80s.
Johnny Depp
Johnny Depp first came on the scene in the 1984 horror film A Nightmare on Elm Street. What's not a nightmare? That hair and those cheek bones!
Lenny Kravitz
Before he was the King of the oversized scarf, iconic musician Lenny Kravitz was the King of the soul patch.
Cher
Nothing says the '80s like big, loud hair and an off-the-shoulder shirt. When it came to fashion, nobody did it better than Cher.
Patrick Dempsey
Doctor McDreamy has nothing on Patrick Dempsey in the '80s.
Anthony Michael Hall
When he wasn't building the perfect woman with his computer, Anthony Michael Hall was dancing his way into an entire generation's hearts with his awkward-but-lovable characters in hit John Hughes films like Weird Science and 16 Candles.
We forever stan an '80s icon.
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