What it was like Growing Up in the Eighties (1980s)
  • Tue. Mar 19th, 2024

80s Costume and Party Ideas & 80s Halloween

Not sure what to wear to an 80s costume party or how to put together the perfect 80s Halloween costume? The key to achieving the 80s look, regardless of the specific costume you choose, is excess. It was after all the decade of excess – the me decade, the greed decade. So don’t skimp or be weighed down or held back by your 90s and 00s sensibilities – go for it. Add the extra layer of blush or blue eyeliner, go for another spray with the Aqua Net, and pile on another couple of bracelets. Moderation is for other decades – there are no points for class, subtly or understatement. The 80s look is about color, volume, and abundance. Whether you choose the Like a Virgin, the Preppie, or the Let’s Get Physical, do it with flourish and abandonment.

80s Costume Ideas and Photos

Eighties theme party decorations should be fun and outlandish – sort of like the 80s themselves. Depending on your event size and venue, you may choose to do a little or a lot, but the 80s party decoration ideas here should be a killer start – fur sure!

What’s a party, any party, without party favors? For an 80s party, the party favors can double as totally hot table decorations. A great 80s party idea is to get a collection of fun 80s items and place them about on tables (food table, drinks table, etc.) where they are decorations, conversation starters, and take home favors. Some ideas for low cost 80s items that work great in this way include:


• Mini rubix cubes
• Jelly bracelets and rings (available at Oriental Trading)
• Generic wayfarers (available at Oriental Trading)
• Reese’s Pieces
• Old cassette tapes (available from your garage)
• Aquanet (short cans)
• Pop rocks
80s Party Songs – Your best bet for a well rounded and totally gnarly 80s party mix is to get one of the very good 80s box sets that are available in the stores.