The 80s were the heyday of American fashion, and they’ve left us with some of the best, most iconic outfits in the world.
But it turns out, we can’t be the only ones who need to shop vintage clothing, as new research shows that more than two out of five Americans could end up being inspired to start a fashion career after looking at vintage clothing.
“It’s pretty incredible to think about,” says Kristina Johnson, author of the new book “I’d Give My Life To Make It In The 80’s,” which will be released on March 6.
“You have a bunch of people who could be the first ones to think of doing that.”
Johnson’s research found that the average American is expected to spend at least $2,000 a year buying clothes that are from the 80’s, but a little over half of them are already buying from other sources.
She says this trend will continue for a long time.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re in high school, college, even if you don’t live in the country, if you live in New York City, if it’s a mall, if there’s a vintage shop that’s there, it’s likely that there’s someone out there that’s buying clothes from that era,” she says.
Johnson says people can’t help but be inspired by the 80-s and its fashion icons, but she’s concerned that some of these retro outfits could be harmful to our health.
“There’s so much of that culture that we associate with, that’s so powerful, but also, for me, I don’t think there’s enough of it,” Johnson says.
She says her research also found that Americans are the least likely to understand what they’re buying when they’re shopping online, and she thinks that’s partly because many of the clothes we buy are actually manufactured overseas, and often not exactly what they look like in the US.
“The 80s is a time when you could be able to do the fashion, but I think the 80 is really a time of transition, when the culture is not yet ready to embrace the modern way of living, so that’s why people are buying from overseas,” Johnson explains.
“I think the more you’re exposed to that culture, the more it will come to your head, and then, hopefully, it’ll help you figure out what you’re going to wear for your wedding, for your party, and what you can wear for dinner.”
The 90s is also a time where people were spending a lot more time watching TV, which Johnson says can make you feel like a consumer.
“People don’t really want to be able go out and shop anymore.
They want to sit in front of a computer, on a TV screen, and watch something,” Johnson notes.
She says it’s easy to buy an item online and be able see it on the shelf, but it’s actually much more challenging to get the exact color and texture that you want, and you’re also likely to end up with more expensive items.
“And then the next step is to take those things back home, and figure out how to use them,” Johnson adds.
She believes that people are spending more money on clothing because they feel they have more control over their clothing.
“A lot of people have the luxury of buying clothes at the store.
And if they’re not using the product that they bought at the mall, then that means that they can be spending more, but they’re also paying for it in perpetuity,” Johnson tells ABC News.
She points out that there are still some retailers that are doing a good job at educating shoppers, but not everyone is happy with the trends.
“We’re a really young country and people have not fully embraced the digital era, so people don’t know how to shop,” Johnson concludes.
Johnson says she hopes that her book will encourage more people to shop at the source they’ve been told to buy from.
“They’re not really buying from an outlet where they’re making money, but where they know they’re paying for the service and the product and the quality,” she explains.
“And if they can do that, then they can get more value for the money they spend.”
