Punk (& Goth) Styles in the '80s

Punk originated in the UK in the '70s and was often handmade/deconstructed. By the '80s you could find it in specialty stores, and eventually even on the catwalk. It was anti-mainstream, anti-pretentious, and anti-disco. Offensive shirts, bondage accessories, and studded leather jackets have become iconic. In the '80s Doc Martens, studded belts, tattered jeans, and kilts moved in, as other punks adopted a hard-core style of shaved heads and plain clothes. As it applies to The 80s Cruise as a theme night, focus on designers like Vivienne Westwood, Zandra Rhodes, and even Jean Paul Gaultier's kilts in the 80s. Gothic fashion evolved from Punkish looks, so explore those options if that's more your style.

Cruise Swag From ECP

ECP (the Charter company that hosts The '80s Cruise) gifts swag in your staterooms every night. Here's a working list of what's been available so far - please let me know what I'm missing so I can fill in the gaps. Thanks to Scott M. for the 2019 pic.

2016

  Cruise Shirt (aqua blue, Pac-Man theme)
  Rubik's Cube
  Sunglasses
  Black Tote
  Cell Phone Back-up Charger
  White Visor

  Coffee Mug (available for purchase)
  Blue Lanyard (passed out when boarding)
  Guitar Picks (no idea, but I have one)

2017
  Cruise Shirt (Purple, Donkey Kong theme)
  Trucker Cap (Blue & White)
  Backpack (Neon Green)
  Cooler (w/Coors logo)
  Water Bottle (Clear Blue)

  Glow in the dark Frisbee (from shore event)

  '80s Cruise Koozies (tossed from a stage)

2018
  Cruise Shirt (Lime Green, Space Invaders theme)
  Blue Visor
  Pink Headband/Scarf
  Water Tankard (Pink Metal)
  Tote Bag
  Coors Light Koozies

2019
  Cruise Shirt (Yellow, Q-Bert theme)
  Blue Striped Bag
  Sunglasses
  Luggage Tags (Cassette Shape)
  Mug (Hot/Cold)
  Lanyard
  Trucker Cap (Yellow)

  Other '80s Cruise T-shirt Styles (available for purchase)
  '80s Cruise Pint Glass (available for purchase)

Checkerboard in the '80s

Checkerboard was everywhere in the '80s - far more persistent than Neon.  Checkerboard existed in both fashion and decor - we put that sh*t on everything! In fashion, it could be over the top, or just an accent - a checkered strip down the side of board shorts, checkered suspenders, and of course the ever-popular Vans shoes.

Carol Alt		Spicoli in his checkered Vans "Fast Times at Ridgemont High", 1982

It was on MTV...

Journey "Chain Reaction", 1983	Tom Petty, "Don't Come Around Here No More", 1985

And of course, accessories...

Siobahn Fahey of Bananarama in checkered suspenders Band Aid,1984		Vintage Earrings

Photos on the '80s Cruise

Thriller Dance Rehearsal (Photo by Mina)

So many photos! Here's the breakdown:

Photos by the Cruise Line: Like any other cruise the ship has their own photographers on hand. You'll get the standard poses while boarding, before dinner, and a few other set-ups. These photos are for purchase on board the ship.

Photos by ECP: Major props to the ECP and their great photography team. If you ever want your picture taken by them  just ask. In addition to photos of the fun events all day (and night), they also photograph (and video) the main stage performances. Everything they shoot is available free for download on ECP's website - usually a couple weeks after the cruise. They will make a standard announcement the first night asking people not to take photos or videos during the shows.

Photos by Fellow Cruisers: Most veteran cruisers know Chuck and Rod always have their cameras on them. They shoot thousands of photos all week because they love doing it. In 2019 Chuck even photographed a couple hundred door decorations! Their photos (or links to them) are shared in the Facebook Meet and Greet groups. It's generally good form to credit the photographer if you share their photos.

Public Albums:

ECP photos from 2019

Weepuls!

A lot of folks hand out random trinkets they've hand-crafted or custom ordered for the '80s cruise. For 2019 I wanted to hand out those fuzzy little alien guys we used to get in grade school when we did a good job on something. Problem was, I had NO idea what they were called. After wasting a substantial amount of time on Google I learned that they are called Weepuls and they originated in 1971, but minimums are high and they aren't cheap. "No problem!" I say, "I'm crafty!"

So I used my Cricut Maker to cut out the sticky-backed foam feet, glued some pom-poms and googly eyes down, and used silk flower "stamen" for the antennae. The ribbon was custom printed by a seller on Etsy.

Past Theme Nights

Huge thank you to Ann Marie and Don for helping me fill in the gaps!

2016 Announced Summer	2017 Announced June 8	2018  Jun 16 - Jul 23	2019 Announced June 6

The History of Neon

Of course neon fashion existed in the '80s, but it wasn't as pervasive in our '80s wardrobes as Party City would like us to believe. It was more like a flash in the pan. Stephen Sprouse is the designer credited with its '80s revival (based on '60s Day-Glo fads). His work was sold exclusively at Bergdorf Goodman and Henri Bendel's in NYC (1983).  What trickled down from the designer runway to the shopping malls was mostly accessories: jelly bracelets, earrings, belts, hair accessories, and shoe strings. In fact, very little neon fashion can even be found in '80s movies, magazines, and television (I only know of Wham's video).

This photo is from a Day Glow Party in London (1984). It's a great example of how early '80s Neon (re: Day Glow) compared to the late '80s and early '90s Neon sportswear. 

I have a theory.  Remember how we all ran around in the '80s quoting Star Wars?  We were all like "Luke, I am your father" only to discover decades later that wasn't the exact line?  We all participated and perpetuated it. We all believed we had heard it that way. The Mandela effect.

 What if our collective memory of neon fashion is like that Star Wars quote? Rooted in truth, but greatly embellished/conflated. That small amount of neon flair became grossly over-represented in our collective history.  After all, there was plenty of other bright colors (hot pink, lime green, etc), and high contrast fashion throughout the '80s - it would be easy to conflate the looks. Benetton and Esprit especially marketed very colorful looks. 

The Go-Go's in bright colors.

Koolaid Coolers commercial, 1986

The other thing that muddies up our memory is that neon made a big comeback in the early '90s with the Hip Hop genre. Most vintage neon outfits you find on eBay are from this era in the form of athletic wear and jumpsuits.

THIS IS 90s

THIS IS 1992