The Plane!

Wendy Brandes recently issued the challenge to try wearing just one earring. For some of us the word "again" would apply here, and this arrangement also lately cropped up on Advanced Style. Here's my version with a homegrown vintage '80s airplane earring, decidedly not missing its mate which I gave away or lost years ago:

multi-colour feather print blouse with bell sleeves: Joseph A., gift from dear friend
wrap belt: thrifted at the Kitty Cat Store, worn here (2nd look)
pencil skirt: Urban Behaviour, thrifted, worn here
tremendously awesome orange shoes: Cydwoq Instinct, ebay, worn here

As previously demonstrated, I usually feel over-decorated if I switch out my constant set of mis-matched silver hoops (2 plain on the right, 4 ornate on the left, most visible here and here) for a pair of larger earrings - but wearing just one felt just right.

airplane earring: lone survivor of the '80s
antique orange amber bracelet: a gift from my mother, worn here
black watch and other bracelets: detailed here

I remember '80s style as quite wonderfully campy - a time of greater connection with the concept of daily wear as costume. The incorporation and explicit re-imagining of all kinds of symbols (religious and otherwise), including elements of uniform (across eras, military and otherwise), was directly referential to world and pop culture events of the time. There seemed much greater scope for creatively developing one's unique version of image rather than selecting from among a few narrow branded and pre-packaged looks.

I also loved the rampant asymmetry - one could even buy mismatched earrings in "pairs." I've been on a few hunts through various stashes of stuff, but sadly haven't come across these floral cloisonné earrings - one is a moon and the other a star:

winter 1984/5 (slightly earlier than these photos)

I didn't find a picture of myself wearing the airplane(s) either, but we were walking hieroglyphs as a matter of course - here is a fake diamond stud and a silver snake from the post-Mohawk Year of the Hairband:

spring 1986 (same time period as here)

Back to single earrings - remember the soap opera affectation of taking off one giant earring to answer the phone? And how they wore clip-on instead of pierced earrings all the time when barely anyone in real life did anymore? Do they still do that earring-off-to-get-the-phone thing? Do they have cell phones yet? Do they take off an earring to answer their cell phones? And have they ever put the earring back on after? (I don't have TV, help!)

Is there an aspect of style from any era that you miss? I'm taking my nostalgic self over to Patti's Not Dead Yet Style for Visible Monday. See you there!

*EDITED to add P.S. guess what else! It's '80s week at Spy Girl too!