'80s Fashion Influencers Are Going Viral For Creating Scenes That Looks Just Like The Decade, And I'm Obsessed

Recently, I came across this tweet, which I completely obsessed over and fell down a rabbit hole on:

@glitterwave80s / @cantbuyme80s_ / Via instagram.com

While I thought most influencers were mainly doting on the latest trends and next-best products, I was blown away to find that there are actually influencers for the '80s. THE '80s!!!!!

Jane Fonda poses in an 80s-style shiny leotard, tights, wristbands, and a belt, striking a fitness pose with arms raised
Harry Langdon / Getty Images

They scope out locations, like this neon food court, to recreate '80s-style scenes:

Two unidentified people with 80's hairstyles and attire pose in an 80's-themed diner. One holds an Esprit shopping bag

Complete with an ESPRIT shopping bag.

@glitterwave80s / Via instagram.com

They're even doin' their hair with göt2b in the neon food court (which wasn't around in the '80s, but is definitely some of the strongest hairspray money can buy):

Woman at a table styling her hair with got2b glued hairspray. She's wearing a pink crop top and colorful wristbands. A Pepsi cup is visible in the foreground
Woman at a table styling her hair with got2b glued hairspray. She's wearing a pink crop top and colorful wristbands. A Pepsi cup is visible in the foreground
Woman with curly hair in a pink top uses a hairbrush at a dining table in a mall. Various items, including a drink cup, are on the table
Woman with curly hair in a pink top uses a hairbrush at a dining table in a mall. Various items, including a drink cup, are on the table

@glitterwave80s / Via instagram.com

And getting custom airbrush shorts.

Two people in a store displaying T-shirts; walls covered with neon signs and graphic tees in the background. Names: unknown
@glitterwave80s / Via instagram.com

It's like they're trapped in time.

A person with curly hair is talking on a payphone, dressed in an 80s-style acid-wash denim ensemble and white high-top sneakers
@glitterwave80s / Via instagram.com

I had soooo many questions. Like, ummm, why the '80s? What's the inspo? TELL ME EVERYTHING.

So, I got in touch with the '80s content creators featured (yes, there's a whole community), and they answered allll my questions like total '80s sweethearts.

Two women with curly hair, dressed in casual 1980s fashion, stand on stairs; one in a black graphic T-shirt and denim shorts, the other in white jeans and a crop top
Two women with curly hair, dressed in casual 1980s fashion, stand on stairs; one in a black graphic T-shirt and denim shorts, the other in white jeans and a crop top
Two women with curly hair and lively 80s fashion sit in a retro diner booth, facing each other with smiles
Two women with curly hair and lively 80s fashion sit in a retro diner booth, facing each other with smiles

@cantbuyme80s_ / Via instagram.com, @ronnie.wheels / Via instagram.com

Despite looking straight out of the 1980's catalog, Violet Sky (@glitterwave80s), a singer, media archivist, and '80s lifestyle content creator from NYC, wasn't born in the '80s (she's only 23!).

A woman with curly hair, wearing a denim jacket, crop top, and matching denim skirt, sits on a wooden railing indoors, leaning against a pole
@glitterwaves80s / Via instagram.com

And Jordan Rumsey (@cantbuyme80s_), an '80s content creator from Maryland, is only 21!

Ariana Greenblatt sits on a wooden bench in a mall, smiling in front of a JCPenney store, wearing a denim jacket, patterned pants, and white sneakers
@cantbuyme80s_ / Via instagram.com

Veronica (@ronnie.wheels), who's actually a classic Mercedes technician in New Jersey, is 24! Here she is with her 1987 Buick Riviera:

A person sits on the hood of a car parked on a street with other vehicles and people in the background

They each got into the '80s in different ways, whether through movies, music, or their parents. Violet told me she first really discovered the '80s in 2016 (!) when she watched the 1985 movie Girls Just Want to Have Fun.

Poster for the movie "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" featuring Sarah Jessica Parker, Lee Montgomery, Morgan Woodward, and Shannen Doherty dancing

She said, "The soundtrack (produced by Don Perry) had so many synthesizers, and that sound immediately hooked me on '80s music."

New World Releasing / Courtesy Everett Collection

She continued, "At the time, I had no personal style, but I’ve always loved bright colors and considered myself outgoing. '80s fashion incorporated a 'go big or go home' attitude in its style, and that really spoke to me, so I started attempting 1980s looks later that year."

Woman with long, curly hair and bangs in a striped shirt gestures while speaking indoors

She added, "That goes for interior design, too, where everything is grey! '80s fashion and pop culture really did push it to the limit (pun intended), and I really appreciate that unapologetic attitude when it comes to self-expression."

Comparison of a cluttered 1980s living room with brick fireplace to a minimalist, modern living room with a gray couch. Text: "1980s living room VS. Today"
H. Armstrong Roberts / ClassicStock / Getty Images / iStock

Similarly, Veronica said she got into an "'80s obsession" in middle school after watching Back to the Future and Knight Rider, which led her to discover '80s car culture, and eventually get her first Trans Am (she's now got a whooole fleet of vintage cars). Between '80s movies, cars, and her mom always playing '80s freestyle music around the house, she said that allowed her to discover everything else about the '80s, too — including fashion, decor, and tech.

A person smiles while raising their arms up, sitting in a black convertible car in front of a beige house. The top is down, and it is daytime

She told BuzzFeed, "I just really dig the general design language of the '80s. The fashion was fun and loud; the cars were boxy or wedges. I’m not quite sure what specifically speaks to me, but it’s just such a fun era for everything aesthetically and mechanically. It was a transition from analog to digital, which I really enjoy."

Two women with 1980s fashion, one in a yellow jacket and skirt, the other in a black jacket and jeans, pose in front of a vintage station wagon in a parking lot

For Jordan, her parents were a huge inspiration for her love of the '80s, as they often played '80s music in the car and frequently had a cable TV station tuned to solely '80s music, she said. As a high school freshman (in 2017), she started dressing in '80s fashion. She told BuzzFeed, "It started out not looking too good, but throughout the years, I have really perfected the look."

A person wearing a light jumpsuit stands inside a mall near the JC Penney store, holding a white shopping bag

She continued, "I feel like everyone has that one decade that really resonates with them. For me, it is the 1980s. I’m not entirely sure why, but I feel nostalgic for it, and it truly seems like a better time to live."

Person with curly hair in a cropped jacket and high-waisted jeans with heart patches stands in front of framed photos of The Beatles members

She continued, "I love it when people who are Gen X tell me about their experiences, what they went through, and how much fun they had during that time. I really wish I could’ve experienced that."

Instagram comment by pretty_penn_cos: "My mom grew up in the 80s and I showed your insta to her and the first thing she said was 'when were these taken?!' Like it's convincing you look amazing!!!"
@cantbuyme80s_ / Via instagram.com

While Violet, Veronica, and Jordan weren't born in the '80s and didn't experience the decade themselves — they do their best to try and recreate it. As pictured, they often scout out locations trapped in time with '80s design (aka, never been renovated), many referred to as "dead malls." The neon lights at the Berkshire Mall in Pennsylvania are a favorite:

Two images side by side of people in 1980s outfits. Left: Woman in a jumpsuit poses at a mall near JCPenney. Right: Two women in denim and patterned clothing hold shopping bags

Violet has also visited fast-food places (like the Taco Bell below), grocery stores, hotels, and diners that still have their "'80s charm." She said, "I love going to places that never updated their interiors. It’s like stepping into a time machine, and it's the closest I’ll get to looking around and knowing what the era really looked like."

A woman with curly hair wears a vibrant tie-dye shirt, white jeans, and a black belt. She poses in a sunlit diner with large windows
A woman with curly hair wears a vibrant tie-dye shirt, white jeans, and a black belt. She poses in a sunlit diner with large windows
A person stands inside a travel center posing with one hand raised to their forehead. They wear a matching tie-dye denim jacket and skirt, a pink top, and white sneakers
A person stands inside a travel center posing with one hand raised to their forehead. They wear a matching tie-dye denim jacket and skirt, a pink top, and white sneakers

@glitterwave80s / Via tiktok.com, @glitterwave80s / Via instagram.com

She added, "I try to document them as much as I can before renovations, unfortunately, happen."

And despite some haters, they say the response has been generally positive. "My only goal is to bring smiles to people's faces and to give people a sense of nostalgia from when they were younger," Jordan said. "It makes my day when people tell me that I bring joy to their lives because of my videos. Some people feel like they can relive their teenage years through me, which I absolutely love."

She added,

Violet added, "I’ve been able to meet so many amazing people, and I’m thankful for how supportive the people who follow me online are."

"Of course, there are going to be mean and negative people too, but you really only do live once and you can’t listen to people like that!"

And for Violet, sharing her love for '80s music online actually led her to produce and release authentic "lost" '80s music. In 2020, she came across an album by the 1980s band Shy Talk at a record store, which at the time was pretty much non-existent on the Internet. "Being a media archivist, I digitized it and uploaded it to YouTube for people to listen to," she said. "It wasn’t on streaming services at the time, but it was a great album, and I wanted more people to know about it."

Person with curly hair speaking to camera, text reads:
Person with curly hair speaking to camera, text reads:
Woman showing a Shy Talk record album and speaking about the group Shy Talk
Woman showing a Shy Talk record album and speaking about the group Shy Talk

@glitterwave80s / Via tiktok.com

After that, Violet made an Instagram video about their music, which ended up in the eyes of David Bravo, the keyboard player of the band. He got in touch with Violet and sent her unreleased material Shy Talk had to help archive as well.

One thing led to another, and after David discovered Violet was a singer herself, he asked Violet if she'd want to put her vocals on some unreleased tapes he produced in the '80s (almost 40 years later!).

Woman with curly hair discusses transferred audio files on her phone, showing a list of downloaded MP3 tracks, including "Never Gonna Let U.mp3" and "Promise You"
@glitterwave80s / Via tiktok.com

So, Violet genuinely released '80s music in 2021, with her vocals being the only new addition. Violet said she and David are also working on an album now.

Woman with curly hair holding a collage including album covers and a photo of a woman with curly hair, with the text:
Woman with curly hair holding a collage including album covers and a photo of a woman with curly hair, with the text:
A person with curly hair holds a collage of 1980s album covers and text that reads
A person with curly hair holds a collage of 1980s album covers and text that reads

"We changed nothing about the songs, so the only new thing you’ll hear with my music are my vocals, which I try and keep as authentic as possible," Violet said.

Violet also mentioned that thanks to her sharing underrated and lesser-known '80s music and artists, she helped Don Perry, the music producer for Girls Just Want to Have Fun (aka the movie that got her into the '80s), release the soundtrack for the 1986 movie The Malibu Bikini Shop.

Essentially, the only way to hear the songs was to watch the movie—they weren't available to stream. Now, thanks to Violet's help, the original master recordings are available on YouTube. She said, "That was a really full circle moment for me!"

I guess this is just another lesson to share your interests—you never know who might be watching, or what connections await! And one of the things that shocked me the most about the '80s content creators was that there seemed to be so much community among them. Like, I found all these gals separately, but they all know one another.

Two women with big hairstyles and 80s fashion, including denim and fringe, sit together in a shopping mall's atrium area, smiling at the camera

Violet said they collaborate to host '80s events, and she's even flown across the country to meet up with other people in the '80s community.

Six women posing in roller skates in a retro-themed setting. They have different poses and expressions, each showcasing unique fashion styles

Jordan added, "As someone who never really fit in as a kid, getting to have friends that are similar in age to me that like the same things as me makes me really happy."

Two unidentified women with 1980s hairstyles and fashion. One wears a graphic T-shirt and shorts, the other wears a leopard print top, white jacket, and distressed pants
@cantbuyme80s_ / Via instagram.com

So, perhaps it's the niche, or the fierce dedication (after all, that hair takes WORK) that brings them all together. As Veronica said, "Many of us got into it for different reasons. It’s not too dissimilar to the people who enjoy Y2K or '60s-'70s fashion, but the '80s look is definitely more of a statement and commitment, haha."

Two people sit at a retro diner booth with mirrors in the background, wearing vintage 1980s-style clothing including jackets and sneakers

That's a wrap from our modern-day '80s gals! But, before they go, they wanted to impart you all with a little wisdom:

"If you ever want to start living your life as your authentic self, I feel like there is no harm to it," Jordan said. "You definitely will find a group of people who love you and support you for who you are."

A person with curly hair sits on a wooden bench in front of a JCPenney store inside a mall. They wear a jean jacket, light-colored pants, and sneakers
cantbuyme80s_ / Via instagram.com

"Be yourself! You don’t have to wait until something is 'in' or on-trend to enjoy," Violet added. "You only get one life to live, so do what makes you happy (as long as it’s not hurting anyone else, of course)!"

Woman smiling with curly hair and bangs in a nearly empty parking lot with trees and a white car in the background

And lastly, Veronica said, "All I have to add is have fun and live as yourself unashamedly! Life is short; find what speaks to you, enjoy it loudly, and find your people. It’s more fun that way!"

Denise Mercedes and Maria Castellanos pose in front of retro arcade game machines including Ms. Pac-Man and Pac-Man, wearing patterned denim jackets
@glitterwave80s / Via instagram.com

Personally, I think it's so cool to see people being unabashedly themselves while also finding community in the process. And I can't complain about seeing some '80s looks on my feed to break up all the modern-day trends!

For more '80s content, you can keep up with the gals online:

Violet (@glitterwave80s) / Instagram, TikTok

Jordan (@cantbuyme80s) / InstagramTikTok

Veronica (@ronnie.wheels) / Instagram, YouTube