Shoulder Pads and Scrunchies: The '80s Fashion Quiz

Estimated Completion Time
3 min
Shoulder Pads and Scrunchies: The '80s Fashion Quiz
Image: Anthony Barboza/Archive Photos/Getty Images

About This Quiz

Let's go back to the decade of scrunchies, fanny packs, leg warmers and acid-washed jeans. How much do you recall about '80s fashion? Take this quiz to find out.
What accessory was popular in hip-hop in the '80s?
dookie chains
nose rings
bow ties
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Many hip-hop artists upped the bling with large gold ropes known as "dookie chains."

These must-have jeans had a white inverted triangle logo on the back pocket.
Esprit
Palmetto
Guess
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Guess is still going strong (or somewhat strong) after all these years.

This jacket brand's advertising tagline was "when you put it on, something happens."
Starter
Aeropostale
Members Only
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Dudes just weren't cool without a Members Only jacket in the '80s.

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Which '80s designer created a line out of sweat suit material in 1981?
Norma Kamali
Diane von Furstenburg
Ralph Lauren
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Norma Kamali's high-fashion sweat suits were all the rage.

What other '80s fashion trend is Kamali credited with popularizing?
fanny packs
shoulder pads
leg warmers
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Kamali started showing an exaggerated shoulder in the early '80s.

Which brand became a favorite of tennis players and people who liked to pop their collars?
Abercrombie & Fitch
Polo
Lacoste
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The tennis shirts made by Rene "the Crocodile" Lacoste's company were the only acceptable shirt for any '80s prep.

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Name the '80s movie that's associated with this fashion trend: women's power suits.
"St. Elmo's Fire"
"Baby Boom"
"Working Girl"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

No one took Melanie Griffith's character in "Working Girl" seriously until she busted out the shoulder pads and floppy ties.

Name the '80s movie that's associated with this fashion trend: thrift store chic.
"Pretty in Pink"
"Sixteen Candles"
"Heathers"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Molly Ringwald's Andie in "Pretty in Pink" cobbled together a stylish wardrobe from thrift store finds and sewed her own prom dress.

Name the '80s movie that's associated with this fashion trend: Ray-Ban Wayfarer sunglasses.
"Raiders of the Lost Ark"
"Risky Business"
"The Lost Boys"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

All because of Tom Cruise's iconic "Risky Business" scene in an oxford shirt, tighty-whities and a pair of Wayfarers.

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Name the '80s movie that's associated with this fashion trend: Ray-Ban Aviator sunglasses.
"Top Gun"
"The Terminator"
"Blade Runner"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Cruise did the same thing for aviators three years later in "Top Gun."

Name the '80s movie that's associated with this fashion trend: contrast cuff and collar shirts, suspenders and flashy jewelry.
"The Bonfire of the Vanities"
"Wall Street"
"Beverly Hills Cop"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

If you see over-the-top men's power suits, you probably still think "Wall Street."

Name the '80s movie that's associated with this fashion trend: underwear as outerwear and stacked rubber bracelets.
"Valley Girl"
"Weird Science"
"Desperately Seeking Susan"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The fashion in "Desperately Seeking Susan" was, of course, synonymous with Madonna's style.

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Name the '80s movie that's associated with this fashion trend: off-the-shoulder sweatshirts and leg warmers.
"When Harry Met Sally …"
"Flashdance"
"Fatal Attraction"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The dancer style of "Flashdance" is still influencing fashion more than 30 years later.

Name the '80s movie that's associated with this fashion trend: high-collared blouses, pearls and tweed blazers.
"St. Elmo's Fire"
"The Breakfast Club"
"Some Kind of Wonderful"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

"St. Elmo's Fire," especially Ally Sheedy and Mary Stuart Masterson's characters, defined '80s preppy fashion.

Name the '80s movie that's associated with this fashion trend: plaid kilts, blazers and scrunchies.
"Fast Times at Ridgemont High"
"Sixteen Candles"
"Heathers"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Heathers had a strict dress code that rarely deviated from blazers and skirts, and each had her own color scheme.

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Which dress brand was coveted by '80s promgoers?
Venezia
Jessica McClintock
Laura Ashley
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

A lacy, poufy Jessica McClintock creation was the height of '80s prom fashion.

Which singer popularized multicolored asymmetrical haircuts, chunky jewelry and petticoat skirts?
Madonna
Cyndi Lauper
Joan Jett
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Cyndi Lauper was the definition of wacky '80s fashion.

Which French designer's 1987 debut collection defined '80s haute couture?
Jean Paul Gaultier
Thierry Mugler
Christian Lacroix
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Christian Lacroix's over-the-top creations, notably the pouf skirts, put his fashion house on the map.

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Which '80s sitcom character inspired high school boys to start wearing jackets and ties to school?
Mr. Belvedere
Alex P. Keaton
Carlton Banks
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Ultraconservative teenager Alex P. Keaton of "Family Ties" was rarely seen without a jacket and briefcase.

Which designer's work inspired Michelle Pfeiffer's wardrobe in "Scarface"?
Halston
Oscar de la Renta
Karl Lagerfeld
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Pfeiffer's slinky gowns were unmistakably Halston-inspired.

Sales of red string bikinis probably skyrocketed after Phoebe Cates emerged from a pool wearing one in this 1982 flick.
"Fast Times at Ridgemont High"
"Porky's"
"Revenge of the Nerds"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Phoebe Cates' red bikini from "Fast Times" is without a doubt an iconic piece of '80s fashion.

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Which designer popularized bodysuits in the '80s?
Sergio Valente
Donna Karan
Ralph Lauren
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

No well-dressed '80s woman was without a couple of Donna Karan snap-crotch bodysuits.

This designer was known for her "new romantic" look in the '80s: poufy shirts, corsets and bustles.
Vivienne Westwood
Patricia Field
Carolina Herrera
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

British designer Westwood was a major influencer of '80s punk style.

Nancy Reagan was an '80s fashion icon. What was her signature color?
red
white
blue
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The First Lady was often in "Reagan Red."

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Joan Collins' character on "Dynasty" epitomized '80s fashion excess. What was the character's name?
Alexis Carrington Colby
Crystal Sloane Woodrow
Tiffany
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The name Alexis Carrington Colby is synonymous with fur, jewels, ball gowns, big hair, elaborate makeup and huge shoulder pads.

Which teen fashion line was founded by the creators of North Face?
Esprit
Guess
Ocean Pacific
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Susie and Doug Tompkins, founders of North Face, ran Esprit out of their San Francisco apartment. The rest is '80s fashion history.

This Italian brand made bold rugby shirts fashionable.
Versace
Forenza
Benetton
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Benetton rugbies were also an early example of flashy brand name placement on clothing.

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These watches weren't pricey, but they might have been the time-keeping fashion statement of the decade.
Swatch
Timex
Baby-G
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Did anyone else wear multiple Swatches on one arm (with rubber watch guards, of course)?

Which clothing store offered the Forenza and Outback Red lines in the '80s?
The Limited
Express
The Gap
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Limited provided the outfits for many teenagers in the '80s.

This company's Freestyle aerobic shoe was the first athletic shoe designed for women — and a major '80s must-have.
Nike
Reebok
Adidas
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Velcro-top Reebok Freestyles were all the rage in the early '80s.

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Anthony Barboza/Archive Photos/Getty Images