Cyndi vs. Madonna

During the early '80s, an epic battle raged on the pop scene. Were you a Madonna fan or a Cyndi Lauper fan?

Photo of Madonna found on Pinterest

Photo of Cyndi Lauper found on Pinterest

I liked both Cyndi and Madonna, although my parents preferred Cyndi despite her outlandish hair and garish makeup. My parents disliked Madonna's overt sexuality, especially since I was in middle school at the time both Madonna and Cyndi busted onto the pop music charts.

Either way, I coveted the stacked black jelly bracelets Madonna wore as well as her lace gloves. I wanted to cut my hair like Cyndi's but that wasn't allowed, although I may have sported a tamer asymmetrical style, although my memory is vague. My middle school friend Kelly did--that much I remember.

My parents (as a lot of parents do) believed that clothes are utilitarian, not fashion statements or expressions of personal style, an extension of who you are as a person. (Stacy and Clinton would be horrified.) 

We had well-constructed clothes--heck, some of them my mom made me, which closely resembled Little House on the Prairie styles of long skirts and ruffled blouses. Modesty was important, which was the complete opposite of the '80s fashion scene, which cast women as either street walkers, aerobics instructors, including slouch socks or legwarmers or poofy, lacy ruffled Barbie doll skirts in neon pink, yellow or orange. 

Don't forget scrunchies, Swatch watches and Reebok Freestyles (which were high top sneakers in fashion colors). I had plenty of scrunchies, but my parents refused to buy Reeboks and the Swatch watches--all too trendy and too expensive according to my parents. 

I learned to sew my own clothes, hoping to wrest some control of how I dressed. I wanted trendier pieces. I wasn't a very good seamstress a la Molly Ringwald's character Andie Walsh in Pretty In Pink. Typically the piece of clothing that I envisioned in my head didn't resemble the piece of clothing that I actually made. I just wanted to not look like I walked off the set of Little House on the Prairie. 

photo found on Pinterest

We all know the 80s were times of excess everything. The guys wore just as much makeup as the ladies and it was totally acceptable. Equally so, the guys teased their hair just as high as the ladies, too. 

It was ridiculous, really.

The trendy places to shop were the United Colors of Benetton and The Limited. Some of the more popular girls in my very cliquish high school bragged about shopping at either store. My parents refused, stating that they couldn't afford it. 

We shopped at Leggett's instead (which was the '80s version of what JCPenny is nowadays.) In retrospect, I think The Limited may have been a little more expensive than Leggett's but not by much. I think that the The Limited was way more trendier than Leggett's and my parents were not trendy people. (Are anyone's parents?) 

I guess I was in my late teens when I saved up enough money to buy my first The Limited purchase: a white blouse with tiny blue flowers printed on it. It was really soft cotton. I adored that blouse. I was secretly pleased me that I was wearing the The Limited label across the back of my neck.

Based on my experience as a teenager, I'm gonna let my kids experiment with clothes and hairstyles as they get older. (Good gracious, Big E already refuses to wear stripes!) If the boys want to get a mohawk and dye their hair green, then so be it (although their dad might throw a fit). The boys will have to understand that others might stare and point fingers. Maybe even laugh or taunt them. But they will have to endure it, even if they don't like it or understand why others are judging him. 

Because your style is you (as Stacy and Clinton have taught me.) 

Bonus: Can you identify all the bands in the '80s hair band poster pictured above? Leave a comment below if you can.