Inside: Throwing the best 1980s party theme. The decor, details, the costumes & of course the candy! Everything it takes to host the party centered around the hottest decade.
If you’re anything like me, you know that the 80’s were the best decade we’ve seen. It was just too fun! The music was the best, the clothes were great, and now it’s a totally rocking party theme in 2023.
I love throwing a 1980’s party because it’s just so extra! there are a ton of ways to make this theme something totally over the top. Of course, I think that you should too.
Everyone loves a good throwback, and it’s so fun to get dressed up in a costume like the steller styles of this decade.
As you’re planning your party, it can get overwhelming with all of the different options and ideas that are out there for this fun theme. Allow me to help you narrow it down and show you what we did at our recent 1980’s dinner party to give you some inspiration for your own!
This Fresh Prince of Bel Air party theme goes right along with the 80’s and will give you even more inspiration for your planning. Also check out these other fun party themes:
- Buchona party theme
- 1960’s party theme
- Masquerade party theme
- Arabian nights theme party
- 2000’s theme party
- Great gatsby themed party
80’s Themed Costume Ideas
The style of the 80’s is filled with vibrant patterned fun. All of the colors and the bright and funky patterns. Not to mention some iconic styles of shoulder pads & high heels we all had going on.
Some of these trends have even come back around to be in style now by the way. The 80’s are back!
If you need some outfit inspiration, here’s a breakdown of some pieces that really take your outfit from “80’s Inspired” to a total throwback costume. When dressing towards any aesthetic in general, it’s all about the details anyway, so let’s check out the details that make up these amazing outfit ideas for your party.
Fingerless Gloves
One of the coolest pieces to come out of this decade was the colorful and cool fingerless gloves. This is one of the best accessories to throw on with the rest of your outfit to really take the look to the next level. These are not only super fun, but they also add some color and spunk to the perfect 80’s outfit.
Snag a pair of gloves like these ones and you’re golden.
Metallics
A pair of metallic leggings will never be a bad option when it comes to choosing the perfect outfit for your party. So bold and fun, and you can pair them with just about anything… As you can see here!
Loud Skirts
Power pieces like these big and fun tulle skirts like my massive pink one are the way to go with a cool and loud 1980s party theme outfit. Tulle and color will always steer you in the right direction, and besides, you can’t go wrong with a puffy skirt in any era.
Bold Patterns
Bold patterns are some of the most fun markers of 80’s fashion, and they are honestly pretty identifying. When you see a load of patterns that are bold and bright, you can usually place them as a trend from this particular era.
There’s a particular style of funky patterns that are a blend of the groovy patterns from the 70’s and the street influence in the 90’s. Right in the middle you have the cool 80’s patterns that we had some fun with at this party. Find these clothes at your local thrift store and mix it up with some bought pieces for party fun.
Strong Blazers
The power suit is one of the most major staples of this decade, and the fashion followed it heavily. Whether you wear both the trousers and blazers together or each piece separately, there’s power in those suit pieces.
The strong shoulder blazer is a major statement piece, and it’s totally coming back around, if you hadn’t noticed! So you may be able to find these pieces brand new rather than digging through the clothes you held onto. A bold shoulder blazer is going to make your outfit pop, especially if you grab it in a loud color, or you can throw a neutral one over some other bold colors instead, and you’ll find all of the 80’s vibes.
Belts, Scrunchies, And Bows
It’s all about the accessories here in this throwback outfit. The basics from the time like the big bows, the big scrunchies, and the colored belts over your dresses and tees are what make the outfit.
It’s always about the details!
The Party Decor Details For A 1980’s Theme
Of course we all love the great costumes. They really make it fun when everyone shows up in dress code, but what else makes the party…
The decorations and the details of course!
From the table settings to the wall hangings, here’s a breakdown of what we grabbed to throw our home back into the 80’s for this themed party.
Metallic & Fun Wall Decor
Our wall decorations were truly strong throwbacks, and made it a little bit nostalgic.
First off, you need a big banner that really screams the theme that all the other small details are adding to overall. We had two main wall pieces, one was a classic “I <3 80’s” that we used on the main wall.
We also used a cassette inspired garland along the wall. Rewind is one of the best ways to phrase throwing it back to the 80’s, the music was so incredible in that time.
Behind the letters, we hung bold colored shapes in foil material, which we picked up at the local dollar store. Like we already talked about with metallic clothing, the bright and shiny and colorful is a really notable symbol for the decorations from this time. Adding some metallic balloons in different shapes and you’ve got yourself a themed 80’s party room!
1980s Party Table Table Settings
Oh, the table was my favorite part of this entire party!
On the table we continued all of the colors and funky pieces– yellow table cloth, pink and blue plates, with more colorful confetti. We found some 80’s themed confetti with boom boxes here. These are really tying the table pieces together. Throw in some retro candy (you probably have a local retro candy store that carries this) and your table is stacked and ready for the most rockin’ 1980’s themed party you’ve seen!
Since this was a dinner party I added a couple extra elements to our table and of course we played some fun dinner party games for adults while we sat:
- Place cards for the table which I used these cute ones from HWTM website
- Mini trolls to sit at each dinner setting, because they made me smile so big.
- My favorite pink plates that I made even more festive with these colorful salad plates.
- And a Bright yellow table runner (psst… it’s my wrapping paper table trick) to center the whole thing.
- Lastly, I took a few simple white taper candles, and paint and created these easy DIY splatter painted candles to add to the table.
Don’t forget the fun inflatables like this old phone and the retro stereos you can find just about anywhere! We set them around and everyone used them as photo props all night long.
One of my favorite things about throwing parties is that you can totally be super wild and out there with it all or you can play it really chill with a few themed elements but just have a laid back and fun time.
Whatever you do with your party, it’s going to be a great one as long as it’s 1980s themed. There’s always something fun and unique that you can add to a party that makes it a little more fun and really makes your party stand out as some of the best on the block.
Whether you prefer the decoration ideas or the costume ideas, there are some great ideas for you here to come up with the best details to host the best 80’s party for your friends. Birthday party or otherwise, this is going to be a really great time! And don’t forget to share your photos with me if you host one of your own.
