N° 017 · Style Files · Classic

80s luxury: big shoulders, gold cuffs

Pinterest searches for 80s luxury rose 225 percent. The style file: what to take from the decade, and what to leave.

A red tailored suit
Photo: Pexels
Our verdict

Take the shoulder and the gold. Leave the rest. A strong blazer and one piece of heavy gold jewellery are all the 1980s you need in 2026.

Of all the Pinterest Predicts trends for 2026, this one had the biggest number. Pinterest called it Glamoratti, a revival of 1980s opulence: searches for "80s luxury" rose 225 percent, for the baggy suit 90 percent and for the gold cuff 50 percent.1 The runway agrees. Coveteur saw oversized shoulder pads at Tory Burch and Saint Laurent in its autumn 2026 report.2

What the 1980s actually were

Power dressing: wide shoulders to take up space in an office, gold to show success, colour to be seen. It was an exaggerated look, and much of it aged badly. But two ideas from that decade have become classics: the strong shoulder and gold jewellery worn big.

Take: the shoulder

A blazer with a defined, slightly extended shoulder makes almost anyone stand straighter. The modern version is long and boxy rather than short and nipped in. Toteme's long boxy blazer in black is the shape, and Nanushka's double suiting blazer is the softer, cheaper route at €234. Wear it with straight jeans, a plain tee and loafers, and it is 2026, not 1986.

Take: the gold

One heavy piece: a cuff, a chain, a belt with a gold buckle. Toteme's elongated byzantine necklace in gold or its byzantine belt give the 1980s weight without the 1980s quantity. Pair gold with black or camel. Gold on grey looks cold.

One strong shoulder. One heavy piece of gold. Stop there.

Leave: everything at once

Shoulder pads with a gold chain belt, big earrings, a bright colour and high heels together is a fancy dress party. The rule for every revival applies: one decade detail, everything else from today.

The baggy suit

The 90 percent rise in searches for the baggy suit is the other half of this trend. A relaxed suit, trousers wide and jacket roomy, is the most wearable version of 1980s glamour. It also fits the softer tailoring the runways showed this season, which Mystylebox describes as relaxed suits replacing rigid ones.3 Wear it with a fine knit instead of a shirt, and flat shoes.

For men

The 1980s suit was as much a men's look as a women's. A double-breasted, relaxed jacket with a soft shoulder and a slim gold chain is the menswear version.

Our picks

The long boxy blazer, the elongated necklace and the byzantine belt from Toteme, and the Rox double suiting blazer from Nanushka for a lower price.

F4SHN.HAUS · Shop the look · 017
017

Shop the look

Toteme Long boxy blazer black01
Toteme Elongated byzantine necklace gold02
Toteme Byzantine belt gold03
Toteme Sculpted cuff bonfire04
  1. 01Outerwear · TotemeLong boxy blazer blackThe modern 80s shoulder.€893At Toteme ↗
  2. 02Accessories · TotemeElongated byzantine necklace goldOne heavy piece of gold.€820At Toteme ↗
  3. 03Accessories · TotemeByzantine belt goldGold at the waist instead of the neck.€1,093At Toteme ↗
  4. 04Accessories · TotemeSculpted cuff bonfireThe cuff, a sculpted version.€446At Toteme ↗
Whole look · from 1 shop4 pieces at Toteme
€3,252

You buy at each shop; we bring every piece together in your bag. Untick a piece to leave it out. Prices from the shops’ own pages, 1 Nov 2026, in euros. Share card with QR code ↓

Reader poll · one tap

Your 80s piece: the strong blazer, or the gold?

Tap the answer you agree with. Every Sunday we count the votes in Wear or Skip.

Sources

  1. Chloe Burney, «Pinterest reveals the fashion trends set to define 2026» (Pinterest Predicts 2026), TheIndustry.fashion, 9 December 2025. Source
  2. Ella O'Keeffe, «Fall 2026 Fashion Trends», Coveteur, 12 August 2026. Source
  3. «Fall/Winter 2026-2027 Fashion Trends Report», Mystylebox, 2026. Source

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