There’s a certain etiquette one must use utilize when dressing for 80s parties. A party-goer must dress formally enough for the amplitude and atmosphere of the party.

No matter what the reason to dress up may be, there is a casual, semi-formal, and formal level to the attire you wear. While it may not be comparable to its alternative situations in business or professional affairs, which require you to dress accordingly, there is a matching amount of dedication to the outfit required for any costumed event.

Casual: Wear a boa or do your hair like an 80’s hair band. One piece of clothing or an accessory is really all you need. This option is for low-key birthday parties, work parties, and any kind of a reunion.

Semi-Formal: Hair is required along with some decent attire. Try an early Metallica look or a simple Letterman’s jacket. Bonus points for a Redwings jersey like Cameron Frye in the 80’s classic Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, but anything more than that is a little excessive. A good unplanned themed party at a house with a dance floor usually requires dress to this extent.

Formal: Go all out with your clothes and hair. Bust out the spandex tights, crazy rocker shirts, side pony-tails, fluorescent colored clothes, stiletto pumps, aviator glasses, and ridiculous hair band top hats. This dress code is reserved for only the highest class of parties. A guest list only party or party supporting any good cause requires a no holds-barred attitude towards your costume. It takes quite an effort to set these up, so they only come around once in a blue moon.

Everybody loves 80’s parties; don’t be the one everybody snickers at because you didn’t come dressed accordingly.
 

(Yes that's me on the left in the picture. I call it dedication to the cause)