80s Men’s Shirts: Remember These Styles Guys Actually Wore?

80s men’s shirts were anything but boring. Mesh shirts, crop tops, muscle shirts, concert T shirts and loud patterned button downs were all part of 80s men’s fashion. Some of these styles have returned, while others will probably make anyone who lived through the decade laugh when they see an old picture of themselves.

Mesh shirts that were practically see through. T shirts that stopped at the stomach. Sleeves that seemed to disappear altogether. Concert shirts that were worn until they were faded and falling apart. Then there were those loud button down shirts that somehow went perfectly with white sneakers and a pair of sunglasses.

The funny thing is, we were not trying to look like we were dressed for an 80s party. That was simply how people dressed. Some of these 80s men’s shirt styles have made their way back into fashion, while others are probably better left in the old photo albums. Either way, they are a great reminder of just how different men’s fashion was during the decade.

Mesh Shirts Were Everywhere

If there is one shirt that immediately brings back the 1980s, it has to be the mesh shirt. Mesh shirts were made from fabric filled with small openings, which made them lightweight and very easy to see through. Black and white were common, although you could find them in plenty of other colors. Guys wore them in different ways. Some wore a tank top underneath. Others wore them under a jacket. And then there were the guys who decided that whatever was underneath the mesh shirt was nobody else’s business. The look became closely associated with rock music, clubs, gyms and the more adventurous side of 80s fashion. Looking at one today, you might wonder how anyone ever decided that a shirt full of holes was exactly what his wardrobe was missing. But that was part of the fun of 80s clothing. Fashion did not always have to make sense.

Did you own a mesh shirt in the 80s? And more importantly, would you admit to wearing one today?

Yes, Guys Really Did Wear Crop Tops

This one can be difficult to explain to somebody who was not around during the decade. Men wore crop tops in the 80s. Not just musicians or guys trying to get attention, either. Cropped T shirts and sweatshirts could be seen at gyms, beaches, sporting events and just about anywhere young people hung out. Some were manufactured that way, while plenty of guys simply took an ordinary T shirt and cut the bottom off themselves. The shirt might stop around the waist or considerably higher, leaving part of the stomach exposed.

The men’s crop top was also tied closely to the fitness craze of the 1980s. Gyms were becoming more popular, workout clothes were becoming everyday clothing, and showing off the results of all that lifting was certainly not discouraged. Put a cropped shirt together with a pair of very short athletic shorts, tube socks and sneakers and you had a look that could only have come from that period. Try explaining that outfit to somebody born in 2005.

So, guys, who actually wore a crop top back then? Did you buy one that way or did you take the scissors to an old T shirt yourself?

The Muscle Shirt

If cutting the bottom off your T shirt was not enough, you could always cut the sleeves off too. Muscle shirts were a big part of men’s casual clothing during the 80s, especially during the summer. Some were proper sleeveless shirts made that way from the beginning. Others looked suspiciously like somebody grabbed a perfectly good T shirt and attacked both sleeves with a pair of scissors. The larger arm openings were part of the look, and the shirts became common around gyms, beaches and backyard basketball games. They also worked especially well when you wanted everybody to know that you had recently discovered dumbbells.

Cut Off T Shirts

Cutting up your own clothes was surprisingly normal during the 80s. An old T shirt could become a sleeveless shirt in about thirty seconds. The sleeves did not have to be perfectly even either. In some cases, that probably made it better. Concert shirts were frequent victims. Once an old band shirt had been through the washing machine enough times, cutting the sleeves off could give it a second life. Today people spend good money buying shirts that have been purposely distressed to look old. Back then we had a much cheaper system. We actually wore them until they got old.

Concert T Shirts Meant Something

Band shirts certainly did not begin in the 1980s, but they became an important part of 80s rock and metal culture. There was something different about having a shirt from a concert you actually attended. It wasn’t just another shirt from a clothing store. It told a story. Maybe you bought it after seeing Iron Maiden, Van Halen, Judas Priest, Bon Jovi, Mötley Crüe or another favorite band. Maybe you saved your money specifically because you knew you wanted something from the merchandise stand. And those shirts were’nt always treated like collectibles. People wore them. They went through the washing machine. They faded. The graphics cracked. Sometimes the sleeves were cut off. Thirty or forty years later, some of those same original shirts are valuable collectibles. Back then it was just the shirt you grabbed out of the drawer.

Do you still have an original concert shirt from the 80s? If you do, tell us which band it was.

The 80s Graphic T Shirt

You didn’t have to advertise a band. Graphic T shirts could have just about anything printed across the front. Movies, television shows, beer companies, cars, motorcycles, sports teams and businesses all found their way onto T shirts. Then there were shirts with sayings on them. Some were funny. Some were questionable. Some probably would’nt make it onto a shirt today. The graphic tee was simple, inexpensive and easy to make your own. What was printed on the front could tell everybody something about you before you ever said a word.

Polo Shirts and the Preppy Look

Not every guy in the 80s was walking around in a mesh shirt with his stomach showing. The preppy look was huge during the decade too. Polo shirts became a major part of men’s casual fashion. They could be worn with jeans, khakis or shorts, and some guys even wore one polo shirt over another with both collars showing. And yes, the collar could be turned up. Actually, for a while it almost had to be. Brands such as Lacoste, Izod and Ralph Lauren became closely connected with this cleaner 80s look. It was a completely different direction from the rock and metal clothing of the same period, but both existed at the same time. That was one of the interesting things about 80s men’s fashion. Your clothes could tell people exactly which crowd you belonged to.

Hawaiian Shirts and Loud Button Downs

The 80s were’nt afraid of color. Men’s button down shirts came in patterns that would probably cause an argument in a clothing store today. Bright colors, tropical designs, geometric patterns and combinations that should not have worked somehow became completely normal. Television helped too. Shows such as Magnum, P.I. made Hawaiian shirts part of the decade’s look, while Miami Vice showed another side of men’s 80s clothing with pastel colors, loose shirts and jackets.

You could walk through a mall during the 80s and find men’s shirts in colors and patterns that are much harder to find in the average men’s department today. Nobody seemed particularly worried about being subtle.

Baseball Shirts and Raglan Tees

Another shirt that seemed to be everywhere was the baseball style T shirt. These usually had a white or light colored body with contrasting sleeves that ended around the elbow. They were not necessarily connected to an actual baseball team. They were simply comfortable shirts. You would see them on kids, teenagers and adults, and they frequently showed up with logos, bands and other graphics printed across the front. It’s one of those 80s shirt styles that never completely disappeared.

Sweatshirts Were Not Always Left Alone Either

Even the ordinary sweatshirt wasn’t safe from 80s fashion. Sleeves could be cut off. Necklines could be altered. The bottom could be shortened. The result was something that looked halfway between workout clothing and something you would wear around town. Once again, the fitness boom had a lot to do with it. Workout clothes were no longer limited to the gym. The line between exercise clothes and everyday clothes became pretty blurry during the 80s.

Men’s Fashion in the 80s Was Not Afraid to Take Chances

Looking back, what stands out about men’s shirts in the 1980s is how many completely different styles existed at once. One guy could be wearing a polo shirt with the collar turned up. Another could have on a sleeveless Iron Maiden shirt. Someone else might be wearing a Hawaiian shirt. And somewhere nearby there was probably a guy wearing a mesh shirt. Nobody needed to call any of it retro because it was simply what was hanging in the closet. Some of these styles eventually disappeared. Others never really went away. And a few have returned with a younger generation that sometimes thinks it discovered them. Those of us who remember the 80s know better. We have the pictures to prove it.

Now it is your turn.

Which of these shirts did you actually wear during the 80s? Did you own a mesh shirt? Were you brave enough to wear a crop top? Did you cut the sleeves off your favorite T shirts? And do you still have any of your original shirts packed away somewhere?

Tell us in the comments. And if there is an 80s men’s shirt we forgot, add it to the list.