Fine Jewelry Design

Are You Ready For the Return of 80s Jewelry?

Balmain and H&M revive shoulder pads, sequins and jewelry to match.

Published

9 years ago

November 6, 2015

Tanya Dukes

IF YOU SPENT any time online or in front of a television yesterday, the news of the latest fast fashion collaboration was unavoidable. Stampedes of ornery crowds lined up in capitals from London to Kuala Lumpur and San Francisco in hopes of getting their hands on H&M’s rendition of haute fashion house Balmain’s glitzy fashion. The two brands joined forces to bring slinky body-con style to the masses at a fraction of the French label’s usual prices—its jeans start at prices north of $1,000 and a velvet mini dress in the current holiday collection tops $6,000. Instead, the multitudes that spent hours in line could take home a bit of Kardashian-approved style starting for under $100.

A lot of those purchases have already ended up on Ebay, but it’s safe to assume that plenty more will be worn by enthusiastic buyers between now and office holiday party season. But anyone who lived through the 80s—and still has a few sartorial regrets from the era—might be surprised that the Balmain X H&M clothing looks very reminiscent of clothing we saw more than three decades ago, shoulder pads and copious sequins included. And the styling in the capsule collection’s lookbook had jewelry to match: shoulder sweeping earrings, golden chokers and cuffs and chunky, geometric cocktail rings.

The kids of the nineties are adults with no real recollection of over the top 80s style, and they’re ready to try it on for size. By all means, if you still have some old school gold jewelry hiding in your safe, you might consider dusting it off and showing it to your twentysomething customers. They’ll think it’s rad.

Are You Ready For the Return of 80s Jewelry?

Looking for a Seamless Sale? Call Wilkerson

After almost 60 years in business, Breakiron Jewelers in Erie, Pennsylvania, was closing its doors. And the store’s owner, Linda Breakiron, was ready for it. She had run the store as its sole owner since the beginning of the millennium and was looking forward to a change. Of course, she called Wilkerson. Breakiron talked to other jewelers who had used Wilkerson and was satisfied with their response. “They always had positive feedback,” she recalls. With the sales, marketing and even additional inventory that Wilkerson provided, Breakiron insists she could never have accomplished her going-out-of-business sale without Wilkerson’s help. She’s now ready for the journey ahead, but looking back, she’d be sure to recommend Wilkerson. “They just made the whole process very seamless.”