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- In rhyme with disco: how the style of the 1980s became the main fashion meme of summer 2026
In rhyme with disco: how the style of the 1980s became the main fashion meme of summer 2026
There are dozens of short videos on social media this season with provocative images from the past, referring to the aesthetics of bodybuilding. Ultrashort shorts, crop tops and headbands are not only a challenge to the usual men's and women's fashion. These retrocodes work as a new way — albeit sometimes taken to the point of absurdity — to find the present in the age of AI and promote a healthy athletic lifestyle. Izvestia visited a run in the spirit of the 1980s and tells how the capital's youth spend their weekends today.
"The 1980s are my youth"
Moscow. It's not 10 a.m. yet, Saturday. While the city is slowly waking up, in Gorky Park a group of about 20 guys is actively warming up to the Coco Jamboo of the German eurodance band Mr. President and Baby Baby of the Italian band Corona. They enthusiastically pat the body to warm up, knead the joints, do bends, rotate the body and pull the calf muscles.
"I'm a children's coach," jokes Viktor Musikhin, nicknamed The Rock, who volunteered to exercise today. — They sat on my leg. Kids, don't talk! They rolled over.
In fact, there are no children here, but he is a professional — he is engaged in rock climbing and ninja sports. He approached the topic of the event with the same sporting passion as during the competition. The company, many of whom are not familiar and met for the first time, decided to arrange a morning run in the disco style in the wake of the main fashion trend of this season, which is booming on social networks, in the style of the 1980s.
— I was preparing for a matinee, went to bed at two-thirty in the morning. I didn't have the right outfit, so I took a pair of scissors and made it. I'm wearing jeans—now they're short shorts, like they were in the 1980s. I customized a denim jacket, found a bandana, and took glasses," he shows the Izvestia correspondent the fruits of his nightly fashion searches.
It all started with viral videos on social media, where users called for the return of the 1980s style, referring to the aesthetics of bodybuilding and Venice Beach fashion. Mostly men of athletic build. At first, they limited themselves to showing bold images in social networks by today's standards with ultrashort shorts and T-shirts. And after that, the idea was picked up by avid athletes and began to conduct themed fashion training sessions. Such events have already been held in Krasnoyarsk, Yekaterinburg, and now in Moscow.
"People are tired of AI and want something real,— explains Andrey Zaitsev, founder of the Sense of Pace project, one of the participants in today's race.
A DJ runs along with the guys. The remote control is located in the bike cart. The playlist contains the main hits of the era.
"I bought a T—shirt in a store and cut off the bottom," says Alexander Chupukov, a regular participant in the runs, who also worked on the image the day before.
The participants of the running club decided to pick up the Internet trend in order to attract others.
— There was an idea that more people would be interested in sports, and they would get fit. Even those who spent their evenings relaxing in bars started going for runs in the morning. People began to strive for a healthy lifestyle," Denis Alfutov shares his observation.
Among the debutants is Miroslav Valla. He is originally from Slovakia, but lives in Moscow. Works in catering. Before that, life didn't force you to run.
— I do boxing, I go to the gym, but I don't run — for the first time in my life I run 10 km. I found out about the guys on social media. I liked the concept. I took things from friends. My friend has the shorts and T—shirt," he laughs.
There are no fewer girls here than boys. Ksenia Lapina, a student from Moscow, is also new to the business.
— I don't run. I came for Vibe. I was at another 1980s-style workout last weekend, and I really enjoyed it. Today I'm wearing pink shorts, a neon tank top, and a turquoise swimsuit over it—everything I found at home. Mom helped," the girl admits.
Mom came too, not for a run, but to support and give in to nostalgia.
"The jewelry is mine. I offered to do neon makeup too. The 1980s are my youth. It was a massive phenomenon. Tracksuit, heels, curly hairstyle "I fell off a dump truck" and very bright makeup — that was my youth. At that time, the Olympic Games-80 were held in Moscow. I just graduated from high school. This fashion came from the West, Coca-Cola appeared, there was a spirit of freedom," says Svetlana Roshchina, looking around the company.
"The fashion of the 1980s is not only outspoken, but also very comical"
This trend really came from the West in the wake of the huge popularity of aerobics, explains fashion expert, TV and radio presenter Vladislav Lisovets.
— The television broadcast in Western countries, especially the USA, was filled with training programs. Moreover, they practiced in athletic, but at the same time spectacular, television form: short shorts, an open, healthy, beautiful body," he told Izvestia. — At the same time, recreational culture in Miami and Los Angeles and roller skating were gaining popularity. All this easy, relaxed freedom of the early 1980s, after the heyday of disco, flooded into the TV, and people instantly saw new trends. This has become the number one task — to take care of yourself, go to the gym and get naked to demonstrate an athletic body.
The trend, he says, has been around the world for a long time. In many ways, he was also dictated by the music of those years — not depressive, but dancing and light.
— The main codes of this style are a lot of open body and slight carelessness. These are super-short denim shorts, hand-cropped, T-shirts with the bottom cut off and as if with the sleeves torn off. Plus, lush hairstyles and perming are probably one of the main trends of that time. Almost everyone did chemistry, and the Aurora haircut became a classic of aerobics and this style," the expert noted.
Today, the renaissance of vibrant aesthetics of the 1980s is becoming a response, on the one hand, to the gloomy trends of recent years, on the other — to a tense agenda.
— After a long period of grunge, oversizing, black, gray and generally dark aesthetics, people miss bright colors. Plus, it's a difficult time all over the world, and many people psychologically need a holiday. And the fashion of the 1980s is not only outspoken, but also very comical. She is unisex: short denim shorts were worn by both men and women, as well as flimsy T-shirts and alcoholic T-shirts. Headbands are also a reference to aerobics. Bandages were also a practical thing: during training, they kept hair and sweat out, which was important for television broadcasts," Lisovets said.
A literal reading of the aesthetics of the 1980s is a temporary and humorous story. But globally, mini is really in fashion today.
— In the last 20-25 years, short shorts and swimming trunks seemed to be something shameful and caused a very violent reaction. But knee-length military shorts with patch pockets should have been replaced by something else. That's how fashion works. Short shorts are now available in all shows, they have been on trend for three seasons now. The alcoholic T-shirt has also become an absolute trend: it is worn under a jacket, with shorts, and with classic trousers," said Vladislav Lisovets.
This style, says the fashion expert, has become a continuation of another positive trend — towards proper nutrition and a sporty lifestyle.
Today, the company ran 10 km. The next time they will meet is at the 2030 Marathon, which will be held in Luzhniki on August 8-9. Two DJ bikes and 10 and 21 km distances are planned.
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