Make Yourself Up to Look Like Joan Jett

Joan Jett, the Queen of Punk and Rock n’Roll had a definitive look in the 1970s that was brought back into vogue by the film The Runaways.  This look entails having the blackest hair that you can possibly can. For many this means dying it. You then have to find a hairdresser who is going to be willing to cut your locks into a mullet-style with their being short cropped hair on top and long tendrils that reach below your shoulders.

 

Joan Jett never wore a lot of foundation but she did have very perfectly plucked arched eyebrows framing her face.  She had a natural pallor that she sometimes augmented by wearing a bit of apple-colored blush swept across her cheeks.  Jett also had a next to perfect complexion so you might want to achieve that by applying some concealer over any ruddiness you have in your skin.  Some women get the natural yet covered look by using a product like Blur or by mixing a bit of foundation with moisturizer. You can also buy the combination of moisturizer and foundation commercially; a relatively new innovation in foundation this type of makeup is called BB foundation.

 

The main focus of the Retro Joan Jett look was definitely the eyes, which were rimmed with greyish black eye shadow on the lower lids and on the entire upper lid.   A great deal of shadow was applied in the outer crease of the eyelid and edged to be a little thicker along the upper and lower lids. There were no wing- shaped type eye shadow touches to her look (that kind of look was left for Siouxsie of Siouxsie and the Banshees) but she wore a great deal of mascara. The idea at the time to look a little raccoon-like and a little pale, but not too sepulchral – like a healthy heroin addict.

 

Joan Jett never wore lipstick or liner, instead preferring to leave her lips bare.  She only very occasionally wore bright red glossy lipstick’; she wears it in the video “I Love Rock n’ Roll.”

 

To really achieve this type of look you should also try to wear a choker.  A dog –collar style with little studs is perfect Joan Jett was also famous for wearing a leather motorcycle jacket and tight leather pants with a tight, bright red shirt. Another way to describe that look is like a young punk Elvira.

 

How to Get That Retro Look From the Eighties

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That “retro eighties look” has been very hot for a couple of seasons now.  The look is a little softer but the detailing in tailoring of both men and women’s clothes is back to that pairing of very structured jackets with padded suits with shirts in bright hues and vivid patterns.  Black lace stretchy tops and fluffy white pirate shirts are also very much in evidence again as are the long mid-length riding skirts and wide leg trousers that characterized the fashion flair of the early eighties.

 

The tailored forties style suit, which later became a signature of the eighties is also back in style as are the staid suit colors such as gray, dark green and Nancy Reagan red.

 

The latest fashion trends embrace mixing and matching patterns such as floral skirts topped with striped shirts and polka-dotted blouses matched with striped pants.  This is also a very eighties look and associated with the types of looks pioneered by singers like Boy George and Madonna.

 

Punk, which was very strong in the eighties, also never died. White torn up looking t-shirts with graphics and even bondage pants and belts with heavy metallic detail on them are very much still in evidence. These t-shirts are long, made of cotton and can be worn with leggings by very thin people as a dress. Some kids are wearing this with chains or a black studded belt. Only nowadays you can wear a Chanel or Betsy Johnson belt instead of the chain mail that was hot back then.

 

Yet another hot look is satin or silk t-shirts that are worn with mannish pants. These shirts usually large or even contrasting stitching and are available in neon colors such as neon pink or bright lime green. This type of shirt is also quite cropped and lands at the waist. Skinny jeans and wearing tights with a blouse and a pair of Doc Martens or high heel stiletto boots is also quite hot right now.

If you want to look very eighties then pair a little black dress with pearls and find the pointiest shoes you can find. Top this up with hair that is set in big curls. Wear large leather and pearl jewelry.  Top it up with a sweater tied together with fat silk ribbons.

 

Many large clothing chains are carrying retro eighties looks at this time and you can also find these looks in vintage and second hand stores quite easily as well.

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