Did you grow up in 70s/80s?

[WomanBornNotWorn]

I was born in 63 so have no memory of the Beatles / hippies etc. But at around ten years old I started to become aware of and adored glam rock, Marc Bolan, Freddie Mercury, the guys from Sweet - long hair, Spandex, tons of makeup, platform heels and all. That morphed into disco - flares, more makeup, more platforms - and punk - leather, short hair, even more makeup - and New Romantics - lace, frilly shirts, still more makeup ... it all went on like fireworks over only about ten years or so.

I feel sorry for kids & teens now, there just doesn't seem to be the flamboyance and fun and freedom to dress up, without a heavy drag and gender identity boxing-up and labelling.

Maybe I'm misreading and it was there all along. But it does seem that there is less freedom, more narrow definitions now.

Anyone here young enough or have kids and able to say if there's anything similar happening, now that isn't all about gender?

Harry Styles seems to be more or less single handedly flying the flag for gender nonconformity without wanky bollocks about being 19% female or whatever in terms of British pop. Is that Stevie Nicks he's singing with in one of those photos? If so good job, kid.

I was born in 73 so had a front row seat for glam and glitter rock via my mum, then more glam rock and the new romantics in the 80s, plus punk and goth and...basically nobody thought a man wearing makeup meant anything other than that he liked makeup, really.

I've always found men in beards much weirder to be honest.

I was so confused when a generation of young men started walking around looking like extras from Oh Brother Where Art Thou. Do young women find that sexy? Cause I'm just thinking nope, and also scratchy.

My parents were young and in love in the 60s...but, in Boring Suburbia, not Woodstock. So, inevitably, when I was a teen in the 80s, Gender Bending was totally fine.

I grew up with androgynous women and flamboyant men with make up on...and so my kids are rebelling with a throwback to the fucking medieval times.

And so it goes on.

Born mid-70s
I actually did think Boy George was a girl for ages
I also fancied him so I was very confused by this point!

Yes Kittens it is Stevie Nick's

www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-7792843/Harry-Styles-looks-like-70s-dream-invites-Stevie-Nicks-stage-uring-sold-LA-concert.html

The comments section of The Daily Mail for that article mostly hate Harry's outfit

I'm early 40's so mostly passed by One Direction, but I'll give Harry's new album a listen, my brain's still stuck in a 90's britpop utopia though

**Argghh --- Nicks not Nick's

The only thing I have against the outfit is that the trousers are too big for him, looks like they might fall down at any moment. Also I didn't realize he was so tall - I know Stevie is tiny, but still.

Born 1967.

I've been despairing of the level of conformity I see for many years now. I've short hair and last night my dd was asking did I remember when I got it cut this short. She's 11 and says "I don't ever see girls my age with short hair". She's unusual in having hair above her shoulders. In her own words it is "all" "long and straight".

We saw Harry Styles sing recently (Graham Norton maybe?) and my children noticed the pearls and nail varnish and we talked about his "look" (the rest was very 70s to me). I was hoping to god he wasn't going down the road of gender ID wankery. Delighted if not. But I find myself loathe to use him as an example of how a man can wear things traditionally thought of as "women's clothing/make-up" and just be a man in case he does an Eddie Izzard on it and becomes a total gobshite.

#KeepHarrySane?

Harry Styles has made a number of remarks over the years that show he is a feminist ally. I think he’ll do just fine.

70s kid. Had a thing for Adam, Prince Charming had me bolted to the floor thinking whaaaaaaaaat, I like him. Mind you I did the same to WonderWoman. It made sense later .

The comment about how do you rebel when you have grown up with adults actively encouraging you to not conform to gender bullshit has got me thinking though. It must have an impact.

I think there's a lot of rose tinted spectacles being used here. I grew up in the 70s and 80s - yes we like the new romantics etc but none of the boys at school dressed like them, wore make up. That seemed to still be quite niche, not what regular people did and certainly none of the adults around me dressed like it or even approved of it. It was very much teen culture and rebellion not a mainstream widespread coming together of the sexes.

Of course youngsters of today are more conformist. I've heard teachers and university lecturers alike comment on how students today turn up for lectures, expect to actually learn at university, that they are more serious about their studies and see the importance of career planning etc.

We were certainly not worried about careers, house buying or pensions when we were 18 and yet my children and their friends know all about these issues and talk about them. Had panicked phone calls from my kids s few weeks ago about how to take advantage of the help to buy ISAs before they ended - that's not something I would have done at their age. We live in different times now. Children are a product of the world we've created for them.

I was so confused when a generation of young men started walking around looking like extras from Oh Brother Where Art Thou. Do young women find that sexy? Cause I'm just thinking nope, and also scratchy.

I really like a beard, so long as it's not dirty or patchy etc. I'm not unhappy that it's had a resurgence though the hipster thing doesn't appeal to me at all. But there are lots of regular men now who seem to have them, at least where I live.

Unfortunately my husband is totally incapable of growing one.

Of course youngsters of today are more conformist. I've heard teachers and university lecturers alike comment on how students today turn up for lectures, expect to actually learn at university, that they are more serious about their studies and see the importance of career planning etc.

I'm not against more real responsibility for young people, but a lot of this has a dark side. They don't just turn up and expect to learn, they put tremendous pressure on themselves and suffer from anxiety and other mental health issues, and seem unable to cope with everyday life, or academic struggles.

I'm not sure if that really relates to not pushing boundaries in fashion etc. Other than, they don't seem to be very secure in themselves in general and need constant validation, and maybe a lot of this comes down to the idea they require some sort of validation for their identity.

Lots of the boys I went to school with in the 80s wore make up and had long hair. Not so much the new romantic style as I didn't hit high school until 86 when it had passed as a fashion, but glam rock and goth style.

Obviously not at school, that wouldn't have been allowed, just as us girls weren't allowed to wear trousers at school, but on their own time absolutely.

This was in bog standard non-denominational comprehensive in a rough working class town, and it was much, much rougher back then.

I'm not against more real responsibility for young people, but a lot of this has a dark side. They don't just turn up and expect to learn, they put tremendous pressure on themselves and suffer from anxiety and other mental health issues, and seem unable to cope with everyday life, or academic struggles.

Of course it has a dark side because it stems from teens basically being told that they have to be responsible and grown up from really 13 or 14. The pressure is applied at school from around year 9 and then doesn't let up. Schools are judged by GCSE attainment and so they apply pressure on students to perform but then there's the pressure to achieve at GCSE and then a level and then degree. Falter at any point and the effects can be felt on future possibilities. We certainly did not have that sort of pressure. We could resit o or a levels, or not take them but still get decent jobs that offered a career path.

Where do kids get to rebel now? Social media ensures any faux Pas as a teen follow you forever.

Of course, a lot of this is down to fashion too and like all things that will change. We might even get a new romantics resurgence although I do hope not. The 70s and 80s were the decades that style forgot imo

Lots of the boys I went to school with in the 80s wore make up and had long hair

Very different to my school. It was more yuppie chic (if there's such a thing). Some boys wore the tonic drain pipe trousers but many were channelling Miami Vice.

Yes lots of boys in my sixth form wore eyeliner and had long hair.

"There is no creativity in today's music and it's such a shame."

OMD do people really think this? I grew up in the 80s and I think a lot of music now is very 80s inspired.

I'm also going to dispute the comment about Taylor Swift, who has recently written her own songs alone.

yes, computers are used in music, is that so terrible?

Matty Healy wears a skirt sometimes. I think the gender stuff pisses him off too sometimes, but in this day and age you never know if someone is going to suddenly announce they are non binary I guess.

I am going to bed but will leave a couple of current favourites here

this song is my favourite song about drugs, and goodness knows there's lots of them! (lyrics a tad wrong at the end)

and this is..well, The Man

My high school boyfriends all wore eyeliner. Maybe I just ran with a more interesting crowd.

I worry that Matty Healy will do a Sam Smith one day, but I have a sneaking suspicion MH is quite bright, and sees through a lot of b/s. Yungblud too, wears dresses sometimes, make-up. Doesn't seem to subscribe to rigid gender roles/presentations.

There's oodles of creativity in today's music, once you get off the charts, btw. no different to any other era.

I think MH sees it and knows he has to be careful not to be cancelled, hence quietly wearing a skirt.

I can’t sleep

So I just thought I’d pop another great tune in that feels very 80s

PS I have no idea what’s in the charts but generally this is a great time for music!

I think the rose tinted , milk bottle spectacles are firmly in place.

I was born in 1959. At university in 1977-1981 most students were a sea of conformity and uniformity (badly fitting denim and desert boots) There were a few who very deliberately went against the grain and they stood out. However the idea that it was the norm in the 70s and 80s for men to flamboyantly wear make up and feminine clothes just because some on the music scene did doesn't bear any resemblance to my reality.

There is no creativity in today's music and it's such a shame

That's nonsense. If you (general you) limit yourself to what's the most popular on Spotify or YouTube I suppose it is possible to come out with such a close- minded statement. Try broadening your minds. There is plenty of interesting, inventive new music. It's not difficult to find. Magazines like Q, Uncut or Mojo give away free CDs with every issue. I usually get 1 of them each month and it's a rare month there's not something new I like.

And what's all the disdain for beards on men and long hair on young women? Isn't the FWR mantra every one should wear what they want/ look however they want (unless FWR disapproves).

People are allowed to have preferences, regardless of how much that may offend some when it's women doing it. I think men look better without facial hair.

(Well, except Diego Luna, he looks better with some scruff. And long hair.)