Push-up bras, lace gloves, mesh shirts, micro
stretch skirts, and hair bows. <br><br>Not only did
Madonna dress you up in her love, she single-handedly
created the most memorable 80’s look with her
virgin/harlot combination of lace and lingerie. A
self-proclaimed ‘Boy Toy,’ she brought her streetwise style to
the viewers of MTV and seduced a nation with her
underwear as outerwear. <br><br>In her debut single, “Lucky
Star,” the energetic yet undeniably sexy Madonna
revealed more than her singing talents. Her mesh shirt,
cropped dangerously high, spotlighted a daring midriff
and revealed glimpses of a black lace bra. Mothers
around the world collectively gasped as their daughters
rushed to buy fingerless lace gloves, stacked their arms
with black rubber bracelets, and dyed their hair
blonde in imitation of her disheveled sex kitten tresses
tamed with a lace bow. Even her mole was copied with a
quick dot of eyeliner above the lip. <br><br>Madonna’s
background as a dancer helped to showcase her outrageous
style as she rolled and crawled her way in front of the
cameras. Her look transformed with the speed of video
rotation, bringing us into a more casual style on
“Borderline,” then shocking us again in her steamy ode “Like a
Virgin.” She exposed the blatant sex appeal of lingerie,
corsets and lace bustiers when boldly worn as outerwear.
Her addition of religious icon accessories turned
innocence sexy and inflamed many in the Catholic
community—no one could get talked about like Madonna could.
Who else could pair lacy ankle socks with short
stiletto-heeled boots, or wear dangling chandelier earrings that
swung down to touch the shoulders? <br><br>Desperately
Seeking Susan brought Madonna’s cult-like image to the
big screen. A story about a woman who leaves her dull
life behind when she impersonates a wild woman (played
by Madonna), the movie fueled the fervor of
Madonnamania. The infamous tuxedo jacket with pyramid design
was copied and mass-produced under the Desperately
Seeking Susan label by Identity, Inc. It was available
through mail order or from ads on MTV, and guaranteed
clone status. <br><br>Madonna’s religious fervor
coupled with her scantily-clad body caused more than an
uproar with parents, but the look spread like wildfire.
Soon, every young girl who could stroll the mall was
doing so in lacy socks and high-heel pumps. Her fans
were called ‘wannabees’ because not only did they
dress like Madonna, they desperately wanted to be her.
<br><br>Madonna’s chameleon-like quality continued to shock and
inspire fashion trends throughout the 80’s, 90’s, and
even today, but her debut look remains one of the most
memorable styles of the 80’s.