Why is The Shards making ’80s fashion feel irresistible again?
Kaia Gerber’s The Shards wardrobe brings 1981 Los Angeles back through high-waisted denim, shoulder pads, pussy-bow blouses, loafers and big hair
The Shards is a serial-killer thriller set in 1981, yet its wardrobe is the real obsession. Ryan Murphy’s television series has all the hallmarks of an instant pop-culture sensation: a dark mystery, beautiful and impossibly privileged teenagers, early-1980s Los Angeles, Bret Easton Ellis, a killer on the loose, and clothes so distinctive that they function as characters in their own right.
Adapted from Ellis’s novel, The Shards takes us back to 1981, following a group of wealthy LA high-school seniors whose meticulously managed lives begin to unravel. At the centre of the series’ allure and danger is Kaia Gerber, making her acting debut as Susan Reynolds.
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What Is The Shards’ 1980s Fashion Aesthetic?
Meet the new ’80s it girl. For Gerber, the transition from supermodel to actress feels inevitable. Having spent much of her life surrounded by fashion, photography, and the visual language of pop culture, The Shards allows her to do something very different: embody a character whose clothes are essential to understanding who she is.
Susan Reynolds is polished, popular, wealthy, and seemingly in total control; her wardrobe reflects every part of that identity. The result is an early-’80s aesthetic that feels surprisingly fresh right now.
Forget the cartoonish version of the decade we usually imagine, all neon, bold prints, and fluorescent accessories. The Shards goes back to the very beginning of the ’80s, when fashion was still caught between the relaxed glamour of the late ’70s and the sharper silhouettes that soon defined the decade.
That means high-waisted denim, fitted tops, structured jackets, loafers, soft blouses, cardigans casually thrown over the shoulders, oversized sunglasses, and perfectly styled hair. The look is preppy without being boring, sexy without trying too hard, and expensive-looking without overt designer labels. It’s the wardrobe every Gen Zer covets today.
How Susan Reynolds Dresses Like an ’80s It Girl
Kaia Gerber’s Susan Reynolds could easily have been reduced to a familiar stereotype: the beautiful, wealthy, popular girl who appears to have everything. Instead, her wardrobe adds a distinctive layer of personality.
Gerber plays Susan with an effortless precision, and her clothes have the same quality. Everything looks carefully chosen, yet nothing is over-styled. Costume designers Lou Eyrich and Josh Marsh drew inspiration from fashion icons including Brooke Shields, Lauren Hutton and Gia Carangi, mixing classic American prep with the sensuality and sophistication of early ’80s fashion.
One of the most memorable references is Brooke Shields’s iconic Calvin Klein era. Susan’s long-sleeved leotard tucked into high-waisted dark denim is a simple combination that looks sexy, sophisticated, and entirely modern.
That is the real magic of The Shards: while the clothes are rooted in 1981, they never feel stuck in the past. They look like pieces that could belong in a new generation’s wardrobe, or even inspire what comes next.
Why High-Waisted Jeans Do So Much of the Work
If The Shards teaches one fashion lesson, it is that great denim does almost everything. The jeans are high-waisted, clean and structured, often paired with simple fitted tops that let the silhouette do the work.
There’s nothing complicated about the formula, which is exactly why it feels so current. Straight-leg or slightly tapered jeans, a fitted long-sleeved top, a leather belt and loafers create the Susan Reynolds effect without making the outfit feel like a costume.
The secret is a strong cut, not a pile-up of obvious retro details. The best ’80s-inspired looks don’t appear vintage; they just look good. What makes the series’ wardrobe so convincing is the idea that a polished look requires little more than the right proportions.
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Shoulder Pads and Pussy-Bow Blouses: The ’80s Details Returning Now
Yes, shoulder pads are back, and The Shards makes a strong case for keeping them around. The series uses structured blazers and jackets to create that unmistakable early-’80s silhouette: strong shoulders balanced by a defined waist.
Today’s version doesn’t require a full power suit. A blazer with subtle shoulder definition, worn with jeans, a tank top or a simple T-shirt, is enough to sharpen the most basic outfit, adding confidence and a touch of glamour.
There is also something refreshing about this silhouette: after years of relaxed tailoring, oversized basics and minimalism, defined shoulders feel like a welcome shift. Clothes can do more than blend into the background.
Another major takeaway from The Shards is the return of the romantic blouse. Pussy-bow blouses, ruffles, soft fabrics, and feminine details appear throughout the show, lending sweetness to outfits that might otherwise seem too polished or severe.
The trend feels current when the rest of the outfit is anchored in a different era. A bow-neck blouse works with straight-leg jeans and trainers, under a masculine blazer, or tucked into tailored trousers with simple loafers. The contrast creates visual interest. The aim isn’t to reproduce 1981, but to channel some of its attitude for today.
California Prep, Rewritten for 1981 Los Angeles
If The Shards has an unofficial fashion philosophy, it might be this: “Look polished, but pretend you didn’t try too hard.”
That means loafers instead of complicated shoes, cardigans casually knotted around the shoulders, simple leather belts, crisp denim, tailored trousers, and sunglasses with just the right amount of attitude.
The wardrobe captures the specific kind of California privilege associated with the early ’80s, when luxury was conveyed through quality, fit, and familiarity, not giant logos. Its references include Ralph Lauren, classic American prep, polished basics, and a touch of European glamour.
The current interpretation is straightforward: a cardigan over a white tank, straight-leg jeans, brown loafers, and gold earrings. Or a blazer over a fitted knit with denim and oversized sunglasses. It’s the kind of dressing that works for brunch, the office, a date or running errands, while retaining the air of someone heading somewhere fabulous.
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Why Big Hair Defines The Shards’ 1980s Style
It is impossible to talk about The Shards without talking about the hair. Big, sculpted, voluminous hair is one of the show’s clearest visual signals, transporting the viewer straight into the period.
The characters have none of the flat, minimalist styles that have defined recent beauty trends. Their hair has movement and height. You can bring the look into the present without veering into ’80s theme-party territory.
The key is volume, not literal retro styling: bouncy blow-dries, lifted roots, soft curls and movement. Perfection is beside the point. The best results have glamour and a little looseness. Hair with personality does half the work.
What Kaia Gerber Brings to Susan Reynolds’ Wardrobe
There is something cinematic about seeing Kaia Gerber inhabit this particular period. Her mother, Cindy Crawford, became one of the defining fashion faces of the late ’80s and early ’90s, so watching Gerber step into an earlier chapter of American fashion history creates an intriguing generational connection.
But The Shards doesn’t simply recast her as a younger version of her mother. Instead, it places her in 1981, before the decade became the exaggerated fashion fantasy we know today, and gives her character a distinctive visual identity.
Gerber has the physical instinct of someone who understands clothes, but Susan is not a model merely parading beautiful outfits. She uses fashion as part of her performance. Her wardrobe communicates confidence, social status, femininity, and control. Because Gerber’s relationship with fashion is so instinctive, her transformation feels entirely believable.
Why The Shards’ 1980s Style Looks Current Now
The reason fashion in The Shards resonates so strongly goes beyond nostalgia. Fashion is cyclical, but it rarely replays perfectly: designers, stylists and consumers take elements from the past and adapt them to the mood of the present.
The current mood leans toward stronger silhouettes, expressive styling, and clothes with a distinct point of view. After a long stretch of quiet luxury, beige minimalism, and the idea that the ultimate fashion statement was to appear as though no statement had been made at all, clothing with character is reclaiming its place.
The Shards taps into that appetite by making clothing integral to identity. Its characters do not disappear into their outfits; instead, they use fashion to define themselves. From the perfect jeans and sunglasses to the hair, every detail is intentional, giving the wardrobe its charge.
The series is a persuasive fashion reference not because it calls for a wholesale return to the 1980s, but because it evokes what made the decade so influential in the first place. The silhouettes were confident: preppy clothes could be sexy, masculine tailoring could be glamorous, denim could be luxurious, and hair could be unapologetically big.
With a personal style that often leans toward effortless neutrality, The Shards offers a sharper alternative, unafraid to make an impression. Kaia Gerber may be making her acting debut, but Susan Reynolds has already achieved something almost as dangerous: turning her wardrobe into the show’s most coveted accessory.
The current fashion mood suggests the early ’80s aren’t going anywhere soon. The Shards is dark, glamorous and unsettling, but its most lasting effect may be making 1981 Los Angeles look like a credible place to find style inspiration.
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