How to Wear the Bizarrely Fascinating Shell Suit Men’s Outfit
October 31, 2020Gone are the days when men shunned fashion. Be stylish, walk the street, and be a head turner. Check out how to sport vintage shell suit mens outfits.
 90s Turquoise Shell Suit |
 Dark Blue Print Shell Suit |
 Newspaper Print Shell Suit |
 Navy Blue Shell Suit |
The 80’s brought in some fascinating and bizarre fashion pieces – one of which was the 80’s shell suit. Characterized by its eclectic designs and flashy colors, eighties men embraced the decade’s sweeping trends and proudly flaunted their own style. But as the decade gave way to emerging, minimalist trends of the 90’s, the bombastic shell suit mens fashion has been eased out.
But just like any other fashion era, the 80’s style pop up every now and then. Perhaps, that’s just how fashion goes – mashing up of decadent era and reinventing them.
Recently, we’ve seen shell suits making a surprising comeback, alongside other retro trends like windbreakers, dad jeans, and chunky sneakers. We’ve seen them hit the catwalk and much better than ever. Indeed, the 80’s is back!
 90s Black Colour Block Shell Suit Bottoms |
 90s Navy Blue Shell Suit Bottoms |
Shell Suit Men’s Wear: Its Oddly Surprising Past
If there’s one personality that most known for wearing 80s shell suit for men, that would be the late Sir Jimmy Savile – one of the era’s most popular DJ and television personalities. At that time, the fancy trend had swept the world of fashion. Style icons of the era have worn such suit. Despite its notoriety as the worst fashion item in the last 50 years, the shell suit still is an era-defining trend.
Shell suit derives itself from the track suit. But unlike its predecessor, shell suit mens fashion characterizes itself by its colourful and lively design, polyester material, and loose cut.
But while the 80’s shell suit has soared in popularity, its spot in the limelight waned off as quickly as it came. By around the nineties, TV shows had relegated it as among the fashion pieces worn by comedic actors. In the latter part of the 90’s, Sacha Baron Cohen famously worn shell suits for his satirical TV show Ali G. By this time, we’re certain of the fate of shell suit Mens – a fashion faux pas.
Its close association with comedy has made shell suit fancy dress events popular. In fact, a lot of women considered it as among the worst fashion trends of the 80’s, just next to Spandex mini skirt and dungarees. Perhaps, it’s for this reason that many men have been wearing it as a fancy dress costume. But this has since changed in the modern era.
 Vintage White Adidas Zip Up Jacket |
 Vintage New Phase Windbreaker Jacket |
3 Ways To Wear the Classic 80’s Shell Suits
Shell suit mens have gone a long way from its lively past in the 80s. The psychedelic trends and fancy piece, shell suits today are seeing a resurgence and in a positive light.
Recently, we’ve witnessed the tracker-suit-descendant walk down the catwalk and graced fashion events. Various fashion houses are coming up with their own iterations of the worst dress of the eighties. In 2019, Gucci released an oversized waterproof nylon and tracksuit bottom ensemble for a thousand-bucks. We’ve also seen some of today’s male style icons, celebrities, athletes, and even ordinary folks casually wearing comfortable shell suits. All of these point to the comeback of its glory days.
If you want to be in style, here are some great ways to pull off the shell suit mens outfit in different ways.
 90s Green Adidas Golfing Trackie Bottoms |
 90s Navy Blue Shell Suit Bottoms |
As active wear
As an offspring of tracksuits, shell suit mens can be very well worn as an outfit for your active lifestyle. But this doesn’t mean that you can simply go by any shell suit you find in the wardrobe. If you’re wearing it for your weekend gym, go for something that fits you comfortably and not one that is too loose. You might end up hurting yourself or damaging your suit. When you’re wearing shell suit for your workout, comfort and safety are your two top priorities.
Unlike tracksuits that are available in almost every major sports brand like Nike, Under Armour, and Converse, you might need to do some searching when looking for an 80’s shell suit that can be used for a workout. While shell suit mens are expected to be flashy, athletic pieces might need to be a bit toned down. Stick with neutral or dark colours. Mix and match the colours of the shell suits, combining colourful top with neutral bottoms or vice versa. Once you’ve found the right fit, style, and design, you’ll definitely look stylish while at the gym.
 Blue Adidas Shell Jacket |
 Puma Multicolored Shell Suit Jacket |
As casual wear
Shell suits can very well be a leisure-wear due to its ultra-comfortable design and material. Light and breathable, 80’s shell suits are perfect for your everyday activities. You can go extra bold with colourful and flashy designs or stay low profile with a laidback ensemble.
Instead of slim fit, oversized shell suits are great for your everyday use. On odd days, you can match the upper suit with fitted track pants. This fashion piece is ultra-versatile and can be layered with other items in your wardrobe.
 Vintage Red Converse Sneakers |
 90s Blue Converse All Star High Tops |
Accessorizing your shell suit
Complete your retro Shell Suit Mens look by using accessories that suits the era. When it comes to fancy dress costumes, you can go with equally flamboyant accessories and jewelleries. There are flashy, large gold necklaces and earpieces that complement perfectly with colourful shell suits. You can also wear aviation glasses for vintage look. However, if you are a laidback type of guy, you can just sport your regular sunnies, baseball cap, and a duffel bag.
As for the footwear, the shell goes perfectly with classic sneakers. If you want to be more stylistic, you can add some flare with statement sneakers from leading brands, the likes of Gucci and Louis Vuitton. These glitzy pairs blend well with your shell suit fancy dress. Equally important with the shoes are your socks. Don’t forget to wear something that matches the colour of your track pants.
Glam up with the well-loved fashion of the 80’s with these tips:
- Choose an 80’s fashion style that you belong to, such as preppy, eclectic, rock, or hip-hop.
- Aside from shell suits mens, invest in other vintage pieces like baggy jumpers, bomber jackets, oversized printed shirts, and power suits. You can wear them alternately with shell suits.
- Embrace the colourful, bright and lively patterns of the 80’s shell suit Mens.
- For work or office look, you can go with pastel coloured and pinstripe style tracksuits.
- Complement your 80’s Shell Suit Mens with vintage accessories like white sneakers, a bum bag, flashy jewellery, and retro shades.
With these simple fashion ideas, you can take that 80s shell suit and make it more relevant than ever for the modern era!
https://manofmany.com/fashion/mens-fashion-trends/15-top-80s-fashion-trends-for-men
https://www.fashionbeans.com/article/how-to-dress-80s/
