Back to the Future is one of the greatest masterpieces of all the time-travel movies. It was a worldwide hit with two sequels, Back to the Future Part II in which the characters travel to the future and Back to the Future Part III set in the pioneer days. Our favorite is definitely the first one. The movie is set in 1985 and Marty is accidentally sent back to the 1950s. He meets his parents in their teens there, but tries not to change the future. He’s from the 1980s and wears what people in that time period would wear, so everyone in the 1950s sees his down vest and asks if it’s a life jacket. Likewise, people who see his CALVIN KLEIN underwear think his name is Calvin. Such scenes taught us that American fashion has been fairy different from era to era.
Both the 1950s and 1980s had a big impact on BEAMS BOY at the core, but Back to the Future is definitely the reason why we added down vests, created during the outdoor craze of the 1970s, to our list of season staples. Whenever we see Marty wearing a plaid shirt tucked in his denim jeans paired with a down vest, we are eager to imitate his look.

Kramer vs. Kramer depicts the relationship between a divorced man and his young son, revealing the true state of American families during the time. It’s a Dustin Hoffman classic that also caused a stir in Japan. The story of this father who wasn’t interested in parenting but gradually changes and bonds with his young son is a true tear-jerker. But we BOY girls just can’t help but be more into their outfits than the plot. At the beginning, the father Ted is a workaholic, always sporting a suit, but his outfit changes as he and his son become closer. He even wears a popular military jacket, the M-65, in one scene. We find this bit a very interesting example of true American middle-class dad fashion.
However, what grabs our attention most is the series of outfits worn by Ted’s son Billy, one of the main characters. He looks extremely cute in his multi-striped clothes and military-inspired garments paired with some wintry accessories. We love vintage children’s clothes so much that we’ve created several items inspired by rare kids’ pieces displayed behind the checkout counter at a vintage clothing shop. And that is why we pay so much attention to children’s outfits in American movies.

Before winning world-wide fame with Star Wars, George Lucas came into the limelight directing the coming-of-age movie classic American Graffiti. The story is set in a small town in California in 1962 and depicts the last night a group of high school graduates spend together before moving away to start college. The movie is full of our favorite motifs, along with what we’d expect of the U.S. around the time of the Vietnam War and before the civil rights and hippie movements got into full swing.
The characters hang out at a drive-in restaurant where waiters wear roller skates. Young boys gathering there, sporting white tees, denim pants and bowling shirts, while the girls are in chenille cardigans and pleated skirts. Young people’s outfits in the movie are truly fascinating and strongly influenced by 1950s fashion. It’s also very American and charming that the waitresses in the restaurant are running around in white shirts paired with side-striped pants and roller skates.
However, what leaves the biggest impression from the movie is the white tee and denim jeans look. It’s impossible not to mention it because that’s a true classic of the American Casual style. Driving his hot rod, Milner wears a tight-fitting white T-shirt. He rolls up his cigarettes in his sleeve, so we copied his style by rolling up a pack of snacks in our sleeve. That’s the American way to wear a white tee.

The Breakfast Club is a 1985 teen drama depicting teenagers’ inner feelings. Five students are the main characters in this hit movie: an all-around jock in a varsity jacket, a bad boy stylishly wearing a coat, a snobbish pampered girl in girly attire, a mysteriously dressed girl who later experiences an amazing makeover, and a smart student dressed in a sweater and chinos. Although they may not hand out with each other on a normal high school day, the all-day detention brings them together where they start to share their own troubles and concerns with each other. The questions “Who do you think you are?” triggers a change in how they see and come to understand their new friends. Whenever we watch this movie, the developing dialogue brings out a renewed freshness in us.
In terms of fashion, it is full of terrific references as it includes most of the American Casual clothes of the 1980s. The character BEAMS BOY focuses on the most is Brian the “brain.” His outfit is the simplest. But, take a close look and you realize the odd socks he wears to match his retro NIKE running shoes. His choices give us great tips to spice up our staple sweatshirt and chinos combo.

As a kid, have you ever dreamed of embarking on an adventure with your one-of-a-kind friends to discover legendary pirate treasure? The Goonies is a 1980s adventure movie portraying such a fantasy. Stand by Me also shows a group of friends traveling together, but The Goonies is livelier and more humorous. We can’t help but think what if we could have had such an experience when we were children. The 1980s clothes worn by the kids in The Goonies are as fascinating as the story. Some of them naturally sport a trench coat or varsity jacket or denim pants paired with a chopped sleeve sweatshirt, which is a perfect balance with NIKE’s high-top sneakers.
So, we closely watch each scene. Girls’ outfits are as adorable as the boys’, layering a chenille cardigan over a V-neck sweater. Because kids‘ outfits in 1980s movies are great examples of how to style your look and balance the silhouette, we check out such details all the time.

Not bound by the stereotypical images of Hollywood stars, Katharine Hepburn stuck to her own unique style throughout her long career. She preferred to wear pants even at the time when many thought women should dress feminine. We admire her so much for always being true to herself, loving what she believed in, and feeling comfortable also off screen. From everyday turtleneck sweaters to the way she wore military clothes like chinos and an M-43 jacket and her use of red accenting her choice of NIKE sneakers, her looks are full of styling tips, which we can immediately incorporate into our modern-day outfits. It’s just amazing that she did all those things decades ago.
On Golden Pond is the best-known movies of her later career. In this beautiful movie, Katharine sports her signature turtleneck look. She plays the wife of an aging couple spending the summer at their cottage on a lake near a forest. Her simple yet classy American Casual outfits show how we can always playfully wear clothes even when we’re older.

E.T. is one of the most famous movies released in the 1980s. The heartwarming relationship between E.T. and Elliot made audiences across the world weep. For all that, we BOY girls are focused more on the children’s outfits and interior decor in the movie. From the American football helmet subtly placed in the room to a numbered tee peeking out from the closet, there are so many things that convey the timeless American style we’ve been admiring. If you like the world-building theme of Stranger Things, you’ll love this movie as well.
Elliot is wearing a red-zipped hoodie and jeans when he peddles around with E.T. in the front basket of his Kuwahara BMX. We suppose many people remember that outfit, but he also looks cool in other scenes. He pairs a waffle shirt with overalls, layers a flannel shirt over a printed T-shirt, and carries a North Face backpack with a brown tag. His sister Gertie, who has an unforgettable role in the movie, is also dressed in BOY-ish outfits, such as the striped turtleneck top and overalls, classic 1980s style. The cover photo of this chapter features a Gertie-like girl on her brother’s BMX, although not the exact scene from the movie.

The Bad News Bears is a classic baseball movie. It was also adapted into a TV drama because of its popularity. It depicts a youth baseball team. They are the underdogs, but win their way after ex-baseball player Buttermaker becomes their coach, despite hitting a number of snags along the way. You can fully feel the 1970s American Casual mood in this sports comedy movie. It was in the 1980s when athletic clothes became quite popular in the U.S., so 1970s sportswear often is indistinguishable from everyday clothes. The clothing was quite wearable as high-tech materials were not yet available. In the movie, the characters are adorned with such items as a jacket decorated with many patches, a numbered tee, the team’s yellow baseball caps, and a narrow-neck T-shirt paired with a sailor hat. All of which make us want to rush out to a vintage store as soon as possible.
Workwear and military clothes are the core of BEAMS BOY, but sportswear is a mainstay for us as well. We’re happy just to wear it. For this season, we designed a series of sports-themed clothes, including a numbered tee for a “team” like the Bears as well as some items in Bears’ colors.

Preppy is a core BEAMS BOY style. Annie Hall is the textbook that we’ve always reached for to reference that style. It’s so full of inspiration and always reliable when we can’t figure out how to put together our look. Diane Keaton as Annie Hall sports an authentic Trad look with a shirt and chinos, creating her own style, naturally wearing men’s clothes. She’s like a teacher to us because she enjoys mix-and-matching men’s items even though the sizes don’t fit her.
Along with Annie’s looks, we also focus on outfits worn by Woody Allen playing Alvy. He wears a shirt in every single scene with the top button undone and a tee layered underneath, but peeking out. His style is never wavers. It’s something that represents himself. Such a styling rule definitely resonates with BOY girls.

Flashdance is the story of Alex’s rise to success. She works at a factory during the day and dances at a nightclub, but she never gives up her aspiration to be a professional dancer. Along with the amazing soundtrack, it turned into worldwide hit despite the low production budget. It also sparked a dance craze in Japan. The costume worn by the characters were focus of attention as well as the songs in the movie. Alex and her friends’ outfits of rugged military-inspired clothes and overalls look so adorable, yet they kept a hint of femininity by adding scarves and occasionally mix-and-matching high heels.
What BEAMS BOY likes about their style is that it always stays the same. Even in a male-dominated workplace, they sport military clothes and workwear in their own way without changing themselves to be like other people. Such an attitude resonates with what BEAMS BOY has our core. A coat, a mini-skirt and NIKE sneakers in her outfit plays up a 1980s vibe, and looks fresh now. They also add playful accents to their rugged outfits with accessories such as layered scarves, gloves, or lapel pins. What great ideas that we can immediately incorporate into our look!