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Color blocking was just one of many bold fashion styles that became popular during the 1980s. The style actually originated in the 1940s, although it was mainly confined to the catwalk back then, rather than mainstream fashion.

Color block mini dresses gained real prominence in the 1960s, which was, unsurprisingly, a very colorful decade after the drab post-war era of the 1950s left young people feeling desperate for some excitement in their lives!

The artist Piet Mondrian inspired the Mondrain collection by Yves Saint Laurent. Cheaper, mass produced imitation dresses became very popular in the 60s.
The 1980s saw the arrival of neon colors, and color blocking featured on over-sized sweaters and dresses with batwing sleeves. Mohair also became a popular material.

Above you can view an original color block mohair sweater from the 80s, which features a black zig zag pattern and hems.

This is a British color block cardigan from the 80s, which was part of the St. Michael range at the store Marks & Spencer.

This is an original batwing sleeved color block sweater from the 1980s.
Today, color blocking has seen something of a resurgence, and you can view a range of 80s inspired hoodies and windbreaker jackets on this website.