Dirty Dancing (1987)
Dirty Dancing
Copyright © 1987 Vestron Pictures
The fashion in this 1987 film is pivotal in showing the differences in class divides and social cliques. Frances ‘Baby’ houseman and her sister get taken on a family holiday to the resort where they are accustomed to going as a family, but this year they are just a little too old to join in the cheesy family activities and seek to make their own rebellious fun.
The girls are very conservative in dress, but when baby attends a worker’s party in which they are dirty dancing, you see a change in her fashion to being more confident and sexy, with tight ankle grazer jeans and off the shoulder jumpers typical of casual eighties style.
Patrick Swayze’s character, the epitome of sexiness in the film and his dance partner Penny, are much more risqué and outgoing in dress. Penny wears figure hugging strapless dresses and tight revealing work out ensembles and Johnny (Patrick Swayze) is always in his customary tight black jeans and t-shirts with a leather jacket showing their rebelliousness in an environment full of rich preppy types. It played an important role in the fashion of the Eighties.
Dirty Dancing
