The Retro Decorator - 80s Christmas

I've tried to avoid the C word for as long as I possibly could, I really have, but with little more than a month to go I've finally cracked.

It's been way too long since I did a Retro Decorator post, and I stumbled across this beauty on tumblr the other day that for me summed up what I think of when I think of 1980s Christmases:

via Allthingsshabbyandbeautiful

I'm not even 100% sure it is from the 1980s, but a quick search through my magazine back catalogue couldn't come up with anything better, so we'll stick with this. However, just in case you aren't convinced, here's another reminder of the classic 1980s Christmas:

So, what will you need if you perhaps feel a desperate hankering to recreate your childhood?

1) TINSEL! And plenty of it. It seems to have fallen out of fashion in some circles, where a more pared-down, Scandinavian Christmas look of wooden decorations is de rigeur, but you can still find plenty of it around on the high street.

By Londonsista (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Which brings me on to...

2) Multi-coloured decorations. If you're buying tinsel, don't just stick to one, or maybe two colours. The 80s tree (as demonstrated so beautifully by George Michael) was a riot of different colours - the brighter, the better. That also goes for any non-tinselly stuff you may be adding:

Zellaby on Flickr

3) Foil garlands. A bit like tinsel, but for the room, rather than just the tree. Mr Fantasy Decorator still has a number of these "original" beauties that we argue over every year ("It's a family heirloom!" "It's not, it kitsch tat!" etc etc) before they get banished to the kids playroom where I hope nobody thinks I had anything to do with them. I didn't actually realise you could still buy them...:

Poundland

Finally, if you're going to enjoy an 80s Christmas, make sure you dress for the occasion, won't you? Because if there is one thing that appears to be back with a vengeance this year, it's the Christmas Jumper...

ASOS