Jordan Rumsey has turned her love of the ’80s into a lifestyle — and a career.
On Zoom, a TikToker sits in front of a wall covered in memories from the past. There’s a vintage Bon Jovi calendar from ’86, a Samantha Fox poster from ’88, plus a few dedicated to her favorite glam metal bands like Mötley Crüe and Cinderella.
She’s also fully dressed up with her signature hairdo — the blonde tousled hairdo with tousled waves and puffy bangs that you’ve probably seen in the episode Saved by the Bell.
But Rumsey is not Gen X or a millennial. She’s actually a 21-year-old college student and describes herself as a “2000s baby at heart.” But having grown up with ’80s movies, TV shows and music thanks to her parents’ introduction, she’s nostalgic for a decade she didn’t live through – and she definitely dresses the part.
“If reincarnation is a thing, I feel like I might have been alive in the 80s and [life] they shortened it or something,” Rumsey tells PEOPLE of feeling deeply connected to the decade.
Her love of ’80s trends only grew stronger, so much so that she turned to TikTok four years ago to find a community of like-minded people who are sentimental about the era.
After making a few trendy videos, she discovered her niche and that’s how her popular page @cantbuyme80s was born, which currently has 812 thousand followers.
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On TikTok, Rumsey posts weekly videos related to ’80s style and pop culture, but her big hair has made her the most recognizable on the app.
Rumsey draws inspiration from icons like former model Samantha Fox, Pamela Anderson and Paula Abdul (who wanted hair tips from her when they met), as well as the aesthetics of popular metal bands.
She does her own hair at home most of the time and it took a few failed attempts and a lot of practice to perfect her DIY vintage look.
“What I usually do is take a large section of my top hair, tease it until I look like an Oompa Loompa, style it with hairspray and then [it’s] just teasing and teasing,” he explains of his routine, which lasts a quick three minutes.
She also uses a collection of authentic old-school tools like kneaders, curlers and a 40-year-old Conair hair dryer, many of which she acquires at thrift stores and thrift stores. “I like to collect anything I can get my hands on from the ’80s,” she admits.
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Other times, she’ll keep her style in the salon, occasionally sharing vlogs of her appointments (a video she posted in July has garnered more than a million views). Her stylist at Looks Salon in Columbia, Maryland will give her a Farrah Fawcett feathered look or perm, and her bangs are always blown out to perfection.
Despite her voluminous hairstyle that requires a lot of hairspray (Rumsey uses about two large cans a month), her hair-washing routine is pretty simple.
“I usually get my hair done every other day or every three days, depending on my schedule. All I do is use shampoo and conditioner,” she says, adding that she detangles in the shower and stocks up on products that make her hair soft.
For the most part, Rumsey’s unrelenting sense of style has been welcomed with open arms on the Internet, with her followers showing her nothing but love and support. However, like anyone with an online following, she is prone to gratuitous negativity. “Sometimes I clap back,” Rumsey admits, adding that he likes to block the button when necessary.
But she hopes she can inspire others to wear their style however they want through her videos. “As far as we know, you only live once, so just live the way you want,” she encourages. “Whatever makes you happy, go ahead.”
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Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education