1980s Photo Prompts for Men

These 1980s photo prompts for men start from your own uploaded picture and rebuild it with the decade's staples: thick feathered hair, a neat moustache, denim jackets, wide ties, tank tops and the classic cars and motorcycles people posed beside.

Every prompt keeps your face, age and build recognisable, so the result looks like an old photo of you rather than a stranger in costume.

Featured photo prompts for men

  • Bollywood Hero Studio Portrait – The 1980s Hindi film hero had swagger built from simple things: a blow-dried mane, a proud moustache, an open wide collar and trousers pulled high.
  • Filmi Hero With Vintage Motorcycle – The hero on a motorcycle at sunset is one of the most-loved images in 1980s Hindi cinema: patterned shirt, flared jeans, aviators and an open road.
  • Moustache And Sweater Vest Portrait – The moustache-and-sweater-vest portrait is the picture that sat framed on a thousand living-room shelves: slightly formal, a little shy, very sincere.
  • Denim Jacket Classic Car – A guy, a denim jacket and a car he was proud of: it is one of the most recognisable snapshots of the decade. The look is relaxed rather than costumey, so it feels believable on almost anyone.
  • Wood-Panelled Office Man – The early-eighties office had a look all its own: panelled walls, a heavy desk, a tie wide enough to be a statement. Seeing yourself as the manager in that room is funny and oddly dignified at the same time.
  • Old-School Bodybuilding Gym – Old-school gyms were all chrome, sweat and posters, and the outfits were famously short. This look is fun because it is bold and a little ridiculous, yet it still feels like a real photo someone snapped between sets.

Details that make a men's photo prompt convincing

Hair first: thick, side-parted or feathered with visible volume. If you have a beard today, decide whether the prompt should trim it to a moustache or keep it.

Choose one strong prop that dates the picture, such as a boxy car, a chrome motorcycle, a wall of dumbbells or a wood-panelled office, rather than many small ones.

Direct flash and warm film color are more convincing than piling on more era clothing. Ask for grain and a slightly soft focus.

Background reading: 1980s in fashion on Wikipedia.

More 1980s prompt collections