Before the Manolo Blahniks and the high-fashion New York columns, there was just a girl with a very impressive perm and a serious amount of grit. Most people think Sarah Jessica Parker in the 80s was just a preamble to Sex and the City, but honestly, that’s doing her a massive disservice. She wasn't just "waiting" for Carrie Bradshaw to happen. She was working. Constantly.
If you grew up in that decade, you didn't know her as a fashion icon. You knew her as the nerdy girl in Square Pegs or the dancer in Footloose. She was the "best friend" or the "quirky teen." Looking back now, the 1980s were essentially SJP’s bootcamp. She was navigating the weird, often brutal transition from child star to adult actress in a Hollywood that didn't quite know where to put her yet.
The Square Pegs Era and the Nerd-Girl Chic
In 1982, Sarah Jessica Parker landed the role of Patty Greene in the CBS sitcom Square Pegs. This is where the magic really started, even if the show only lasted one season. It was cult-classic territory from day one. Parker played a high school freshman desperately trying to fit in at Weemawee High School. She wore these oversized glasses and had a nervous energy that felt incredibly real to anyone who felt like an outsider.
The show was created by Anne Beatts, one of the original writers for Saturday Night Live. It wasn't your typical shiny 80s sitcom. It had a post-punk, New Wave edge. SJP wasn't the "pretty girl" in this scenario; she was the smart, awkward one. It’s funny because, in hindsight, Patty Greene has a lot of that same frantic, intellectual curiosity we later saw in Carrie, just buried under 1982-era layers and a lot of insecurity.
What’s interesting about this period is how it set the tone for her career. She wasn't an overnight sensation. She was a character actor first. While other 80s "it girls" were being groomed for bombshell roles, Parker was busy learning the timing of a multi-cam sitcom and proving she could carry a show on her shoulders at age 17.
Footloose, Girls Just Want to Have Fun, and the Dance Craze
Then came the movies. The mid-80s were huge for dance flicks, and SJP was right in the middle of it.
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In Footloose (1984), she played Rusty. She was Ariel’s (Lori Singer) best friend. If you watch that movie today, Parker is arguably the most charismatic person on screen. She had this incredible chemistry with the late Chris Penn. Their "learning to dance" montage is arguably better than the main plot. She had this bubbly, fast-talking energy that felt totally distinct from the stiff, dramatic acting of the era.
Then came 1985's Girls Just Want to Have Fun. This is peak Sarah Jessica Parker in the 80s content. She starred alongside a young Helen Hunt. The plot is basic: a girl moves to a new town and wants to audition for a TV dance show despite her strict father's wishes. It’s colorful, it’s loud, and the hair is massive. It’s also where we see her start to lean into that "urban girl" persona. She was athletic, she was funny, and she had this relatable quality that made her feel like the girl next door—if the girl next door could do a perfect backflip.
Growing Up in Public: Robert Downey Jr. and the Brats
You can’t talk about her 80s run without mentioning her personal life, specifically her seven-year relationship with Robert Downey Jr. They met on the set of Firstborn in 1984. They were the "it" couple of the young Hollywood scene, but it wasn't all parties and red carpets.
Parker has been very open in later years about how that relationship forced her to grow up fast. Downey was struggling with significant substance abuse issues during their time together. SJP became the "stable" one. She was the one making sure he got to work, the one providing the emotional scaffolding. It’s a side of her 80s experience that doesn't show up in the bright, poppy dance movies. It gave her a certain hardness and maturity that eventually translated into her later work. She wasn't just a teen queen; she was a young woman managing real-world, high-stakes drama while trying to keep a career afloat.
The Professional Pivot: From Teen Star to Leading Lady
By the late 80s, the "teen" roles were drying up. This is where many actors vanish. They either fade into obscurity or get stuck in "where are they now" loops. SJP didn't.
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She did L.A. Story (actually filmed in 1990 but the culmination of her 80s work) with Steve Martin. She played SanDeE*, the bubbly, airheaded aspiring model. It was a complete departure from the smart-girl roles. It showed her range. But before that, she spent the late 80s doing TV movies like The Ryan White Story and appearing on stage.
People forget she was a theater kid at heart. She was Annie on Broadway in the late 70s. In the 80s, she returned to the stage whenever she could. This is the "secret sauce" of her longevity. She wasn't chasing fame; she was chasing the craft. While the Brat Pack was burning out, she was building a foundation in Off-Broadway productions.
Why her 80s Style Actually Matters Now
Everyone talks about the 90s fashion in Sex and the City, but the 80s Sarah Jessica Parker look was arguably more influential because it was so messy and authentic. She didn't have a stylist. She was buying clothes from thrift stores.
She wore:
- Men’s oversized blazers with nothing underneath.
- Layers upon layers of lace and denim.
- Those iconic, untameable curls that she refused to straighten into the sleek 80s bob.
She looked like a real person. She was a bit of a maximalist even then. If you look at her red carpet photos from 1987, she’s wearing things that wouldn't look out of place on a Pinterest board today. She was "indie sleaze" before the term existed. She brought a sense of playfulness to fashion that was missing from the power-suit-heavy 80s.
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The Misconception of the "Overnight Success"
The biggest mistake people make is thinking Sarah Jessica Parker in the 80s was just a series of lucky breaks. It wasn't. She was a working actor in the truest sense.
She did the guest spots on Hotel. She did the TV pilots that didn't go anywhere. She was a veteran by the time she was 25. That's why she was able to handle the massive fame that came later. She had already seen the industry chew people up. She had already been the lead of a canceled show. She had already dealt with the tabloid interest because of her famous boyfriend.
The 80s were her training ground. It’s where she developed that specific "SJP" rhythm—the way she moves her hands when she talks, the staccato delivery, the ability to play both the smartest and the silliest person in the room.
How to Channel the 80s SJP Energy Today
If you’re looking to take a page out of her book, it’s not just about the clothes. It’s about the career strategy and the attitude.
- Embrace the "Pivot": Don't be afraid to take roles that aren't "cool" if they let you work with talented people. SJP took supporting roles in movies like Footloose because she knew the project was solid.
- Texture is King: In fashion, stop trying to be "neat." Parker’s 80s look was all about volume and clashing textures. Mix the vintage with the modern.
- Work the Craft: If you're in a creative field, don't just look for the big break. Take the small, "unimportant" gigs that build your skill set. The theater work she did in the 80s is why she can hold a camera's attention for a three-minute monologue today.
- Resilience is Key: Dealing with personal turmoil while maintaining a professional exterior is a theme of her 80s life. It’s about showing up even when things are messy.
Sarah Jessica Parker in the 80s wasn't a fashion icon yet, but she was something much more interesting: a young woman finding her voice in an industry that was constantly trying to pigeonhole her. She survived the decade with her dignity and her curls intact, which, honestly, is the biggest flex of all.
Next Steps for the SJP Completist:
- Watch Square Pegs: It's available on several streaming platforms and is the best representation of her early comedic timing.
- Track her Broadway Credits: Look up her 1980s theater history, specifically her work in The Heidi Chronicles.
- Study her 80s Street Style: Look at her un-staged paparazzi photos from 1985-1988 for genuine, non-stylized fashion inspiration.