We’ve all been there before. Sat down at a family gathering and ‘that’ photo gets pulled out. You know the one? The one with the dodgy fringe, scabby knees, spider man mask and fairy wand in hand, all because you decided that day that you wanted to be ALL of your favourite things for the party. It’s hard to swallow our pride now, but once upon a time we were small people wandering around the planet defenceless against our mothers ‘cute’ sense of dress code. (I have never forgiven mine for the matching orange tracksuit and bunchie combo – the munchkin look was not my best).
Jelly shoes:
Whilst these have recently become a blast from the past, they definitely looked cuter on our 5-year-old legs. Walking into the playground with these bad boys on, accompanied by a good flick of my pig-tails made me ready to own the day. Although looking back on this trend, they were definitely meant to stay in the 90’s along with my Barbies.
Frilly socks:
(I actually still have these – can’t believe I just admitted that)
Scrunches:
Possibly the best invention ever made; this was the solution to my thick curls. My bobble made it clear that when it was time to sweep my locks back, I meant business. No no, don’t be fooled by the pink velvet, this girl means war. And she’s going to look cute as hell doing it!
Crazy patterned leggings:
These violations against your eyes came in a variety of different colours and swirls, and truly distorted what we contemplate as outfits growing up. The likelihood is, every girl can recall dancing around her living room in said graphic pants to the high school musical sing along, and if you don’t, you obviously weren’t expressing your inner artist enough!
Slap on bracelets:
Slap it on that awkward bone in your wrist and it would sting for days! These arrived in our makeshift jewellery boxes just before the elasticated charm bracelet phase (Pandora massively changed the game). The worst part about those chunks of plastic, was that you probably used to swap them with your friends when they came over and made dens out of your ‘groovy chic’ bed sheets.
Stick on earrings:
We were rebellious little divas with our stick on piercings, although they did also make you feel like Audrey Hepburn at the same time (sorry Audrey, please forgive us!) These fiddly stickers were not only way too big and colourful for our tiny ears, but they were a nightmare to get out of hair, which they were guaranteed to end up in even with a scrunchie. Not only did they annoy me, but my parents hated picking them off the bottoms of their shoes about a week later.
Spikey plastic headbands:
These would either pull your hair back instantly or attempt to scalp you, and definitely did not look the same as they did on Sabrina the teenage witch. Although the only choice was between the headband and the flower bucket hat, and at least the hat covered my wonky fringe.
Plastic butterfly clips:
We spent hours doing our hair with these dangerous clamps, oh, sorry, I mean clips! We might have felt like Rapunzel with them woven into our plaits, but if one got caught on your finger, the only thing that could save you was a hug from mum and a Disney plaster. This was THE accessory for every 90s girl, but we’re all thankful we can’t pull them off anymore!
Bandanas:
However, bandanas have significantly evolved over the decades and are in vogue yet again. They look incredibly classic if worn right! Get inspired and flaunt your funky flair with 4inbandana fashion pieces, whether you are off to school, a beach party, or a girl’s movie night. While growing up, bandanas reflected a bohemian look that attracted ugly frowns. However, bandanas have made an incredible come-back and have become a go-to accessory for women of all ages.
Mood rings:
These were put on every finger just so we could figure out if we really did feel happy because it was blue. Feeling like Phoebe from friends, we showed off our talents to our family as we ‘read’ how they were feeling – that is until you lost the booklet a week later. Luckily their magical qualities will never take hold of us again.
Baggy skater jeans:
Inspired by the Avril Lavigne lovers and ‘N-Sync, the only thing we can say to you skater jeans are: never again! Unless of course, you like the feel of heavy fabric slapping against your legs, and dragging dirty frayed jeans under your converse.
Matching tracksuits:
Behold the worst look of our childhoods! These ‘juicy couture’, often crushed, velvet ‘things’ had the power to set off all alarms for national security, the threat they made against fashion was that bad! They may have been comfy, but owning sets in three different colours was simply too far. Luckily enough, when we get home from a busy day these days, we have opted for the more apt baggy shirt and shorts approach. At least we can relax looking like humans and not look like Lindsey Lohan avoiding the papz in 2000.
Body glitter:
You know that horrible feeling when you’re getting ready for the school disco and your mini disco dancing outfit is on point, but there is one thing missing…? Two words: Body Glitter. This was the fake tan of our generation and we literally bathed in it! The best part about body glitter is that it wasn’t make up, so we couldn’t be told off for it, although the same can’t be said about the glitter marks all over the walls and dads car seats. Although we felt like Christina Aguilera when we put it on, in reality we probably looked more like Robert Patterson awkwardly glistening in the sunlight, trying to attract the attention of the opposite sex. Yes, it was godly.
The classic dress up outfit:
This number was your secret weapon and no one could anticipate when it would strike again. You went through phases of wearing this to fancy dress parties and soon this deteriorated to walking around Sainsbury’s with your mum a year later, still in the same costume. From Disney princesses to spider man masks, this signature outfit defined our childhood and the progression into what we wanted to be. On the other hand, if you were like me then it just got us used to people laughing as we strutted down B&Q in our fluffy Pikachu outfits. Beyoncé really had nothing on that!
Between bubble tops, horrendous sparkly belts (Hannah Montana totally copied us) and beret hats (Yes Lizzie Maguire, you taught us how to accessorise), we have all the shame in reminiscing on our favourite outfits, all because we’ve now traded in our denim skirts for our LBDs. Even if they were the statement of every 90’s girl. So when you’re stuck for things to be thankful for, let growing arms and colour vision be one of them.
