Bad Clothes…
Time Travel Tuesday
Let’s face it, we’re all fashion victims of the decade we were born into and those that followed. What separates the well dressed from those who are challenged in their apparel is the ability to recognize a bad fad or trend and resist the urge to “fit in.”
Sometimes we’re left with no choice. When we’re young (the first 10 years) we’re clothed in whatever our mothers provide us with. This can be a very cruel time, luckily, we are protected by our underdeveloped ego and lack of aesthetic. The fact that we are basically asexual provides us with a buffer in case our mothers decide to cross dress us.
Does anyone else have a problem with this? 1960's, Germany.
All I know is that from 1962 to 1972 I was sporting a lot of Danskin (stretchy mix and match ensembles). It was a time of “Mini, Midi, and Maxi.” I was quite fond of wearing mini skirts and dresses with bold patterns. Think, Marcia, from the Brady Bunch. Thankfully my mother leaned slightly more toward psychedelic styles than the hippie look. I was ultimately spared from wearing crocheted vests, macrame, yarn and suede. Other members of my family sadly fell victim to these trappings.
Very sophisticated, timeless, really.
I should mention there was one more alternative– the ‘clean-cut’ look. This simply meant that you bought all of your clothes from Sears.
1972 to 1982 is a time of fashion whiplash. The disco era ushered in what I consider to be some of the most abhorrent fashion blunders; shiny polyester, big collars, platform shoes, inconceivably ugly patterns, etc. I tried to stay clear of these trends and opted instead for a uniform of bell bottom corduroys or jeans with a turtle neck or simple blouse. (Okay, some of them were shiny with hideous patterns.) These were not figure flattering times. I often wondered why the boys didn’t ask me out in middle school? Looking back, I think it may have had something to do with my ugly Dorothy Hamil mushroom hair cut?
One of my greatest regrets. People with round faces beware...
Thank heaven the 1980’s brought straight leg jeans back into fashion. Yes, it also brought parachute and harem pants, neon, Flashdance, shoulder pads, big hair, safety pins and punk garb, etc. but at least we were on the road to fashion recovery. It was a time that we could reflect on mistakes of the past and re-group. Thanks to MTV we could experiment a little and try to find our true identity, even if that meant we’d looked like Boy George, ever so briefly.
I don’t think I was ever fashionable enough to be too worried about this. Mind you I had a middle parting ‘curtains’ hairstyle when I was at school.
I quite like those short dresses the girls are wearing in the middle photo. Anything that shows off legs like that is timeless. That girl doing lunges proves just how versatile that style is.
My wardrobe was chuck full of those types of dresses. Always good for lunging, that’s important.
The part down the middle hairstyle was classic. Hopefully you paired it with a nice wide collar for that ‘little something’ extra?
Anne: Um, Mom? You didn’t really dress like that, did you?
Me: Yep. In fact, Gran bought me a collection of dresses from Sears (thus my guffawing when I read your line) once. One was dark chocolate brown, with turquoise spots. I weighed around 80lbs. The seam was down the middle, and, the spots weren’t matched. I’m pretty sure that is what ended the garment industry in sweat shops in the US–the inability to match turquoise spots on brown dresses sold at Sears.
Anne: Yes or no would have worked. I’m afraid to ask about the rest of your wardrobe. I’ve only an hour to visit.
——————
I also fell into the corduroy/shirt look, loved my minis and also had a horrific haircut–and, because I like you, I forgive you the D. Hamil look. I now live in my straight legged jeans and shirts. Except for night, then, I wear jeggings.
*people gasp* Is she kidding????
Perhaps.
haha! I can conjure up that dress! Sears, if you recall, had a section called the “Lemon Frog Shop,” specifically for teens who wanted to look mod.
I wept that my parents had a Sears charge card–and Mother never let me shop. I had to wear what she brought home, regardless of what it looked like. I managed to wear the cords and stuff because she brought home a pair, and I wore them constantly. Eventually she got the idea, although she did buy a dress made of ‘whipped cream’ fabric for my senior photos. I still cringe.
“I’ve only an hour to visit”? Is Anne Jane Austen?
You should see what my hair looked like back in the early days of school, in fact I have a photo somewhere, I might upload it and show how much of a disaster it was when I get home 🙂
Oh, you know I’d LOVE to see that! : D
There’s nothing worse than bad hair – that may have to be a future post?
You don’t need to tell me how that looks, I have whats called a double grown where your hair grows wierd, that plus this hair style, UGH. I remember the day I had it cut and started spiking it, that was the day I turned into a pimp.
PETE!
Pete!!!! That is the cutest picture ever! Forget the hair, what a dashing young man! and a little sly smile that says, “Just give me a few years and I’ll be up to no good!”
Haha!
Hahaha that was before the reality of life smacked me down 😀
Hawt.
Pete, that is so cute–I just want to pinch your cheeks. And, the primary school sweater!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!! You were adorable!! (still handsome, but, you don’t want to be adorable past the age of 12)
Hahah this was a really well written post! “timeless, really” made me giggle. I dressed so so poorly when you let me choose what I wanted to wear. It wasn’t until high school that I had some sense of what looked good. Remember when I bought clothes from the American Girl Store? Omg so many blunders.
Thanks! What about that first picture? Who is that unfortunate child on the right? Lol!
The American Girl clothes were the equivalent of buying you Hello Kitty clothes – totally made in China! hahaha!
Lucky you were so pretty, no gilding for my Lily!!!! xoxox
Lily–some days, I think so. It’s usually the tone that makes me laugh.
We would have tea parties, and portray the Brontë Sisters or Miss Austen. Our language was terribly formal, as were our manners. Bud had to play Withers, the footman.
I have trouble believing that they talk like that. Seems very strange and creepy.
Oh god, will I, one day, look back on the current me like that? *looks down* Black is never wrong, is it?
I actually like the 80ties – the new wave side of it. Such control over their hair… And nice jackets and so on. But in the end, I always like simple clothes, so that one day I can look back and think: I looked quite okay! Hopefully I succeed…
That’s a great plan. As I write this I am dressed completely in black. I also prefer simple, classic clothes.
When you’re young, though, it’s a little harder to navigate the do’s and don’ts! Trial and error. The only upside of making fashion blunders is that you have something to laugh at when you get older. haha!
That’s true :). Only the idea of what I looked like when I was twelve something… The shame… 🙂
From a guys perspective, I feel your pain.
Once I could dress myself, it was jeans and t-shirts.
Men have it so much easier. They dress more for comfort where I’d say women will endure major pain in order to look semi hot. Haha! I ONLY wish I could go the way of the Hawaiin shirt…so jealous.