What were you listening to/watching/wearing/eating in 2004-5

[AwkwardAsAllGetout]

It’s dd’s 16th birthday next month which makes me feel shockingly old. I was only 20 and at university when I had her and I look back and despite everything stacked against us it was such a happy time in my life. I’m at a loss of what to do to celebrate and I thought I’d put together a box of the things that were big when she was born that she might enjoy, so some CDs, DVDs, maybe some snacks or make up that we’re big at the time. Any other suggestions gratefully received as she won’t be getting a big party or prom like she was looking forward to and she’s had a tough time this year and I want her to have as good a birthday as she can.

This thread has been a lovely trip down memory lane! I was 20ish in 2004-5 as well. Ugg boots & denim skirts, bright/fluorescent tops were studenty fashion. Lots of layered basics from TopShop with baggy jeans or very skinny jeans.

I was going to say Emporio Armani (the white bottle) I bought it from a duty free trolley on the way out on holiday.

2004 was an amazing year for me! I’d love to go back and do it all again. I used to dress like a boho prairie girl, maxi dresses, gypsy skirts with belts, cowboy boots, gladiator sandals. Loved The OC, One Tree Hill. Awful makeup choices though...everything was shiny.

The Libertines, Franz Ferdinand, Arctic Monkeys, Queens of The Stone Age, Kings of Leon, Chemical Brothers, Chilli Peppers etc were all on my playlist on my first iPod. I think I listened to Amy Winehouse for the first time that year. I got my first car, a Nissan Micra lol and had furry pink dice, a pink steering wheel cover etc. Also Tiffany jewellery, Juicy Couture Velour Tracksuits with Ugg Boots or ridiculous furry/Eskimo boots, rocawear clothes, also Paul’s Boutique, Henleys, Abercrombie and Fitch, Hollister, Burberry Weekend and Prada, Anna Sui Perfumes (although I feel like everyone else was stinking of Fantasy by Britney lol). I used to watch The Osborne, The Simple Life (Nicole Ritchie/Paris Hilton), Newlyweds with Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey, Laguna Beach (The real OC).

Good times.

Oh and The Killers CD HAS to go in the box!

Cream and brown :o When I had DS1 in 2008 I had a cream and brown pram and I was sooo pleased with it!

I was 14 in 2004. Loved those times.

Big Brother and Footballers Wives were my favourite things on telly. I loved the Now CDs. Justin Timberlake!

Fashion - low rise EVERYTHING. Flared jeans, Juicy tracksuits. Blonde and black highlighted hair. Over plucked thin eyebrows. I used to want to look like Christina Aguilera. Oh and tooth gems.

MSN messenger and Myspace were the thing.

Boho chic was all the rage
Big leather tote bags
Long flowing skirts with jutti slippers
Funky broaches
Narciso Rodriguez For Her was my scent

I was a mum of one then and DS1 would have been 2-3
I was totally into a band called Interpol (still am) and played their first two albums constantly.
Hollaback Girl... loved that song. I'd always sing, "Ooooh pirate ship, pirate ship" to drown out the bad language in front of DS.
Hey ya!
Drop it like it's hot. Snoop Dogg
Hung Up by Madonna (It was great to love her again after not really listening to her music since the early days)
Fix You by Coldplay
1 Thing by Amerie - talk about a one-hit wonder! Whatever happened to her? Same with Joss Stone. Billboards for her everywhere when I came back to London in 2005. Where is she now?

I was living in the States between 2001-2005 and I was Netflix and Chillin' before it became a thing. Netflix wasn't a streaming service. You would choose 2-3 (even more, depending on your subscription) DVDs a week. Netflix would post them out, you'd watch one and get your next one when you posted the previous one back. It was basically Film by Post. It was great at the time. I remember watching 24 Hour Party People around 2004. Sideways was my favourite film at that time. Still is one of my favourites, as is Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Love that film.

Boot cut jeans and belts with big jewelled buckles. Pretty much all clothes from Next or River Island.

Cath Kidston phones - see photo. I loved them. Had both designs one after the other for a few years.

Nando's was massive for eating out. Much more talked about than it is now.

TV was Laguna Beach then after that The Hills obvs.

Listening to 50 cent and Gwen Stefani.

To drink - Smirnoff Ice or Green Apple, Raspberry or Cranberry Archers Aqua - loved them! There were still a few old boozers left that hadn't yet been refurbished.

Perfume was Angel - Mugler for evening, DKNY Be Delicious or Anna Sui Sui Dreams for day.

Burberry Pink Nova Check Satchel for my hand bag still got it somewhere.

That was the year I went to New York - was beside myself to be going and bought a whole new wardrobe - from Next - to go with. There was a "Friends" exhibition on at Columbus Circle and you could get your photo taken on the actual couch

Great thread. Has really taken me back 😊

Just realised Mean Girls came out in 2004 too.

This

Was the official birthday song of 2003/4/5 lol

“Yo shorty it’s Beyoncé, we gonna party like it’s your birthday...”

Movies... Donnie Darko, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind... TV, hmm, 6 Feet Under, Sex And The City. Trinny and Susannah!
P!nk was big wasn't she? And some emo stuff like Panic at the disco... or was that later?
Bootcut jeans, heavy eyeliner, super straight hair, lipgloss. Boys with wallets on long chains and baggy jeans.
Alcopops - WKD, Smirnoff Ice

Yy to mean girls, low rise jeans, Amy Winehouse’s first album, bojo everything, ponchos, dangly phone charms and a colourful case on your Nokia brick. I remember having sushi for the first time in 2004, it felt so exotic

Also I am mildly horrified to discover that babies born in 2004 are 16 now! Surely they are still 5ish right?

Was the first Motorola Razr phone around that time?

God what a question. This was a very significant time in my life.
I was listening to trance music like adagio for strings, and rap music like kanye/50 cent and the game. Also Amy Winehouse and snow patrol.

I wore things like Jean's with colour co-ordinated low slung belt/sandals/vest top and little handbag to match.
On a night out I had dresses similar to those in the girls aloud videos or tiny hot pants and a long sparkly top with a synched waist belt.
I was skinny enough to carry off a cropped hoody and combats, sometimes I wore a bandana too (cringe).
I had a great figure, a beautiful year long tan from the sunbeds (cringe again ) and my natural hair colour which was always straightened.

I have fond memories of round about this time because I had youth on my side but my god it was such a difficult period in my life.

Omg I've just remembered. I had a puma handbag. .

Listening to The Libertines and Keane.
Watching...Big Brother lol
Wearing sort of 70s hippy stuff that was in fashion. Think the film Almost Famous that came out around then: i had these gorgeous wooden soled green wedges I could hardly walk in. And a beige jacket with faux fur.

Eating a lot of melted cheese and bacon butties from the van outside work!

That was my last year of freedom. I became a mum in 2006

Oh yeah i remember the pre netflix netflix dvds! I'm sure i started watching Mad Men that way... or was it Game of Thrones? but that would have been much later.

@BertieBotts

Lorelai had Rory at 16, not 20. Not important but I’m a GG geek so couldn’t overlook that

I was 15 in 2005. My friends and I were embracing the emo scene so I was wearing super tight black skinny jeans, chequered Vans slip ons, band t-shirts and studded belts with a huge fringe and too much eyeliner

I was listening to Blink-182, Green Day, My Chemical Romance, New Found Glory, System of a Down... I haven’t updated my music collection since 2008 so basically the same stuff I listen to now

I was in sixth form in 2004/5. Had a pink iPod mini in 2004, with music like The Killers, Franz Ferdinand, The Subways, The Libertines, Queens of the Stone Age and Razorlight all faves. The Scissor Sisters and Maroon 5's albums were also played on repeat a lot.

Clothes wise I would wear a skinny t-shirt from Topshop, with a longer vest underneath, and a pair of Topshop "boyfriend" jeans teamed with Converse, Vans, or Adidas classics. Topshop also used to do these hoodies made out of thin-ish sweatshirt material; I bought them in every colour.

Other fashion I remember at the time included Juicy Couture tracksuits or Von Dutch vests/trucker caps.

When I wanted to dress up I wore a vest top and a layered gypsy skirt with wedges or a nice top with either a rara mini-skirt (why?!) or bootcut jeans. Jewellery was either long boho necklaces and earrings or lots and lots of chunky wooden bracelets. I also remember being a fan of a brand called Pilgrim?

My phone was a silver Samsung flip phone and I remember being in awe when discovering that you could pay for a song to be your ringtone (usually by texting a five digit number that was advertised on the music channels). Also had a massive leather tote bag for school which carried, amongst other things, my Lancome Juicy Tube and either Thierry Mugler Alien perfume (though my friend was an Angel fan) or the Ghost fragrance that came in a thin purple-ish bottle.

TV wise was obsessed with The OC, Lost (think that was 2005), One Tree Hill, Big Brother and 24. And we would go to the pub every Friday without fail and drink a range of drinks from Malibu and lemonade - puke, not envy - Corona (or was it Sol?) and various alcopops.

Great nostalgic thread!

Loads of alcopops, Corky's shots. I think I'm exactly the same age as you OP.

Hoodies, massive jangly earrings, very very straight hair. Off the shoulder tops. Those belts that have been mentioned, and the pointy shoes/boots.

I was very uncool so listening to Justin Timberlake, Maroon 5, loads of other pop.

Miss it so much!

Shipwrecked! Yes!

Motorola Razor flip phones

Also yes to wooden soled edges and 50 Cent.

Just remembered Von Dutch T-shirt’s and Hats.

Ed Hardy too but that might have been later!

Jesus I feel really old now - most of these things seem like 4 or 5 years ago not 16!