To miss shopping in the 90's and early noughties

[witchofzog]

I used to love shopping but now there are very few shops I actually like. I miss Jeffrey Rogers, Bay Trading Co, MK One, Pilot etc. Not high end clothing granted but there were always things I liked.

These days a lot of stores are online but I can't be bothered with what would probably be constant sending things back as a lot of things look great on the hanger but crap on me. Primark is ok but hell to shop in when I can go as it is so busy and don't get me started on the mirrors. New Look is ok as is H & M too but really that's about it. I actually prefer charity shops and car boots now but today I just feel really nostalgic for the high street of yesteryear.

Does anyone else feel the same?

Great thread! I miss C & A & Woolies - only place you could get individual flavours of Jelly Belly jellybeans. Where I live isn’t particularly good for high street shopping anyway but it is definitely changing & it’s a shame

I wasn't fashionable at school but I really tried! Stuff I remember:

-Glitter roll on lip gloss, when glitter was becoming big - also roll on body glitter suspended in gel, glitter nail polish for the first time (felt really smart for buying a clear glitter nail polish and layering it over black polish to look like a night sky, everyone at school was impressed I promise)
-Butterfly clips for hair, could never do any of the magazine styles with them because my hair was awful
-Tiny backpacks, and inflatable ones
-Platform trainers which no one was allowed to buy because Baby Spice broke her ankle in hers
-Charlie Red, Impulse Vanilla Kisses, Impulse Spice Girls special edition (I kept the can for years)
-Kookai, Morgan, C&A, River Island, New Look, Pilot, Bay Trading, Knickerbox (too raunchy at our age), Mark One, Duty Free shop in Manchester Arndale for wild coloured cosmetics
-Body Shop White Musk toiletries from family every Xmas
-Kickers for school, was so proud when I finally got some
-Ellesee and Fila trainers, Reebok, could never afford Nike or Adidas
-Suede skirts, trousers over skirts, cord trousers, dungarees
-PVC EVERYTHING, shiny red pvc trousers, little backpacks mostly
-Sequin tops to wear at the school disco
-White tops and dresses with Japanese style writing in silver or dragons, basically printed in 'tattoo' style
-Halter necks
-All Saints look with combat/camo trousers and crop tops and trainers
-Tops with a boob slit, boob tubes in bright colours

I have more but I'll stop!

This thread has made me so happy and so sad at the same time. These threads always make me think of Baz Luhrmann’s Everybody’s Free (to Wear Sunscreen) and I realise how meaningful those words really are.

I had a black wool Caterpillar coat from River Island that had a yellow 'caterpillar' label on it. It was £70 and my school coat. Totally impractical really but my mother was past the point of caring

I really felt like the dogs bollocks in it.

Did anyone else own these weirdly wonderful spacey platform sandals? I had an exact pair in all white. I remember requesting them for my birthday and a (too big for my skinny tween wrist) baby G watch. And a tamagotchi.

I miss Woolworths, it was my go-to for pick n mix sweets and spoiling my Dnieces/nephews with toys. I also miss Dolcis and Jane Norman - loved the JN summery dresses to wear over pants when that was a thing

then to Athena for a poster Did you have the one with a fit bloke in his boxers holding a baby too?

Impulse vanilla kisses not impulsive- oops!

I liked Mark One clothes but the one in my town had a communal changing room, so I did not go there often.

Has Tribe perfume been mentioned yet?! Just 17 recommended it so had to wear bucketloads of it, natch.

tiny backpacks and inflatable ones Anyone remember inflatable armchairs? I wanted one.

Ilikecakes Don't remember Tribe. I liked TommyGirl and the So..? range.

Do they still publish Just 17? I read mine avidly every week.

and Bliss magazine too

ebony how can you not remember the COOLEST bottle ever manufactured....or so my 14 year old self thought?

I have a skirt from Tammy Girl that I still wear now...it comes out every summer, as it has for 20 years. It's one of my faves, looks brand new still too.

Love this thread. Used to get my wallabies from carnaby street and kickers from Shelley’s on Neal Street Covent Garden. Who remembers the Soul to Soul Shop in Camden? Looking back, the clothes were shite, but it was like walking into a club and the place to be seen. Thought I was the edgiest person ever! 😳

Ahhh The Pier. I thought it was the height of interior design. When ours closes down I could finally buy the bed spread I had coverted for ages.

This was when shops didn’t change their stock every 6 weeks (I’m looking at you Next)

I still have that bed spread. Always will.

A trip to John Lewis just isn’t the same asa 90’s shopping trip.

Just 17's eulogy: www.stylist.co.uk/life/the-magazine-that-changed-our-life/54772

This thread has made me so happy and so so sad that that lovely time is over, and that I didn't even realise how lovely it was at the time....

Yes yes yes!! This takes me back to the days when I rocked my hoi polloi jeans, sweater shop jumper, kickers and my kangol hat! Topped off with a light spray of exclamation.

I didn’t realise how much I missed those days and saturdays spent shopping with friends (anyone else remember Internationale!!!) for the perfect outfit to wear that night!!

Remembering all these shops with such nostalgia. Had an outfit from French connection that I wore constantly one summer nearly every night I went out...a blue and cream striped fitted tshirt/top with a long tight blue tshirt material skirt with a thigh high split and some cream trainers, thought I was beyond cool!!

Had a naf naf jacket, Reebok pump trainers, all things body shop, coffee shimmer rimmel lippy, Benetton, THAT Athena picture, la senza bras, a gorgeous pair of navy silk combats, from warehouse I think, that I wore with a variety of strappy vest tops, little stretchy cardies and timberland boots. Still love timberland boots to be fair. A burgundy lambswool Pringle jumper for school, a long bum covering charcoal M&S cardie for school too, black culottes for school when they were all the rage, soul II soul tracksuits were huge for a while, had a fila watch with a white silicone like strap which I LOVED, god could go on all night about thus stuff!!

Ooh and just remembered, for a while the girls at our school were all wearing YSL Jazz aftershave for some reason

@AmberNectarine

I remember saving up my babysitting money to buy one of those heart t shirts from miss selfridge.

I spent much of the 1990s wearing skinny ribs from bay trading.

Got lots of my clothes from Mark one though because it was the cheapest shop.

bring back Boots Ice Musk toiletries and No7 Clearly Caramel lipstick 😭

@snorties I had those in black when I was 16! £30 in Ravel iirc. I wore them with denim pedal pushers

@Snorties not sure if case sensitive.

Stewpots Yes! Impulse Spice Girls Body Spray was divine! I can still smell it when I think about it.

Anybody remember Les Belles De Ricci? Was in a Green Swirly Bottle with a metallic pink lid. I adored that fragrance. I also like So! Wild.

Another Bay Trading Fan. I used to be a lovely size 6. Could pick up whatever I wanted from Bay Trading. Then I got ill and put loads of weight on. Now I can't even fit into any Primark clothes :(

Also early thirties!

Oooh!

Coffee shimmer lipstick from rimmel
Iced champink from avin

I had impulse the spice girls one. I can still remember the smell. Most girls at my school would use Impulse 02 or Charlie red.

I used to go into town into etam, Tammy girl, kookai, benneton, sweater shop, Mark One, we had another cheap shop but I can't remember the name! I really miss that whole experience. I used to mooch around market and they sold books and whatever you needed. It was brilliant. I grew up in Southampton and I loved the old shops before they built west quay! Oh I miss those days.

Body shop lip balm
Big platform trainers
Kickers with the foamy tag on
Jjb sports
Bay trading

Athena was amazing for random junk!

Spectacular nail varnish and roll on glitter which had a funny smell. Oh I miss school disco days!