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?

A pp mentioned Carnaby Street. Going 'shopping' there was most often not a shopping trip at all. It was a chance to casually stand about looking fabulous

Ah yes, that was another of my hangouts! One of my friends was a mod, and my cousin and I were punks, and other friends had hippy tendencies, so it had something for everyone there.
We'd buy a Red Bus Rover on Saturday mornings and wander around London, hopping on buses to see where we'd end up, but our first destination was always Carnaby Street.

Some of the shops advertised in the back of NME and Sounds, and they'd advertise Bowie trousers, two tone suits, bondage trousers, mod dresses, the lot!

I have a vague recollection of a market below street level in Chelsea High St as well. So dark you could hardly see anything anyone had on sale But soooooo cool.

Do you mean Kings Road? If so, that was the Great Gear Market. It was great. Shelley's had a stall there, and I often bought either suede Chelsea boots, or leather buckle boots from there.

Kensington Market was also cool.

I used to like shopping in the 90s but that's because I was a teenager and to be honest, what else is there for you to do when you have hardly any money, no transport and need to be home for tea?

Now I am adult I would never waste a Saturday traipsing round H&M.

Impulse O2!! So many birthday giftset memories! My favourite Impulse was Night Rhythms, I thought it was well sexy when I was 12. I remember buying a can of it, an apple lip balm and my first copy of Shout Magazine one Friday night not long after starting secondary school.

I also loved my big Red or Dead platform foam sandals from Schuh. And I nicked a tiny backpack from The State of Independence on Argyle St in Glasgow

Snortles

OMG I had them! Loved them! xx

Ah there was a fabulous ‘alternative’ shop on the Kings Road next to Daisy and Tom. When I grew up I was going to get my baby stuff from here.

Both gone :(

And habitat. I still have a cutlery sorted from there. Such happy memories.

This thread is fabulous.

What’s the closest Impulse to 02 now? I feel I should go and buy one.

Oh I miss the pic n mix

the kiddie sweets and the ones in tinfoil would be the adults.
to
I love "adams" in early 90's i used the chasing the apple light the floor

@agentcooper State of Independence!! Now there's a blast from the past 😂

I miss sharing clothes with my uni flatmates in about 2006 - we were all size ten, beautiful and out partying every night. I miss going to topshop with my student discount card and coming home with a bag of nice, trendy but not over trendy clothes under £25. I miss tops not being cropped or having weird shoulder holes.
Having said that I do love boohoo etc, especially now I have a small child and can’t browse in shops easily.

Might be a bit late 80s, but who remembers Kuoros aftershave? I used to nick my brothers and practically bathe in it.

AgentCooper. Yes! Red or Dead. I had a top I used to wear the arse out of back in my raving days. Bought it at the shop in Camden. Uber cool 😎🤣

I remember Kuoros aftershave!

I remember when H&M used to be called Hennes. I liked getting stuff for my kids from there. They were more stylish than places like Littlewoods or BHS, and weren't too expensive. I got my daughter a lovely sailor dress there, but it had such a full skirt on it which took aaaaages to iron, so she didn't wear it very often!

I'm 28 so this brings back so many memories. I'm glad we have moved on though. Growing up as a kid and teenager I was always overweight and I was always jealous of school friends wearing Bay Trading, NV, Mark One, Tammy Girl and Jane Norman clothing because I could never fit in them. I'm also short which is a problem. Most of my clothes where from peacocks. I remember winning £100 to spend in Topshop but none of the clothes fitted me. I got a pair of maternity trousers (at 15) and accessories.

It was about 2008 when I was 18 and discovered Evans before I found clothes which fit and it took me to about 2015 to find jeans in plus size and petite which weren't too long. Though I still struggle now stupid 26in leg.

I'm all for online shopping now and new plus size stores and ranges.

Reported nasib. Fuck off with your spam shit

anyone remember Internationale? And Miss Selfridge back in the day was great. AND the Body Shop used to be good.

I loved Top shop, miss Selfridge, warehouse, bay trading, pilot, Jane Norman, kookai, Morgan.
Also loved the hair mascara and body glitter gel.
I feel like I could go into shops and find anything, casual, smart.
I went into some shops today and they all seemed full of the same clothes with no variation. Just racks of the same style

@ijustlostthegame there was one in Edinburgh. I felt so edgy shopping there. I used to get Hooch trousers, coats and once I got a Playboy t shirt. Ahem.

I think you mean Kourus.

Yep. I used to love shopping for clothes, now I hate it!

the kiddie sweets and the ones in tinfoil would be the adults.

Yes!

Has Wilkos & poundshops just replaced Woolworths? I still really miss my local branch.

I miss River Island when the shop itself had a real identity, and of course the jazz music.

Shopping in 90s Liverpool was just the best. Clayton Square for Pilot, Bay Trading, the Virgin Megastore big window, Lily Whittingham for clubbing dresses. Piano music drifting from upstairs... then you had St Johns with Storm, Frocks and all of those boutiques upstairs.
Lewis's with Kookai, Jane Norman and other fab concessions on one floor.
The amazing Dodos. Wade Smith with its climbing wall.
And a Sunday morning traipse around the Heritage market at Stanley Dock. 'Ex catalogue' ribbed tops for £2 and gingham wrapover skirts for a fiver.

Take me back

I’ve been savouring this thread. I was 15 in 2000 and so much of this is stuff I remember! A PP mentioned Little Miss bras from La Senza, I had a purple Little Miss Naughty bra from there which I had totally forgotten about. And the heart tops from Miss Selfridge, my friend had a navy one with pink heart...

Also MOTO jeans from Topshop, Topshop’s nail polishes (tiny bottles with a silver lid), Impulse 02 and the Spice Girls one, Kickers for school, a Kookai record bag as my school bag (just black with the word Kookai on in tiny white writing), a Kangol jacket....Morgan stuff seemed a bit grown up and sexy for me but I do remember it. I also remember lava lamps making a comeback in around 1997 as my friend got one for her birthday and I was very jealous. I had a watch from Warehouse and when Harvey Nicks opened in Leeds I bought a tealight candle in there (like one individual candle) just for the bag...as if anyone would see me and think that child did all her shopping in HN

A PP also mentioned Bench hoodies, I had one of them in about 2002. And there was a brand called Hooch who did similar ones. I also had a Hooch coat with a HUGE fluffy hood and fluffy pom poms, anyone remember them? I felt like a right trendy Wendy in that in 2001

All those chunky soled shoes... no wonder I can't walk in heels

Can't believe nobody's mentioned the East Asian trend as well. Chinese/Japanese style prints and tops/dresses in that style...you know, neat skirts and short sleeved tops with mandarin collars, in stiff silky material with classical East Asian prints. I looked like utter shit in those outfits, like a stuffed sausage, which broke my heart because I loved them so much. But I had a Chinese print top which I wore to holes, and got quite good at holding my hair in a bun with sticks. And Chinese print pencil skirts with knee high boots.

Does anyone remember that mid 90s look when you'd wear leggings and a sleeveless, V necked jumper of the same colour (a tank top?), with a long sleeved white shirt and those black knee high, lace up boots? And short skirts with thigh high socks. Those looked fucking stupid.

Beachwear as outer wear. Sarongs as actual day to day skirts with crop tops or spaghetti straps. It was actually fine to show your bra straps with spaghetti strap tops, trendy even.

Army surplus clothing. Army print everything. I do wonder if the armed forces ever got pissed off with teenage girls prancing around in camouflage and army wear as fashion statements.

Massive huge wide flares. I still love those, actually.

I found my lava lamp in the garage the other day!