All my friends have one ….. (lighthearted)

[MistressoftheDarkSide]

Inspired by another thread, and being laid up on day 10 of a chesty virus which has put me on my arse, but feeling marginally better so…..

I’m in my 50s so completely out of the parenting / teen trend loop, but the thread about North Face coats took me right back to when I was about 14 and my Holy Grail was a pair of flat black patent ballet pumps with a bow…..

Oh how I begged and pleaded. My DM (rest her soul) was a stickler for rules and sensible footwear, and when we couldn’t get the right sort of sensible shoes one term she even took me to an “old lady” shoe shop for the most hideous pair of clunky T bar shoes I had ever seen…. Obviously very character building….. 🤣🙄

I remember my Step Dad came to pick me up from school when I was pursuing the patent pumps, and he gleefully reported he hadn’t seen anyone else wearing them so I was denied again…..

If memory serves my Nana saved the day in the end, causing minor friction, but I wore those shoes until they fell apart…..

So, back in the day, what was the thing that you absolutely had to have to win street cred among your peers?

Ridiculously baggy jeans that soaked up puddles

Rockports with very low waisted, stretchy, bootcut trousers with a thong pulled up over the top.
Kickers.
A Nokia 3210.
Jane Norman bags.
Wallabies.
Navy blue berghaus coat.

A bit earlier it was things like adidas poppers, kappa jackets and reebok classics.

I begged for a pair of patent slip on shoes instead of my usual sensible Clarks shoes when I was about 7. I got them and then one fell off when I was running and I badly hurt my leg and my mum was all smug and said it was my fault for wearing stupid shoes. 😎

I eventually got my shell suit when I was a teenager and absolutely loved it. I'm sure I looked as hideous in it as I did in my Bermuda shorts.

To the PP who wanted a reversible Disney jumper, I had a knock off one from the market and it was my pride and joy and then it got stolen from the washing line. I was devastated.

I've got a Jansport bag! I was going to give it to the charity shop, but I'm going to use it now.

I had Kickers but they were within the school uniform colours and were the shoes. To be cool, you really needed red or blue boots, or possibly yellow ones, and with more than one tag.
The soles on mine didn't wear out despite wearing them to school every day.

Black Doc Martens

Nike or Adidas trainers. My dad took me to the sports shop so I could get some and fit in. But when I saw the prices of the name brand trainers Vs generic ones that looked the same to me I couldn't understand it. I realised the cool kids at school just had more money than sense/were being taken for a ride by fashion trends. I actually couldn't do it, all that money for shoes to run around a fucking field in?! Even as a teen in a quite well of family that felt like utter madness.

Next time someone took the piss out of my PE trainers I was quietly smug and superior like the contrary cow I am. My parents were so bloody lucky I was such a cheapskate even back when I was 13 🤣

I'm 55 and I saved up for a black Harrington jacket. Took it to the COOP where they ironed on the letters of my name. Two Tone and ska was BIG!

That was why I was allowed and even encouraged to have DMs. Sensible, hard-wearing, good for your feet, waterproof, my Mum was delighted! So delighted in fact that when the school tried to ban them she complained to the head and they eventually backed down!!!

It was illogical to ban DMs and allow all manner of less safe/healthy shoes.

Oh man YES! The dungarees only came in one leg length though, so you had to adjust the straps to let them hang as low as you needed. And the wallabies came in all sorts of (wildly impractical) pastel colours and had a pale yellow sole as well. You couldn't do them up without losing cool points, so they were really difficult to keep on unless you walked slowly. The boys teamed them with floppy curtain hairstyles...swoon.

And if you could team with Bennetton/naf naf accessories then you were cooking with gas in the style stakes!

DMs. The old style boots. Early 90s. Mum refused as too expensive then dad had a windfall on the pools and took me to buy some. I was so happy!

As a child a Mr Frosty as a teen an ellesse jumper

Ah, Wallabees and Polyveldts.
For the nostalgic fans of those, have you seen Clarks' Funny Dream shoes? I'm seriously considering as they look so comfy... in suede, leather and all colours.

In chronological order,
Hyper color tshirt
Adidas sweatshirt
Adidas snap pants
Doc Martens

I remember being a young teen in the 70s and I used to long to own more than one skirt, one pair of jeans a few tops. My friend in the next street had loads of clothes and handbags and shoes and boots. Sometimes we would be in her room while she opened her wardrobe and drawers when deciding what to wear. To me, she had an unimaginable choice.

I know it's superficial, but that feeling of wanting a selection of pretty clothes and shoes/boots has never left me, and as an adult I own quite a lot of clothing now - some of it bought not because it suits me but because I wanted to possess such a pretty garment. Does that make me a hoarder? Can anyone else relate?

Yes! totally hideous -not that kickers were much better -my lovely grandma bought me some for £50 which was loads in 1990
By the summer they were passe and had been replaced by chunky soled palladiums and deck shoes. All utterly grim looking. I thought they were the business

Miss Selfridge bag with the heart logo. (Around early 2000’s style). I wanted the hot pink but my mam said I could only have one for school if I got the black one 😂

My mum was a chiropodist so I was only allowed sensible shoes with laces or a buckle. I desperately wanted slip ons so managed to get a pair of the shoes where the buckle can slide to go around the back of the shoe (she didn't realise this!). Would leave the house with them buckled up and change them to slip ons as soon as I was out of sight!

Joe Bloggs jeans, I loved them! I wanted a Benneton duffle bag and anything, anything from Body Shop!

@barbrahunter , I can identify with it and I'm a hoarder. I buy things because want to own them, but I don't wear them. Time for a clearout.

Oh this thread takes me back! Ski pants with batwing jumper. Pedal pushers with a fancy shirt. Ankle boots. Electric blue eyeliner and Rimmel Amethyst lipstick. Jane Norman bag for pe kit. Body Shop Dewberry fragrance. Jelly shoes and matching jelly bag.

@redtulip12 my sister had those for the same reason, and my mum walked past the playground and saw she'd swapped the strap to the back and had a go at her when she came home :(

You were nobody in my school in the 80's if you didn't wear a Patrick Classic zipped cagoule in blue, and black and white 3 stripe Adidas trainers.

A doll’s head you could put make up on and it’s hair came out of it’s head when you turned a knob.
for my brother, it was a chopper bike.

I'm must be a similar age to you OP. I still have my hard-won flat, black, patent shoes.

I never did get a Benetton rugby shirt though!

I can relate. 😊