Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Style and beauty

Looking for style advice? Chat all about it here. For the latest discounts on fashion and beauty, sign up for Mumsnet Moneysaver emails.

It was acceptable in the 90's

335 replies

cybbo · 04/04/2012 12:16

Inspired by our reminiscenses about block heeled court shoes on another thread and my misty recollections about working in Next, what did you used to wear? To work, especially

Lots o' Navy

Lots of gilt buttons, and BURGUNDY. Mucho burgundy. And bodies! ARGGH bodies. I had a peach one IIRC. Pale 10 denier tights

OP posts:
Limelight · 05/04/2012 09:45

Oh I am truly a child of the nineties!

In my early teens it was all about benneton, the sweater shop, naf naf, my vair 'classy' burgundy and navy blue adidas shell suit with Reebok Pump trainers. I honestly thought I'd arrived when I got these! Hooded t-shirts - what was that about?!

Can't ignore school as that's what I did for much of the 90s. Short (to the point of invisible) pleated skirt with black opaque tights and high block heeled loafers from Dolcis (shoes which I genuinely hoped would be my route to 'popular'. Didn't happen sadly). And skinny tie!

Sixth form was all about DMs for winter / converse for summer, ankle length floral spaghetti strap frocks or wrap skirts worn with body tops, velvet jackets, a bit of subtle (ha!) tie-dye, nicking my Mam's 70s knee-highs for college (and getting yelled at), and nicking my boyfriend's 'grandad shirts with the obligatory holes in the sleeves.

And finally! Late teens and early 20s at Uni. Boot cut trousers (particularly black) rather than jeans (I'm not sure I owned a pair!). Moleskin trousers, backless 'scarf' tops. A very short velvet cap sleeved dress which I wore and wore. Hooded track suit tops (for early lectures). Burgeoning interest in 'vintage' (i.e. cheap) so for example I wore a knee length 70s afghan coat. Witty slogan t-shirts.

And hair was very important - from long long long with a centre parting, to a Rachel cut, to very cropped with a variety of dyed sections (I liked blue best).

Oh and feeling enormously fat all of the time because I was a size 14. Oh the bitter bitter irony Grin

Feel quite nostalgic now!

Limelight · 05/04/2012 09:49

Oh dinky the crushed velvet! Rails and rails of it. It's like we were all channelling a half-dead Queen Victoria or something!

noddyholder · 05/04/2012 09:59

I had a burgundy crushed velvet body with a sort of polo neck Shock.

cocolepew · 05/04/2012 10:05

Everyone in my work wore Dash tracksuits. I was a short, lycra skirt, motorbike boots and jacket type of girl.
That wasn't practical for work so I wore leggings, a M&S cotton round necked jumper, and loafers Hmm I looked like my Gran.

I had a collection of chenille (sp) jumpers too.

I had a pair of white 501's which I loved, I remember the trauma of spilling a pint of cider and blackcurrant down them one night Shock.

Bucharest · 05/04/2012 10:05

In crushed velvet I had:
Long sleeved body (from Pretty Polly)
Sleeveless body with polo neck and gappy bit at back
Leggings galore...(but they were the worst for inappropriate ankle revelation)
A truly gobsmacking purple rah rah skirt thing, handkerchief edged with black lace around the jaggy hem.
The catsuit.
A top thing with crushed velvet body bit and black crocheted arms.

Everything was from Miss Selfridge (except the Pretty Polly stuff)

Bucharest · 05/04/2012 10:07

I progressed to 501s once I came to Italy and needed to be less trollopy noticeable.

Black, brown, white 28 waist 34 inside leg. Only jeans which at the time were long enough.

Limelight · 05/04/2012 10:09

Trying to imagine a crushed velvet catsuit. Just wow!

monkeysmama · 05/04/2012 10:15

I had a brown crushed velvet catsuit I'd wear with a long brown sleeveless cardigan over the top and brown platforms with a huge studded wooden heel. Then I went through my odd phase of collecting & wearing charity shop tea-cosies as hats. Strangely no photos have survived from that period.

Bucharest · 05/04/2012 10:15

For One Night Only,crushed velvet catsuit in public, on profile.

PS I look like I have no teeth in that pic for some reason...Confused

cybbo · 05/04/2012 10:17

hah! Looks like Heart reunion tour!

OP posts:
monkeysmama · 05/04/2012 10:18

Limelight your post made me Grin. I had a NafNaf duffle bag I adored & would wear with my blue & white Benetton jumper & black Avia (?) trainers or my sister's Fila. I remember getting Chipie jeans for my birthday.

marshmallowpies · 05/04/2012 10:34

I don't think I have any many photos of that era, but I do remember a crushed brown velvet empire line dress I wore to the 6th form Christmas ball and there might be a picture of that.

I borrowed a pair of brown high heeled shoes from a friend and had a pixie crop hairstyle (cut by self of course) and I honestly think I may never have looked as cool as I did that night!

Oh and my hair was hennaed courtesy of Body Shop hair dye. My god it stank.

cocolepew · 05/04/2012 10:45

My 501's were a 28in waist as well, I think my thigh is bigger than that now.

There were no decent shops in N.Ireland in those days, I used to go on weekend trips to London with my Mum

I had a skirt from Kensington Market that was the waistband of 501's and a Stars and Stripes flag as the skirt. I wore it with cropped leggings and biker booker. I looked stupid lush.

cocolepew · 05/04/2012 10:46

Booker? Boots.

cronsilksilt · 05/04/2012 10:52

bucharest - the hair!!

cocolepew · 05/04/2012 10:59

My hair was the only decent thing about me.

It is was very dark and I either wore it in a Louise Brooks type bob or heavy fringe and straight and long.

Red lipstick was a must.

cronsilksilt · 05/04/2012 11:35

luverly coco Grin
I was more <a class="break-all" href="http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?um=1&hl=en&safe=active&sa=N&biw=1454&bih=726&tbm=isch&tbnid=NL9AFWSZ41ryaM:&imgrefurl=shenewfashions.com/1980-s-hairstyles/hair-style/&docid=eSPRO8oANKFXuM&imgurl=shenewfashion" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">like this

Rustygussets · 05/04/2012 13:00

OoOOoooh!

Just remembered.....cowboy boots......

The smell of Jazz too.

There was also an alternative Body Shop pink bottled scent too called Ananyana or something of the like!

T'was rank.

cocolepew · 05/04/2012 13:14

Niiiice corny Grin

I wore a Bodyshop oil Hmm Mostly Musk I think, I couldn't get in in a sparay. It stained every item of clothing i owned.

cocolepew · 05/04/2012 13:15

Ffs! Spray!

noddyholder · 05/04/2012 13:24

Cyb have a pic on my profile for an hour! My face is like a pumpkin but only pic ds could find in garage!

piratecat · 05/04/2012 13:36

hahaha @ wooden leg stirrup look!!

cocolepew · 05/04/2012 13:41

I like your lipstick in that photo noddy, you have lovely colouring Envy

cocolepew · 05/04/2012 13:43

I had a pair of fat cord ski pants that were too short in the leg, everytime I sat down they slid down my backside. I looked like a puppet on a string.

Swipe left for the next trending thread