It was acceptable in the 90's

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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

And when I started work, suits with very tight mid length skirts. Very high chunky heeled shoes. Mainly I shopped at Next and Principles for work wear

For work, I used to shop at Next. I had one black, lined skirt from there that went down to my ankles, but was tight.

So I walked a bit like a Geisha in it - I loved it .

I don't know how I walked in those skirts!

Astronaut, are you me?

I loved my floppy hats and novelty tights. Button through dresses with petticoats underneath.

I was a waitree so uniforms all the way. I did have orange hair in pigtails and mini braids.

Astronaut, are you me?

I loved my floppy hats and novelty tights. Button through dresses with petticoats underneath.

I was a waitree so uniforms all the way. I did have orange hair in pigtails and mini braids.

Long skirt, navy with white flowers, buttons down the front.
Tight top.
Love beads
Velvet jacket
DMs. Always.

Silver tops and vintage 70s fur trimmed jackets...very high platforms and tiny skirts....jeans with a vintage apron (it was Shoreditch in my defence) and a lot of old stinky vintage nylon dresses.

I was a teenager in the 90s. I didn't really have any sense of style and we were poor so I struggled through on market stall clothes, Ethel Austin and the odd bit of Tammy Girl...

My staple wardrobe was:

2 bomber jackets, I shiny black, 1 floral (really)
scoop-neck bodies in white, black and red. I had no boobs - they looked shit
straight leg white jeans
lots of ribbed vests and t-shirts
oversized shirts, some denim with marl grey leggings (but Lycra was not at its best then and the leggings were kind of loose on my skinny pins)
wraparound navy and cream check print dress and skirt
canvas lace up pumps in black and white
patent leather dolly shoes with big button
babydoll dress - for going out/mufti day at school

When I was about 16, hipster trousers (with obligatory snaffle belt) came into fashion and I snapped them up.

Ah, they were the days

DMs with everything - summer dresses included!

Oooh love beads!

And dm's we personalised ours with nail polish. My best friend have a pink patent pair that she wore with silver laces. I coveted them. Couldn't even borrow them, she was a 7, I'm a 2.5

I had DMs and pale blue Timberlands.

Very short checked skirt and over the knee black socks

Ha ha Eldritch, my pride and joy was a (and it's going to sound rank but it was lovely) French Connection multicoloured thick knit cardigan.

'I wore suits with shorts skirts and big shoulder pads.'

So did I.

Clothes are so much better now. It used to be very difficult to find anything that was smart, flattering and affordable. When I had an office job I was tall and fairly slim but still struggled to find things that were all three.

Kids t shirts and vests, teamed with baggy jeans and combats. Converse or dm's on my feet

Kids t shirts and vests, teamed with baggy jeans and combats. Converse or dm's on my feet

Early 1990's- home perm hennaed red in an out grown mullet with attention paid to spraying up the fringe into a high crunchy quiff. Clothes were Lycra mini dresses with thick opaques and suede pixie boots. If making a particular effort then out would come a waistcoat to finish off the delightful effort. Red lipstick.

Mid 1990's -into rave/indie scene so bleached hair in neon colours, big knitted hats, patchwork or sun/moon tie dye dresses. Anything by Nomads/Gringo etc. Tight t shirts, pig tails, chokers, a line mini and thick tights with those velvet mary janes or canvas chunky lace up shoes/boots. Bells on bags and army boots. Oooh yes and stripey tights! Face jewels and glitter on eyes.

Late 1990's- cropped jeans, bikenstocks, blue toenails. Adidas retro trainers alongside retro t shirts. Short hair.

As an aside, lil sis works for outfit. Apparently '90's grunge is this years retro trend for topshop.

Twats.

Oh god, I'd forgotten about chokers. They were bad.

I remember Take That went on Top of the Pops to debut their new song 'Everything Changes' (Robbie on lead vocal), all wearing retro Adidas t-shirts. My dad dug his out from the 70s and for a short while was back in fashion again, bless him.

I'll get my army shirt out, Oracle.Still got purple docs somewhere too. I'll be bang on trend!

Early 90s:

Short black lycra dresses with opaque black tights and DM shoes (oh to have the figure I had on my 18th!)

Long floral button through dresses/skirts with chunky lace up boots or DMs. Often from River Island when it still sold such things and the shops were decorated in a Deep South/Mississippi River Boat style with lots of antique accessories and wood panelling

Long waistcoats with only a bra underneath and fake Levis 501s

Flasher Mac from charity shop

Bodies and jersey tops

Thin silk scarves worn choker style

Long wrap skirts

Floppy velvet hats

Jewellery I'd made myself

Chunky knitwear

Sweater Shop and Benetton

Disclaimer - I was a student for most of this time so had neither money nor taste.

Later 90s:

Short skirts and clumpy heels for work

Smart black suit with no shirt underneath for evening work dos

Black Chelsea boots

Pinafore minidress with knee high boots

Retro Adidas t-shirts and trainers or anything else the Britpop crowd were wearing

Baggy jeans

Slogan t-shirts - had one particularly tragic one with 'Born to Party' printed on it

Skinny fit tartan patterned trousers (why???)

Oh yes and black bootcut trousers - wore these loads - and chunky canvas pumps - was racking my brains trying to remember what else I wore on my feet!

Early 90s - a continuation of the late 80s. Canvas black ballet shoe thingies (Dolcis) and Miss Selfridge leggings (the only ones long enough) Bodies galore,underwear as outerwear, black lacegloves.Tie die mini skirts and bodicey tops with hooks and eyes. A lot of black and purple velvet.

For work,however, an utterly stunning grey crimplene pinafore thing with a Mrs Thatcher tie neck blouse underneath. Humiliation as served up by WH Smith. (esp given we were in the M/cr city centre store when everything in the world that was worth happening was happening in Manchester)

Mid 90s - became civil servant so had proper suits from River Island. Cheap shiny fabric and jackets that never fit properly.

Late 90s, had moved to Arse End and realised I was never going to compete (or wouldwant to) with the perma-orange white skinny boobs hanging out Italian women so adopted the jeans and t-shirt look I rather favour today.

Ah yes the black suit jacket buttoned up with no top underneath!

Also I half envied her wardrobe all those massive massive pastel jackets