Page 4 | What did your parents not like you wearing as a child?

TazzyDrunk · 2019-12-22T20:34:54+00:00

They didn't like me wearing make up at any time.

SoftBlocks · 23/12/2019 17:19

Patent leather shoes. White sandals. Silver or gold party shoes. All were ‘common’ which was how my parents got round money being tight.

MitziK · 23/12/2019 17:27

Anything red. Anything green. Anything black. Anything striped. Tights, especially if not white or American Tan. Anything with embellishments. Anything velvet. Anything embroidered. Anything grey. Anything that suited a pasty and freckle faced redhead, really.

Shoes that fitted. Anything with a strap. Shoes without stupid little heels on them. Hats. Dresses. Tops other than plain white t-shirts (and then moaned that she could see my bra through them).

No jewellery. No hair bands, ribbons, bow or even covered elastics.

She ensured that I never wore a bikini from her comments about how fat, pasty white and disgusting I'd look in one because I wouldn't be able to hide in it.

Doobigetta · 23/12/2019 18:13

Patent shoes, gold shoes or slip-on shoes. RaRa skirts. All common. It’s amusing how many of us who clearly grew up in the 80s were subject to the same rules.
I don’t remember attempting to wear an ankle bracelet but it was widely accepted that they were the preserve of the prostitute.

Doobigetta · 23/12/2019 18:16

Oh, and not exactly the same thing, but I desperately wanted to be a drum majorette and wear a uniform with gold braid on the jacket and hat, but that was considered common beyond belief. I may be able to see her point on this with hindsight

Skinfulnappies46 · 23/12/2019 18:52

I always wanted a body warmer and slip on shoes but my ma thought they were common. She was a dreadful snob.

TeaAddict235 · 23/12/2019 19:57

@Lndnmummy you are a sweet mum. Well done for letting him be himself and know that he is loved by you

(Your final line nearly made me cry)

QuickstepQueen · 23/12/2019 20:06

Heels when I was a child - insisted on Clarks and Startrite! When I became a teenager they tolerated all my weird excesses. At one point she said your sisters wouldn't wear that - I didn't care - they were staid and boring. Years later I learnt that she was quite embarrassed by my very grungy student look and used to arrange to meet me outside - I really love that she didn't impose her views on me at the time - it was a wise decision.

QuickstepQueen · 23/12/2019 20:15

@MitziK your mum sounds really controlling. Do you have a good relationship with your mum now?

ClinkyMonkey · 23/12/2019 20:25

I wore my cousin's hand-me-down dresses - fire-hazard crimplene monstrosities, complete with giant multi-coloured patterns and rick-rack - anybody remember that stuff?. All hand made by someone who clearly hated children.

I think it's safe to say, my parents were prepared to let me wear anything

AndNoneForGretchenWieners · 23/12/2019 20:35

My nan(dad's mum) bought me a fake fur coat, crimplene green dress and heeled red patent shoes when I was about 7. My mum promptly confiscated them and I never saw them again, despite really lusting after the coat and shoes. She said I was too young and I'd look like Lilo Lil. I've never forgiven her although she was probably right. She used to dress me in those St Michael's dresses with a nylon petticoat type top, plaid skirt, and matching jumper.

I also wasn't allowed a bikini, or anything frilly. She didn't hold with little girls in bikinis, and has never liked frills, flounces or lace.

orchidsarebeautiful · 23/12/2019 20:41

Denim of any kind was forbidden.

Ankle brackets were a sign of a lady of ill repute and not ever permitted.

Ears could be pierced once for girls during teenage years, but not at all under any circumstances for boys.

Nail varnish in any shade darker than you natural nail was forbidden, it also had to be a gentle pink in tone.

Strangely, subtle make up was encouraged and I wore hold up stockings and petticoats under my school skirt, length was below the knee of course.

I am in my 50's and still cannot wear red nail polish although I'd love to. I can still hear my mothers voice.

PhilomenaChristmasPie · 23/12/2019 20:42

Oh, I could never do anything right.

orchidsarebeautiful · 23/12/2019 20:44

@Lndnmummy

NameChangedNoImagination · 23/12/2019 20:47

Patent school shoes
Strap tops

bluebluezoo · 23/12/2019 20:53

Anything she hadn't chosen herself. None of my clothes were really to my taste until I was around 17, when I was allowed to choose some with her

Me too. Only certain shops too, m&s, house of fraser, “classic” stuff. I didn’t set foot in top shop until I was late teens. I even remember having to ask for m&s bikini pants rather than big belly warmers- she actually asked my friend if “that’s what girls wear these days”.

I was the teen with on the knee straight skirts, nice blouses, and a sensible low heel. Proper old lady jeans as a nod to “fashion”.

Left home at 18 and found nirvana in student fashion where I could wear black, black and more black, with band t-shirts, and not worry about wearing what my mother thought classy and what my peer group thought cool.

My mother hated it, obviously. All my christmas presents were nice handbags, neutral everyday make up pallettes...clothes i could wear if we went somewhere “nice”.

Grew out if the goth phase a bit but have never been confident in my clothes choices so generally wear jeans and a t-shirt. She hates that too and thinks i should make more of an effort.

Quite often she’ll do it to my kids too and try and make them get changed if she doesn’t think an outfit is smart enough. As toddlers they came up with some glorious mismatches that horrified her. They are now teens and very confident in choosing their own clothes as they’ve been able to experiment without criticism.

NamechangeProtectIdentity · 23/12/2019 21:05

Oh yes if you dye your hair you'll end up bald. Where did that come from???!!!!!

reluctantbrit · 23/12/2019 22:05

Trainers. According to my mum they destroy your feet when worn all the time. I had a hard time relaxing when DD wore them as normal shoes outside school. It scared me for life.

zemblanity · 23/12/2019 22:10

At primary school I wanted to wear those white ankle socks with the lace frill round them with black patent shoes that had a single strap that you could fold back to make them slip ons.

But I had "narrow ankles" so had to wear stupid T bar shoes.

At juniors I'd gone down the tomboy route and I wanted to wear trainers to school (no uniform) but they "made your feet spread" so I wasn't allowed.

I wasn't allowed to wear black either - until I was about 16

CoffeeRunner · 23/12/2019 22:13

Many things were “common” in my mum’s eyes.

Things on the forbidden list included;

Jeans
Leggings
Black clothing
Make up
Permed or crimped hair
Pierced ears

MiniGuinness · 23/12/2019 22:17

Hoop earrings. I still get such pleasure from them now!

EpcotForever · 23/12/2019 22:28

Ankle bracelets.. That's what prostitutes wore apparently!

JaceLancs · 23/12/2019 23:02

Dr martens
Platform shoes
Stripy socks
Tartan (bay city roller style)
Punk attire

AnneOfCleavage · 23/12/2019 23:11

OMG where were all you non wearing of jeans brigade when I was at school? I swear I was the only one - well not the only one as my sisters wouldn't have been in them either on mufti day - and it was humiliating having to wear a knee length skirt. We weren't allowed to wear trousers full stop as they were boys clothes apparently and as soon as I left school and earned my own money I told my mum I was going to buy a pair of jeans. I was firmly told "you will not" and so I didn't.

Now I have a DD I let her wear whatever is in fashion or what she likes but she's not massively into fashion but she has nice things so she doesn't feel embarrassed.

We also weren't allowed to cut our hair as girls always have long hair according to my DM and tbf I have kept my hair long as I do prefer it but my older sis cut hers short as soon as she turned 18 and still has like it now.

I was allowed those shoes with the straps that went round the back of the shoe as well as over and didn't realise those were so coveted. I was also bought a kitten stiletto style pair of shoes as a young teen but only wore them once at school as the clacking sound in the corridors embarrassed me so much - can't believe I was allowed those. I was finally allowed some loafers in my last year at seniors which I loved so perhaps she had softened a bit as I was the 3rd DD so perhaps had relaxed a bit.

Wasn't allowed to shave my legs til I was a mid teen either and only did when my big sis did so she was a year or so older than me. No make up or ear piercings allowed either. Have two holes now and my navel but wear minimal make up as prefer it but I did go through a stage of wearing lots when I finally could.

EoinMcLovesCakeJumper · 24/12/2019 08:30

I wonder if any prostitutes ever did wear anklets, or if the idea came from nowhere? It seems a weird sort of association but clearly a lot of parents did believe it, according to this thread! My mum thought they looked "common" but she never actually said they were only for sex workers...

Micah · 24/12/2019 11:01

I wonder if any prostitutes ever did wear anklets, or if the idea came from nowhere? It seems a weird sort of association but clearly a lot of parents did believe it, according to this thread! My mum thought they looked "common" but she never actually said they were only for sex workers...

I remember in the early days of mobile phones a girl in our village being the first to have one. Us teens thought she was well sophisticated until the rumour started that prostitutes had mobile phones so as to be “on call” for clients.

Turned out to be true in this case