Does anyone remember this style?

[Pheasantlysurprised]

I used to wear this stuff when I was 16-21, (which would have been 1990 onwards) we also bought army surplus rucksacks and embroidered into them, usually peace symbols and ban the bomb.. The skirts often had little mirrors on and were very long and swishy!

We wore patchouli oil or sandalwood and due to being in the north we shopped mostly at Afflecks Palace in Manchester. We loved the Stone Roses, The Doors, The Smiths, Velvet Underground, etc. Glastonbury was very different then, no paps or celebs in Hunter wellies all over it.

I also wore those very long tiny necklaces made up of thousands of multicoloured beads. When one snapped, as they invariably would, you could still find random beads near the skirting boards 20 yrs later
We wore the dyed tights and woven bracelets.

Anyway I saw these items on ebay and it was such a blast from the past. It is amazing how the sensorial element of a particular time can crash back in.

And not forgetting the Docs. I still wear those. I still wear long skirts but don't reek of patchouli (prefer Guerlain) and prefer more minimal designs/fabrics and colours nowadays.
We didnt call it 'hippy' but it was classed as alternative, to a point. I mean, we used to hold burning joysticks in nightclubs whilst swaying around dreamily when The Sunday's were playing......

Does anyone else remember describing the skirts as 'cheesecloth skirts' or am I remembering it wrong? Surely they cant have been cheesecloth?

Was there even a name for those skirts? The often had tassels at the waist (and were always elasticated sadly), sometimes had a cotton linen lining and occasional mirrors/embroidery. The fabric felt like a slightly rough cotton to me, but I have no idea where they came from or what they were originally called.

We often bought them from Afflecks, so many were second hand by 1990.

We also used to steal our dad's cardigans for a nonchalant, sloppy look, especially when wearing our loose fit 501's. My boyfriend of the time used his grandfathers cardi's and had a Morrissey quiff haircut!
We also shared jeans, which I rolled up to just above my docs

And regardless how many types of jeans are circulating now, none of them create this look. They were non stretch denim and loose fit, but were also loose at the hip/waist unlike ALL jeans now that are skin tight from the thigh up. When worn in they were so supremely soft - something I have never, ever experienced with jeans since the 90's.

Cheesecloth was pretty widespread in the 70s - I had a couple of skirts similar to your description Pheasantly, plus several cheesecloth shirts and tops and at least one dress. So if you bought them second hand in the 90s then yes, quite possibly.

@Pheasantlysurprised, we never had a name for the skirts, but I'm sure I remember some shops referring to them as cheesecloth?
This thread has reignited so many memories for me, and over the weekend I had a look around the house for my string of Indian bells, which I loved dearly at the time, sure I had kept them, but no luck. So I've ordered some new ones and I might be piecing together a new old look so I shall be forever 15

Cheesecloth is a particular type of fabric, but I don't think the skirts I had were cheesecloth, they were a bit finer cotton than that. I posted this upthread, but my friend who was Indian told me at the time they were actually underskirts. They were a lot less fancy than the type of skirts that come up if you put Indian skirt into Google.

Vintage shops are a great source of beautifully worn-in 501 jeans that can be worn cinched at the waist. Better for the planet to buy second-hand denim, too!

This thread has got me thinking back to how fabulous a thing is a proper market hall. In my home town, you had the wet fish stall literally rubbing shoulders with the Indian hippy-dippy stall, so a heady aroma of incense, sandalwood and, um, fish! . I used to browse to my heart’s content and vividly remember buying a ling floaty Indian cotton dress that smelled weirdly scenty once I’d worn it for a few hours - not unpleasant but very distinctive. Wish I’d kept it! I wonder how many of us are now scouring eBay for Indian skirts and dresses? 🤣

Ha ha! That should be ‘long floaty dress’ but a ‘ling’ dress would definitely work on the fish stall!

@Craftycorvid

Vintage shops are a great source of beautifully worn-in 501 jeans that can be worn cinched at the waist. Better for the planet to buy second-hand denim, too!

This thread has got me thinking back to how fabulous a thing is a proper market hall. In my home town, you had the wet fish stall literally rubbing shoulders with the Indian hippy-dippy stall, so a heady aroma of incense, sandalwood and, um, fish! . I used to browse to my heart’s content and vividly remember buying a ling floaty Indian cotton dress that smelled weirdly scenty once I’d worn it for a few hours - not unpleasant but very distinctive. Wish I’d kept it! I wonder how many of us are now scouring eBay for Indian skirts and dresses? 🤣

Since 501's recently had a resurgence, I imagine they'd be pricey now. We used to snag them so, so cheap!

There's much more of a focus on luxury nowadays, which runs awkwardly beside our interest in the environment and ethics. People seem generally more interested in artisanal 'effects' than actual thriftiness - there is a tendency to seek authenticity but only if it comes at a premium (with clothing and interiors, etc).

I never liked our market, but I loved those weird stores that popped up all over the place over three or four floors, teeming with weird and wonderful garments and objects (remember the crystals craze?). Im sure there was on vin my old town called the 'Zoo', it contained artists selling jewellery, paintings, stuff hauled over from India such as bedspreads and ornaments (lots of elephants)....all a mix of vintage and newly handmade.
And then it sort of just vanished from typical towns and only a few remained in cities, but even they had to become more mainstream and commercial to survive. Such a shame, I would love to. mooch around places like that now, even if I don't wear bells on my gown.

some pics! Indian bells and elephants.
I am sure that embroidered elephant bag was mine..
I also love the skirt, it has tiny elephant on it and little folk characters. Sadly not my size but I was tempted.

these too

This was my look circa 92-94! Green docs, the tiny bead necklaces, patchwork skirts etc. Skinny rib tshirts from topshop. My whole friendship group had docs in different colours and a velvet jacket from a vintage shop.

By around 95 my look had evolved and I was in flared cords, retro trainers and a lovely vintage suede jacket with huge lapels.

I miss the 90s

That’s the very dress, @Pheasantlysurprised. And yes, I love how it didn’t matter where something came from or what you’d paid for it. People evolved their style from what was around them in a really creative way.

My most recent vintage 501s cost about 15 quid, I think. They’re genuinely aged and worn in rather than artificially aged with weird chemicals.

Anyone wear their Docs with ribbons instead of laces? Mine were bright pink.

Oh dear I had a top exactly like that in 1981/82 !

Used to wear these in the 80s ! Was definitely a uniform amongst my group of teenage friends.

Does anyone remember Quiggins in Liverpool. I loved that place.

@DerTrotzkopf

Used to wear these in the 80s ! Was definitely a uniform amongst my group of teenage friends.

Oh yes! The red one with an army jacket!

Ooh yes, I was a boy of a rock chick but liked the hippy goth look too. In Norwich, Norfolk we had a shop called 'Head in the Clouds' you could smell it before you saw it. Its still going strong today

www.headintheclouds.info/

Ah, lovely - thank you for this blast from the past! This was definitely me from about 1990 - 1994. I remember The Oasis in Brum, always a favourite haunt. I bought an ancient leather jacket there and when I was checking the pockets when I got it home, found an old German identity card in one of them!

I still love a massive grandad cardigan and I bought a new pair of docs a couple of years ago (my mum rolled her eyes massively).

Now plotting to buy some old 501s that will be buttery soft.

Hell’s teeth! Just seen the price of floaty Indian cotton dresses on eBay. Wish I’d kept mine!

@Craftycorvid

Hell’s teeth! Just seen the price of floaty Indian cotton dresses on eBay. Wish I’d kept mine!

the polyester ones are dirt cheap - no surprises eh?

DD (15) came home from town at the wknd with her first incense 😂
She was wearing black flared jeans, a skinny stripy T-shirt, one of DH’s shirts (she’s a 6, he’s XL), an old green canvas bag of mine and docs. Made me smile.

I’ve also been reminded of when I started sixth form (1991) bought a sundress in the charity shop-made out of a William Morris type fabric… converted it in to a miniskirt and wore it to school… one of the teachers stopped me and told me they loved my skirt, and that their Mum had made them a sundress out of the same fabric in the seventies… it was originally some curtains in her grandmas house :) (I think it’s still in a bag in the loft… sadly it wouldn’t fit any more!)

I'm a lot older than you but when we were late teens/early 20s my friend Jo used to wear the fringed mirrored skirts and cheese cloth shirts with no bra. She was tall and willowy with a mass of chestnut curly hair and she looked amazing. I am very short and slightly built but have enormous boobs and looked terrible in things like that. I needed (and still need) fitted clothes to look shapely rather than swamped but they just weren't the look back then. I was so envious of her.

Oh this thread has brought back some memories!

I used to love the floaty skirts with the mirrors on, and the sack-y embroidered bags and scarves. Nothing structured or uncomfortable.

I remember my 'going out' outfit was a pair of wide legged chiffon trousers which were lined from Top Shop - flat fronted and they zipped up at the side and had a kind of corset tie effect at the back teamed with a long black velvet tunic button through top with wide sleeves which I bought in a little shop in Croydon which sold joss sticks, incense, candle holders and crystals as well. It was fabulous.

And yes, yes, to clothes being of better quality then. I've got a white linen skirt that I bought in Warehouse. It was maxi, I had it cut down to midi length and I still wear it. Considering I bought it before I was married, and I've just celebrated my Silver Wedding, I think that's pretty good going.