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Does anyone remember this style?

274 replies

Pheasantlysurprised · 09/11/2021 16:52

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 Grin
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 remember this style?
Does anyone remember this style?
OP posts:
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SallyOMalley · 09/11/2021 19:56

Anyone here from Leeds / West Yorkshire? Remember the Dark Arches with all the little stalls? And the Corn Exchange before it got gentrified!

liveforsummer · 09/11/2021 19:59

Yes I remember. It wasn't so much my style . Parents and their friends were crafters though - knitwear, weaving, leatherwork etc. Manning stalls at craft fairs and festivals. Have memories of being at Glastonbury aged 6 in the mid 80's. Definitely hippies and everything you describe was the uniform.

Willowcat77 · 09/11/2021 20:00

I still dress like this now - it's my default look! I don't think the alternative/hippy look will ever die for some of us 🙂

honeyfox · 09/11/2021 20:09

Oh I had two of the tie-dyed blouses with tiny mirrors in the fabric around 1994, loved them. The docs too, had oxblood and brogue shoes. Happy days.

FictionalCharacter · 09/11/2021 20:11

I wore skirts like that in the 70s so am very very old! And Phool Indian cotton tops.

weebarra · 09/11/2021 20:18

@RJnomore1 , I lived in Virginia Galleries! I had a fab purple velvet blazer from there, as well as an ear piercing and a life size poster of Rick Witter of Shed Seven.
I also remember Flip on ?Bath Street.
I had pairs of Docs in black, navy and purple and bought henna for my hair from Pie in the Sky in Argyle St.
I must have been 15/16 as I moved to Edinburgh for uni at 17. Good times.

OublietteBravo · 09/11/2021 20:22

@SallyOMalley

Anyone here from Leeds / West Yorkshire? Remember the Dark Arches with all the little stalls? And the Corn Exchange before it got gentrified!
Yes!!! I grew up near there (we could get to either Leeds or Bradford on the train). Also Lotus Petals in Skipton. I’m currently wondering where the moon & stars dangly earrings I bought there and wore continuously for the next 4 or 5 years ended up.
LoveFall · 09/11/2021 20:23

Great memories. We were so much happier. We thought we had turned a corner into an enlightened time with peace, love, and the beauty of nature.

Ha ha.

Reminded me of this:

Pheasantlysurprised · 09/11/2021 20:23

Oh god I remember the Corn Exchange, the words are still on the building but god knows what it is now.

Thank you to everyone for reminiscing with me, a really enjoyable read!

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Wavingnotdrown1ng · 09/11/2021 20:25

Also, Kensington Market and Quiggins in Liverpool.

SallyOMalley · 09/11/2021 20:26

@OublietteBravo - I loved Lotus Petals in Skipton! My parents lived there when I was at uni. My mum used to take me for lunch at a place at the top of the high street near the castle and she humoured me while I mooched around Lotus Petals afterwards. I loved that shop.

Pheasantlysurprised · 09/11/2021 20:27

[quote LoveFall]Great memories. We were so much happier. We thought we had turned a corner into an enlightened time with peace, love, and the beauty of nature.

Ha ha.

Reminded me of this:

[/quote] So true, my generation, well me at least, thought we were truly making progress, that so many unpleasant issues were to become a thing of the past. People were concerned about the environment, equality, animal welfare, it felt as if something was moving forward - and then the internet happened, and no matter how much I love it.....something seemed to turn sour. I highly doubt young people feel the way we did now, and for many reasons I cant say I blame them :(
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tinselvestsparklepants · 09/11/2021 20:31

Yes- and the students in Bristol still embrace this look. A question - there was a store in Liverpool that stocked this sort of stuff, it was Luke an indoor market and I adored it when I got to visit - what was it called????? (Still have my 8 hole green dms in my 'museum')

Pheasantlysurprised · 09/11/2021 20:31

I have to be honest though, I am tempted to buy that duffle bag in my OP. It's only £10. It is 100% embroidered cotton, so just a bit less expensive than a Margaret Howell or Toast cotton canvas tote bag.

OP posts:
LoveFall · 09/11/2021 20:32

Yes, it was the Age of Aquarius after all. I was a die hard environmentalist, composting, reusing containers and hitting my poor long-suffering parents over the head with Diet for A Small Planet, all in the early 70s.

It actually shocks me that things went so far the other way.

ShesComeUndone · 09/11/2021 20:36

These were my teenage years too! I even painted my DMs and put tiny bells on the laces. We spent our weekends hanging out in coffee shops, that would probably be closed down for 0 hygiene ratings now, talking about books, music and poetry! We were soooo pretentious. I’m afraid that my fragrance of choice was dewberry though.

TheYearOfSmallThings · 09/11/2021 20:39

OP this would be more comfortable:

Does anyone remember this style?
OublietteBravo · 09/11/2021 20:42

[quote SallyOMalley]@OublietteBravo - I loved Lotus Petals in Skipton! My parents lived there when I was at uni. My mum used to take me for lunch at a place at the top of the high street near the castle and she humoured me while I mooched around Lotus Petals afterwards. I loved that shop.[/quote]
I suffered hours in Sunwin House and Rackhams with my mother in order to get to go to Lotus Petals Grin

Pheasantlysurprised · 09/11/2021 20:43

Christ, I remember people wearing Dewberry, was it from the bodyshop?

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RacketeerRalph · 09/11/2021 20:45

[quote BasiliskStare]@Pheasantlysurprised I remember Affleck's Palace . Ha ha - truly a blast from the past - Also Laurence Corner near the Camden Palace where you could buy black army trousers for a song - useful when had no money Ah - the days Grin[/quote]
I'm taking my niece in 2 weeks. She's 13 and wearing the style in the photos currently. I'm more excited than her 😂

Pheasantlysurprised · 09/11/2021 20:47

@TheYearOfSmallThings

OP this would be more comfortable:
It's an elephant! Grin
OP posts:
TheYearOfSmallThings · 09/11/2021 20:47

Of course it is Grin

TheVolturi · 09/11/2021 20:51

Oh my goodness I remember this! I had a really cool friend who was totally gorgeous and she absolutely rocked this look. If I get a whiff of patchouli now I always turn around expecting to see her.

CopperLily · 09/11/2021 20:51

@LoveFall

Yes, it was the Age of Aquarius after all. I was a die hard environmentalist, composting, reusing containers and hitting my poor long-suffering parents over the head with Diet for A Small Planet, all in the early 70s.

It actually shocks me that things went so far the other way.

The Liverpool one was Quiggins, as @Wavingnotdrown1ng said. It's sadly no longer there. My husband recently took my kids to Afflecks Palace and they loved it! I was 16 in 1990 and my 14 year old daughter now wears the same things that I did then. She recently dragged me into Urban Outfitters and I couldn't believe that they were selling the same stuff I wore in the 90s, except it was stupidly expensive and of piss-poor quality. I realised that day I'd got old.
StormBaby · 09/11/2021 20:52

I still dress a bit like that now 🤣