Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

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.

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:
Thread gallery
15
CopperLily · 09/11/2021 20:53

Sorry, @LoveFall I accidentally quoted you instead of @tinselvestsparklepants.

OnwardsAndSideways1 · 09/11/2021 20:54

My teens still like some of this stuff now, the long hippy skirts, although they wear them with crop/tight tops and show their stomachs now! Incense and candles also bought by them. These things come around and around.

EmergencyPoncho · 09/11/2021 20:56

Yes! My mum referred to the skirts with mirrors as tablecloths and was fuming when I insisted on sporting this look on a trip to Paris.

Pheasantlysurprised · 09/11/2021 20:56

I had a burgundy velvet blazer in 1992 when I was 18.
I bought it from Afflecks in manchester, for around £5.
It was the same quality as something that would set you back £300 now, cotton and silk velvet, rather than polyester. The difference is remarkable, and the prices now, for utter flimsy shite, are astounding.

Best to look on ebay than NetaPorter.

OP posts:
Boeing777 · 09/11/2021 20:57

I found one of those long necklaces with all.the tiny beads in a charity shop about a month ago for £1.00. Had to be bought. I Loved wearing skirts like that, it was my 'happy era'! Only talking about that the other night. Carnaby Street had some really good xhops for those things....and some strange stores in Oxford Stteet too!!

bananafruitcake · 09/11/2021 20:58

@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 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......

Gosh I had completely forgotten about those bags! I had one 😊😊
MrsDeaconClaybourne · 09/11/2021 20:59

Definitely my look in the early 90s too. I have naturally curly hair and used to powdered henna (from the Body Shop?) You had to mix boiling water and put it on as hot as you could. It stunk and for a while after the smell reactivated if you got caught in the rain!

Loved Afflecks Palace too. Haven't been to Manchester for a while and assumed it wasn't there any more. Might have to have a trip.

Hoppinggreen · 09/11/2021 21:01

[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 introduced teen DD to Afflecks palace this summer and she has introduced it to her friends
I am really cool!!

paradyning · 09/11/2021 21:01

Is Afflecks still there!! There was a tiny shop in Chester too near MacDonalds that did this look too spent far too long in both places.
We called ourselves Moshers.

Pheasantlysurprised · 09/11/2021 21:01

I could totally do a slightly toned down version of this now, except with less jazzy pattern and perhaps a long wool coat.

Anyone remember the army jackets?
Thick green anoraks with a hood that fit like a sleeping bag.
I had a very tall, large built friend who had arse length mermaid hair, she was stunningly beautiful. She always wore the mirrored skirts with a giant army coat, and she really looked amazing. Still see her around now and she still has the look, and it looks as fresh and awesome as it did in the 90's on her.

OP posts:
paradyning · 09/11/2021 21:04

Yes army jackets. There was an army and navy store round the corner from Afflecks. Everyone went onto para boots after DMs were no longer clompy enough.

RaisinFlapjack · 09/11/2021 21:05

Did anyone else have a new agey shop that sold individual beads you could use to create your own earrings?

Pheasantlysurprised · 09/11/2021 21:07

The coats were often unisex. My first boyfriend who thought he was Morrossey (good god!) shared an army coat with me. We had a military wool coat and shared a denim jacket too.

Most of us just bought any old shit from Afflecks: one of us had a toddler style zip up anorak in shit brown with an embroidered hood. She wore that for around 6 years. I guess we were more thrifty then, even though we weren't that strapped for cash. I am often amazed at what we spend on clothes now.

OP posts:
CurlsandCurves · 09/11/2021 21:09

Oh this thread is a bit of me!

90s, at uni, with my Docs, floaty skirts and dresses, burning joss sticks in my room.

DH and I are going back in time in a few weeks, we are going to see James, supported by the Happy Monday’s, can’t wait!

shinynewapple21 · 09/11/2021 21:11

I also wore clothing like this when I was in 6th form but that was around 10 years earlier 1980-82! Although also remembering I had a crinkle Indian cotton skirt and a chain belt with elephants on it early/mid 90s.

actiongirl1978 · 09/11/2021 21:12

I had THE best chestnut suede blazer from Afflecks. Wore with cherry red docs, a long flowery skirt and a lemonheads t-shirt in 1995.

Pheasantlysurprised · 09/11/2021 21:13

elephants need a comeback!

OP posts:
TiddleTaddleTat · 09/11/2021 21:21

Yes , definitely.
Baggy trousers too
Velvet - especially purple
Shades
...

Vicliz24 · 09/11/2021 21:22

I've still got lots of my late 80s early 90s stuff in the loft . I had a patchwork maxi dress with angel sleeves that I wore with purple Docs and an orange mini with a pointy hem . Crystals hung from each point . I also used to go to a rock club in a leather bikini with a purple ballet tutu 😳 . Happy memories

Anythingbutsnow · 09/11/2021 21:25

Oh wow, what memories. Elephant print throws hanging all over my uni room. I used to have a patchouli oil bath each morning in our shared bathroom as there was no shower. I dyed my hair bright red, smoked red malborough and wore red tinted round hippy sunglasses.

Bettybantz · 09/11/2021 21:28

I loved this time and place. I still hark back to it on occasions. I’ve got an ace pair or thick woven harem pants I wear around the house and still have my docs and my nose stud from when I got it pierced in Afflecks.
I’m going to see the Levellers later this month.
Day to day I’m fairly pedestrian but there’s a little part of that era that just refuses to die ❤️

MrsReeves · 09/11/2021 21:41

@paradyning

Is Afflecks still there!! There was a tiny shop in Chester too near MacDonalds that did this look too spent far too long in both places. We called ourselves Moshers.
Lee Louise was the shop, I spent all my time and money in there in the '90s..it was still there last time I went to Chester
paradyning · 09/11/2021 21:44

Yes Lee Louise! Had some patchwork trousers from there that I wore til they were ripped to hell.

tinselvestsparklepants · 09/11/2021 21:53

Copperlily thank you, that's been bugging me for years! I loved that shop. Got my second ear piercing there in my left ear which no longer works but is still visible, this was after my first ever snog (ew) at the Cavern Club. My sister was at uni there so I got to visit sometimes.

Grenlei · 09/11/2021 22:07

Yes this was my uni look too. It reached it's peak in my final year (92-93) when I was sporting fake DMs (£10 from shoezone) which I'd handpainted with flowers, lots of tie dyed skirts with lace panels, mirrors, bells or a combination of all of the above. I had really long curly auburn hair then that I'd put random tiny plaits in, wore fake glasses, and lots of random bead necklaces and bracelets, a dogtag chain (which I lost at a party in 1993 which I remember feeling very miffed about) and rose musk oil from the Body Shop as perfume. Those were the days!