When circular skirts came back in fashion in the mid-seventies, I remember my mom refusing to wear them. Stating emphatically that “she’d been there, done that.” I didn’t understand at the time but now that we’re seeing they wedges and gypsy clothing of the seventies again, I’m starting to get it. Fashion may swing around again, but there are days we might just ought to forget.
The 50’s and poodle skirts. Might have looked good on Sandy, but you’ll recall the look didn’t really do that much for her. 
Then there was the fringe and beading of the sixties. Grace Slick and Michelle Phillips were queen. And Jenny in Forrest Gump sort of epitomized the look. Hey, I missed the poodle skirts, but I wore fringe on everything. My moccasins. My vests, even my purses. Although it was the tail end of the 60’s and I was barely a teenager at the time.
The seventies started well. Flowing shirts and army-navy jeans. Wallabies, and tie-dye. And long straight hair. It was the only time my hair was ever in fashion. But unfortunately the seventies then segued into the disco era. Quiana being the fabric of choice. There’s a reason we don’t remember the women in Saturday Night Fever.
The eighties brought us legwarmers, headbands and embarrassingly the torn sweatshirt look of Flashdance. Now there’s a style I’d hate to see 
making a rebound. I remember one outfit I was particularly proud of. A white multi-colored polka dot shirt with a turquoise mini and matching headband and leg warmers. Really. I wore it in public. (Thank God the photos are all in Queens).
The late eighties marked the power suit and tie. And shoulder pads out the whazoo. Norma Kamali ruled. And although there are outfits I’d be proud to admit to, there were others I’d probably just as soon forget.
And so here I sit in 2010—seeing platform shoes and psychedelic prints everywhere. The 2nd floor of Bloomingdales looks a lot like the left-overs from Woodstock. But then again, maybe that isn’t all bad… Maybe my mother had it wrong. After all a girl can never go wrong with a little black dress. Right?
So what’s your worst fashion memory?
{ 27 comments… read them below or add one }
How about the year I dressed like Duran Duran, including the hat, with bleached blond hair. I moved on to a sort of blond Joan Jett look, yeah… then a streamlined Humboldt Honey look, no Berkenstocks. The best was my mom who actually wore Fredricks of Hollywood “clothes” everyday everywhere. Can’t you see the Double D’s, can you smell the perfume oh and the makeup.
Parrot, the more I know you, the more I want to meet your family.
As long as it wasn’t flock of seagulls hair. I seriously loved Joan Jett.
Come on out, you can stay with her (She’d really want you to because she wants my friends to be her’s too). She has a lovely home, but bring your earplugs. Ha ha ha.
Oh, man, this brings back memories! My worst is polyester pants. I was eleven–at that gotta look good stage–and my grandmother was taking me on a trip to Europe. No jeans allowed, she said. Too heavy. So she schlepped me to the store, bought me polyester pants in a disgusting array of pastels, and I was forced to wear them in order to Switzerland. I suppose the result was worth the humiliation. And for the record, a guy on a boat in Italy did wink at me. But I was the only one under 70 on the tour, so I don’t think it was the clothes….
Did they have the neat perma-pleat down the center of each leg? Bonus points if you wore them with ribbed, striped turtlenecks! I think Julia had some Earth shoes you could have borrowed.
That would be the perfect fashion statement. Along with the earth shoes of course.
I remember wearing jeans that we folded in at that ankles, and then followed up that look with three different colors of slouch socks. *Shudder* Anyone else remember parachute pants?
Oh yeah, I remember the slouch socks and I remember the parachute pants. And shopping at The Limited. Those big cotton deep v-neck sweaters that we all wore backwards with pearls, or forwards over a tank top. One day, I actually wore a big lace Madonna bow to school. Wow.
Forgot about slouchy socks. Had them in like every color.
Biggest fashion mistake ever? Dark pink curduroy pants, paired with frilly white blouse, enormous glasses (that made me look like an unfortunate insect), braces, and pony-tail. Luckily, all that has remained of this outfit is a picture to remind me of the sheer ghastliness of it.
@Jacquie At the moment, there’s a sale at Vogue Patterns ($ 3.99 per pattern!!!).
Love it! It reminds me of those movies where the girls wear glasses and ponytails to disguise the fact that they are superhot babes underneath it all. You must have just been hiding your super-hotness, Sandy.
I won’t mention any names here, but there were two girls (julia and VB — Oh! did I mention them?) that enjoyed a period of overalls. I would like to go on record as saying we weren’t the only ones.
Overalls were big when I was in high school–worn with a Rugby shirt, popped collar, and even better if you only hooked up one of the overall straps. That was STYLIN’, LOL!
Yes, Julia. Others wore overalls, but we owned the look. From our Rugby shirts (yes, Jacquie!) to the overalls, to the Earth shoes.
I continued the trend when I moved to CA. That’s when the whole “overall industry” really pulled me in. I moved from your standard Small Town Texas Girl overalls to Guess brand. I had stonewashed red overalls, faded purple overalls. Those were the days. LOL
Far too many fashion mistakes/embarrassments to mention here. One that leaps to mind is my bandana period in college. I used them as belts and I used them as headbands. I probably had 40-50 different bandanas. Fashionista!
hahahaaa! Sorry I missed that!
Yeah, they would have gone great with your overalls.
I still use bandanas for a variety of things including lining my breadbasket. So the tradition carries on.
I’ve always loved clothes–I swear there’s a fashion designer trapped inside me. If only I knew how to sew! It’s on my Bucket List: Learn to sew. I’ve taken the first steps–I have a sewing machine and I’ve bought a few patterns. Now I just have to figure out how to put those two things together, LOL!
Worst fashion memory has to be the skirt I made for my 8th grade home economics class–we had the entire semester to make it, and of course we only worked on it for about 30 minutes a week. Because it took so long from start to finish, by the time it was done, that which had fit me fine when I’d cut the pattern no longer fit (must have been all those coffee cakes and baked Alaska we’d learned how to make during the semester). It wouldn’t have been so bad except we had to wear our skirts to school. It was so tight around my waist, I could barely breathe–I think I personally invented the “muffin top” that day. Definitely NOT my best look. As soon as I got home I ripped off that skirt and tossed it in the trash.
LOVED the 80’s–loved the music, the over-the-top clothes, the curly hair. Do you think acid wash jeans will ever make a comeback, LOL?
I made a jumper in home ec. Loved that thing but suspect it was as ill fitting as all get out. I can sew. But it’s only in fits and starts. When I was pregnant –made all the baby stuff for my daughter. Bumper pad, curtians, diaper holder and — this is the over the top one — baby sheets! Then again when we moved back from Vienna went overboard and made curtains, napkins, placemats and seat cushions… really truly. Don’t think I’ve sewn anything from scratch sense.
I loved the seventies. I had some groovy gingham halter tops and miniskirts and hotpants. I thought hotpants were the coolest! And I really wanted a pair of white patent leather go-go boots, but my mom wouldn’t let me. Yeah, I was seven.
So moving to the 80s, I had a pair of cropped jeans that I loved. I paired them with some pointy-toed flats, a white oversized blouse (probably with shoulder pads), untucked with a big low-slung belt, for my first U2 concert (85). I thought I was totally awesome. Like, totally. But my friends started laughing, and it took me half the night to realize they were laughing- AT me. Then someone said something about jeans and I was like, “alright you guys, what’s wrong with my jeans?” And they were like, “Um, are they supposed to be cropped?” And that’s when I realized that the jeans I loved maybe didn’t fit me as well as I hoped (though they looked pretty good to me, still can’t figure it out). I was mortified. But maybe I just should have ditched those particular friends. Like, for sure. To this day, I am torn between being really careful with cropped pants, or just wearing what I love and to heck with everyone else.
I loved Halter tops… everything was still where it was supposed to be then so the look worked… now I shudder to think. And I had a pair of go go boots (with fishnets no less) I was in like fourth or fifth grade I think. I loved those boots. Had another pair a year or so later that were black patent lace ups… OOOO hand remember stretch pants with the little thing underneath to hold them onto your foot? I think that definitely made a resurgence in the late eighties. I remember big sweaters, shoulder pads and leggings. Yikes.
Oh, I definitely had go-go boots. That was the must have!
Yes–stirrup pants! LOVED them! I had black patent leather lace up go-go boots, too! In 6th grade!
You cheeky lasses with your go-go boots. I’m so jealous.
But Jacquie did you have a crushed velvet mini skirt and multi colored body stocking shirt to go with them???? LOLOL