It was also the ignorance-is-bliss age before selfies and fashion blogging, and it seems like in a way, there was less pressure to look camera-ready all the time. We just followed the trends and wore what was in the stores, and gradually adopted the next trends as they rolled around. Well, some people did.
I never thought about whether my teeth were white enough back then, no one had ever heard of cankles or thigh gaps, and vanity sizing hadn't become a thing yet.
I think we're a little tougher on ourselves and our images these days. There is a positive side to that, but also a negative one too, when it goes too far.