How Embarrassing!!! A YLF challenge! - YouLookFab Forum

Category

General

Welcome! Read about what to wear and how to wear it on the YLF Blog. Join the YLF Forum to ask specific questions or just chat about fashion and personal style. Or check out the curated list of things we love in YLF Finds.

Outfits Ensembles Trends Advice

How Embarrassing!!! A YLF challenge!

Debora

Veteran

Brianna's recent post brought back memories of my own young, motherhood style and I had to share my greatest fashion disaster with you. Unfortunately, I was not as stylish as Brianna. Here's a photo of me taken 15 years ago when I was 6 months pregnant with my youngest. I was a Girl Scout leader camping out with the girls.

http://i658.photobucket.com/al.....aster2.jpg

A few particulars:

-Note the pink sweatpants and white Keds. The pants are tucked into the socks to keep out ticks.

- The yellow and turquoise "fanny pack". I was probably carrying first aid supplies in this.

- If you are wondering what that thing is hanging off my backside, it's an official Girl Scout "sit-upon". We tied them around our waists and used them when we sat to keep us off the hard ground. You can imagine being 6 months pregnant, I put this to good use!

Now here's the challenge. How many of you are brave enough to post your biggest fashion disaster (or pre-YLF style)?

Are you in? This could be fun!

General

23 replies

Latest reply was from Maya

Maya

Veteran

I think I'm too young to have any real fashion disasters (I think anything you wore before you were 18 is off limits--and anyway, I'm afraid I didn't really dress that badly then), and now thanks to YLF, I have prevented any future disasters Well, at least until we look back on things like leggings and skinnies and have one of those "what was I thinking" moments, but that seems far off into the future.

I was a girl scout and I totally remember those sit-upons! Ha. Good times. Thanks for sharing this! I believe Shiny posted an entire album of YLF sins a while ago, hehe.

Debora

Veteran

Maya, you'll be able to look back on your photos without embarrassment since you are learning from the master. How I wish I had Angie and YLF back then!

Shiny, care to start us off with your all- time favorite from your pre-YLF album?

anne

Veteran

I think my worst pics are pre-digital, but here is a not very flattering pic of me about 17 months ago. Around a week before baby was born, and a VERY hot day.
http://i297.photobucket.com/al.....0_4864.jpg

Maya

Veteran

OK I *do* have an embarrassing picture after all. There is nothing inherently embarrassing about it--it's actually very cute (so cute that my roommate named the file "weresocute"), and makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. It's me and my roommates freshman year, giving each other silly hairstyles in our pajamas. The secret shame is that we would walk around campus and go to class like this! (minus the silly hair)

http://img.photobucket.com/alb.....SOCUTE.jpg

Debora

Veteran

Anne - you were definitely a much more fashionable mom-to-be than I was. Thanks for sharing. My pic was pre-digital also, but somehow my son ( the one I was pregnant with in the photo) managed to scan it, put in on my desktop and then drag it to my pictures. I never would have figured that out!

Maya - what an adorable picture! I remember my daughter going through the pajamas in public phase also. Your "weresocute" photo is so aptly named!

Maya

Veteran

I went to Sweden with my roommate on the left in the picture, and her host family did not believe us when we said we wore pajamas to class! I think that was the first time I had any inkling that there was anything wrong with that :p

anne

Veteran

Maya, I have never seen pyjama pants worn out in public except by American exchange students! I don't think they wore them to classes, just to breakfast etc.
They were also characterized by wearing short denim shorts with tucked in tanks.
(Apart from these little differences they wern't too different from Aussie students - I am talking about around 2000 BTW)

Debora

Veteran

Hahaha, Maya! We moved to Germany for several years right after my son was born and I can't believe I wore those white keds around Europe. I shudder to think about it.

Maya

Veteran

In my defense, one of the reasons I dressed like crap when I was in college was because I was taking messy art classes, and I didn't want to get ink, clay, and oil paint all over the clothes I actually liked. When I would go out on the weekends or leave campus for any reason, I would always change (not that my clothes were all that stellar, but at least acceptable). We didn't wear PJ's in Sweden thank goodness (well, at least not in public), but what I did wear wasn't much better. I think I actually do have some pictures of that.

Black yoga pants and black hoodie:

http://img.photobucket.com/alb.....nner-1.jpg

Ironic thrift store tee (yes, that is a lip piercing you see):

http://img.photobucket.com/alb.....tled-1.jpg

Ironic snowflake sweater. I was always trying to smart and sarcastic with my clothes then, but when I look back on it, I just looked like a huge nerd :p

http://img.photobucket.com/alb...../small.jpg

Luckily I think I was young enough then that all of this seems cute rather than cringeworthy. OK, that's it from me!

Debora

Veteran

Maya, you're adorable and at least you had youth on your side. I can't say that about myself!

shiny

Veteran

Here you go - my "Fashion Horrors" photo album (pw is ylf2008) -
http://s386.photobucket.com/al.....20horrors/

I just added a few more recent ones (2003-2005 timeframe) wearing my "uniform" that consisted of the dreaded capris, a black GAP tee shirt and an ill-fitting bra. That was my MOTG outfit!

Meanwhile this one is representative of what I would wear to the office before YLF:

http://s386.photobucket.com/al....._0_ALB.jpg

Those were my favorite pants.... I even duplicated them. I thought they made me look more in proportion; instead now I see they just made me look fat and dumpy! Those pants are long gone but I do still have that sweater. I am on the fence about letting it go; it may work as a skirt top.

Debora

Veteran

Great album, Shiny! Thanks for sharing it again with us newcomers. I remember those big shoulder pads and blouses with big bow ties. I had to chuckle when I spotted your trademark "Shiny pose" in one of the pics. Sooo cute!

As for the dreaded capris...my closet is still full of them. I'm following all the clam threads very carefully. I still haven't found mine yet.

Kari

Veteran

*Raises hand* another former Girl Scout here!

(I have to say that I think those of you who were pregnant and/or camping in the pictures you posted should be a *little* easier on yourselves - that's more than the everyday challenge of simply getting dressed IMO.)

This is my "wall of shame" album in the vein of Shiny's, except that mine are much more recent. I had zero concept of fit, and this in spite of watching What Not To Wear for years. Well, it's a good reminder that I've learned a little since then.
http://s645.photobucket.com/al.....f%20shame/ ("youlookfab" is the password.)

anne

Veteran

You brave girl Kari ( Actually I quite liked pic no 12)

I was a girl Guide, which is what girls scouts are in Australia. I don't think I have a single photo from those days though.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Oh! How fun, and courageous.

I was a brownie. Do you have those in the US? Needless to say, I'd had enough by the age of 12. Brown Owl and Tawny Owl was for the birds by the time I became a teenager :0(

anne

Veteran

I was a brownie too although I joined late and only the for the year I was 12. ( I had never thought of joining but we moved town and the pack leader said she had saved places for my sister and me. My sister later dropped out because she didn't want to miss the Famous Five on television, which I still find amusing) I stayed a guide up til 15. I have a strong feeling that I was (as well as am!) a lot less cool than the teenaged Angie! (But I am fine with that)
BTW Kari I meant to say whenever you mentioned it that I was an English (Lit) major too (though I did my honours in History, with cognate in English)

yublocka

(website)

Veteran

I love seeing these pics!! Shiny I enjoyed yours just as much second time too.

Luckily for me most of my fashion faux-pas pre-dated digital photography.

Here's a few pics my Dad scanned in for my Mums birthday though.

I still look this silly and small foreheaded if I wear a hairband like this:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/yublocka/996865466/

Do you love my appliqued tracksuit or what? I did at the time!! In fact I believe every tracksuit pictured here except my baby brothers was made by my Mum!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/yublocka/996911482/

Wow to think there was a time I wore white - and leggings no less!!! Makes me worry I shouldn't be wearing the same trend twice

http://www.flickr.com/photos/yublocka/996886976/

Actually I really like this top that my Mum made for me. If I saw one like it in stores I'd snap it up in a heartbeat!!!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/yublocka/996018101/

Brings back memories!!!

anne

Veteran

Tam, it is amazing how everyone's family pics from the 70's and 80's kind of looks the same. I remember the striped elastic belts your brother (I presume) is wearing with his jeans - my sister had some.

I have found a worse pic - and I have actually show in on YLF before. I was trying to decide whether to keep the pants, but of course I knew they were goners as soon as I saw the photo!!
http://s297.photobucket.com/al.....pants2.jpg

I'd like to think that when I actually wore them for real it didn't look that bad, as I was still carrying preggy weight in the picture.

yublocka

(website)

Veteran

Hehe I loved 70s clothing - looking back with retrospect of course!!!

Anne I was just coming back to this thread to add that the first preggie pic you posted isn't cringeworthy at all. You look great! If a bit overheated!! Those pants are def. not your best though!!!

shiny

Veteran

My sister and I were kicked out of Brownie's, for supposedly smashing some girl's pumpkin. But, we were framed.

None of you look as dreadful as I did!!! I mean, c'mon.... look at that XL tee shirt I wore as pregnant MOTG... and most of my clothes are simply too big and ill-fitting. That gross-color sweater was Lands' End XS, a gift from my dad so I had to wear it. It was HUGE on me. And look at those dress pants.... now I understand why high-rises went away and low-rises came into fashion. I'm all belly! And let's not get started on the hairstyles... ugh.... I call the pixie my "mom helmet."

Debora

Veteran

Thanks everyone for being such good sports. I started to panic after I hit the submit button for the first post. I had visions of that awful photo going viral on the internet. Hope it doesn't show up in "what not to wear" blogs or articles.

Kari - I think that you were stylish even pre-YLF! I like pic #12, too.

Angie - we have Brownies also in the states. I think the littlest girl scouts are called Daisies here.

Yublocka - I like your top, also. It's wonderful how you look so much like your mum.

Anne - those pants are wild!!! Great retro look!

Shiny - I still can't stop laughing at the thought of Little Shiny being framed!

Kari

Veteran

Debora, I think the fact that we have already self-labeled these as "what not to wear" would take the fun away from someone who wanted to distribute them to be mean-spirited. I'd be more sad if I found a picture of myself that I liked used as a bad example.

The pictures I posted were after I started to pay attention to what I wore, so some of the pieces might be cute, but the fit was just wrong, wrong, wrong. I was wearing a bra that was several cup sizes too small and all of my tops fit badly in the bust and I had no concept of proper length for pants or tops. No wonder I always fidgeted. But thank you Anne and Debora for the compliment - you are very kind!

Anne, I didn't know that you also studied English! I love literature, but I kind of developed a focus in technical/business writing and linguistics while completing my degree. At heart I am just a big language nerd.

Maya

Veteran

I was a brownie, and a daisy! I was a mean cookie-seller too.

My fashion sins weren't the worst, but I think that's just because I was young and cute and I haven't lived long enough to have a lot of sins under my belt!