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I'm pretty certain that these were taken at Neshaminy Mall right outside of Philadelphia. In fact I believe I went to high school with some of these kids.
I could easily contribute to this project! (I felt compelled to snap pics of my best friend and I on shopping missions at several shopping centres in the Toronto area while in our teens. Very quickly, though - how nerdy to be seen with a camera in the mall! )
What a hilarious trip down memory lane for those of us who came of age in the 80s!
WOW!! This looks more like 1985 but I guess 1989 is accurate too.
How can you not appreciate this era. The style statement is *so* strong - one of the strongest and most memorable for sure. Everybody remembers the '80s! The style was HECTIC - it's iconic.
Anybody ever see Heavy Metal Parking Lot? It's a short film that a couple of brothers made while surveying the crowd at a Judas Priest concert, circa 1986. It spawned other "Parking Lot" films as well -- Harry Potter Parking Lot, etc. The aesthetic in these pictures reminds me of it. That was filmed practically my neighborhood.
this must explain why I still keep trying to get my hair puffy on top....it is inbred...or something....adding to list of goals, get decent haircut and let go of '89!
Yeowch. I was cringing as I scanned these, hoping not to see myself in some pink and grey striped pants and oversized white buttondown and pastel leather cinch belt. And tap shoes. And a straw hat a la "Hungry Like The Wolf'. And earrings made of strips of neon plastic.
Wow, I love these photos! The hair is amazing!!!! It's funny to think that it all looked so normal then! I wonder what we are wearing that will look amazingly odd in 2037?
haha- I do see that "mom" style hasn't changed much (picture 11)
And I had to laugh at "Tape World" my kids would think that was perhaps a place to go buy duct tape creations...(picture 24)
This brings back so many memories!! I graduated from high school in 1989...the hair is just so spectacular, I'm sort of at a loss for words. And how wild that you know some of these people! Thanks so much for sharing this gem.
ETA: Okay, major brain mishap: I graduated from *college* in 1989, high school in 1985!
OMG. I did all that stuff in the 80's. Acid wash jeans. White Reeboks. Legwarmers and baggy sweatshirts. Jellies. Madonna look with lace hairbows. Permed hair with the big tidal wave bangs (although not quite as spectacular as the mullets in those pics, LOL!). Funny thing is, I feel like the 80's was the last time I followed fashion trends (the 90's and 00's were a bit of a fashion void for me) up until now, so now I am wondering how silly I'm going to look to myself or my kids 30 years from now!
This is fun - and I cannot get over the hair styles. My hair wouldn't go like that (fine, bone straight), but I do remember having something of a layered cut and spending hours with a curling iron. Come to think of it - I think hair mousse was a fairly new thing back then?
This is really amusing! I was too young to fully contribute to the 80s fashion the first time around. In my family, my sister is the one who had the oversized sweaters and scrunched blindingly white socks (a la picture #5), having gone to high school in the late 80s.