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Who were you in high school?

Carol

(website)

Veteran

And this can even extend into your current style.

I want to know what style you gravitated towards in your youth, whether you expressed it fully, partially, or only in your head. And what did it say about you? The styles should be definite, like hippie, greaser, punk, etc.

I tried to identify as mod. On my more inspired days, I would dress that way in high school and college. Mod is a sleek, urban, yet accessible style that the Beatles wore, and that seems somehow connected to the Beat artistic movement before them. I wore this style to let people know I was headed to art school in the fall, that I could tell them which coffee shops in town hadn't sold out yet, and in college...that I already had a signature drink, and it probably did not have an umbrella.

Who were you?

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45 replies

Latest reply was from Carol

Joy

Veteran

In high soil and college I wore ill fitting second hand clothes. Everything was too big for me and I got clothes from an aunt's brown period all much too old and big. Serveral profs commented that I looked like a little brown mouse or blended in with the blackboard . My roommate insisted I dress in her clothes, she hated mine so much. It was 1964.She had lots of kilts and skirts held with big pins. Everything got rolled up to shorten it. High school was even worse. I was a brainy one, one of the only girls I advanced math and science. I had no study halls. All classes.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Very cute photo, Carol! And you must have been unusual among your peers for dressing this way? What reactions did you get from others?

In early high school, I had a short shaggy hairstyle. Wire rimmed specs. I wore tartan wide legs or jeans, platform shoes, cute knitted vests, button front shirts.

In other words, I looked and dressed pretty similar to today, except I had blonde hair then. Always trendy on the bottom, as Angie would say!

Later, I looked a bit more conventional because I grew my hair out into a bob and wore slightly more feminine styles, at least some of the time. I didn't really regain my style moxie until I moved to the big city and started thrifting, at which time I also gravitated to some mod looks.

Peri

Veteran

I was boho/hippie with a touch prairie romance. Yuck! Not at all proud of this.

I missed my chance to be Goth. I could have done that so well, being super pale with long dark hair and way on the outskirts of the cool kids. I would have barely had to try. I wasn't brave enough then though and it would have set off many fights with my mother. Ah, the road not taken.

Runcarla

Veteran

I dressed like Annie Hall in high school and first year uni: pleated pants, button downs, vests, tweed jacket. Also tiered floral print prairie skirts, pussy bow blouses, and the afore mentioned tweed blazer jacket. Frye boots were popular, but not on my babysitter income - so I wore a knock-off. The Yves St. Laurent Russian collection (1976) was a big influence as was Ralph Lauren styling in adverts.

Uni was coveralls or jeans, flannel shirts, and blue suede Gazelle sneakers or an ancient pair of worn in leather workboots. I had a pair of dark green corduroy overalls that I wore A LOT!

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Carol, you were super cute in your Mod looks! I like the arty introduction to college. Super fun and individualistic!

I wore a school uniform all day! Over the weekend I was in equestrian gear riding my horse.

When I wasn't wearing that - from 1981 to 1987, I was either an '80s New Romantic much inspired by the awesome Simon Le Bon, or Preppy! Like Suz, very blonde, and trendy on the bottom. Hair was long, short, and long!

At Varsity, I was Esprit, Benetton, and Polo Preppy Pretty, but the '70s and '60s had their influence too.

In the '90s, when I entered the fashion industry circa 1992, I was more glam '70s and Mod. I had a Goth year of all black every day in 1996. Short-lived, and back to Preppy Pretty.

I guess not too different to today - although today is WITH specs

Vicki

(website)

Veteran

What a great story and very cute, both of you! In the photo, I love your attention to detail and the shoes and hats, so pretty much everything from head to toe. Funny, I was mod in junior high school, preppy in high school and preppy-morphing-into-hippie in college. I was influenced by pop culture in a nuanced way.

Sal

Veteran

That's a stunning photo Carol!! Love your style.

I wore a uniform from 11-15 years of age, then we were allowed to wear our own clothes. From 15-19 I experimented a bit with second hand purchases, dying and tie-dying, painting shoes, some bold 1980s colours and a real mix of hairstyles - some good and some very bad. I was not especially original though.

Since about 20 I think my style has been more consistent - less "trend-led" and definitely choosing colours that are better on me. My 20s were overall very boring in terms of fashion (no money) but I feel like when I hit 30 and even the years with young children my style improved.

I look at people in their 20s now and wonder how they can afford to dress so well, with expensive labels and soooooo many clothes. I do think this is social media's influence. In my 20s I had one pair of boots in winter, one pair of exercise sneakers, maybe two pairs of work shoes, one pair of casual sandals and that was it!

JAileen

Veteran

I didn’t identify with any group. My recollection of my small wardrobe was that it was just a collection of things I liked.

I wore Levis, denim overalls, white painters pants, and my father’s US Navy wool pants from WW2. They were my original wide leg pants. In college I wore college tees and sweatshirts. I wore penny loafers, hiking boots, brown and tan saddle shoes, and Nike Cortez running shoes. I wanted clogs but my mother didn’t like them. I had a blue Woolrich 60/40 coat with a wool lining. Now I have a navy one and wore it this weekend.

In high school I had very long hair - way past my waist - that I wore in a braid, with a big plaid grosgrain bow at the end.

Echo

Veteran

I went from full-on '80s style (neon, parachute pants, streaks of blue or purple in my hair) in Middle Schol/Junior High to alternative in HS. You know, the kids who wore nothing but black and olive green with combat boots? That was me, and I still haven't fully outgrown it!

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

Love your mod phase photo Carol! In high school I was pretty much an unhappy mess - compared to Ally Sheedy's character in the Breakfast Club more times than you could imagine. Black sweatshirts and jeans were my uniform. I hated shopping, and found malls and mall culture oppressive. Things improved in college when I discovered second hand stores. I would say my style could generously be described as eclectic then. I really did not pay that much attention to fashion until my 40s.

Style Fan

Veteran

I started high school in 1969. My hair was strawberry blonde and to my waist. I wore it long until my mid-twenties. Sometimes I had bangs. The flower child or hippie era influenced my style. I usually wore jeans, and my tops often had embroidery on them. My prize wardrobe purchase was a brown suede fringe jacket. I still have it.
I made a lot of my clothes and did the embroidery.

MsMaven

Veteran

Fun thread. High school in the late '50s was a time of change. Girls couldn't wear pants to school and if you broke the rules (by a girl wearing a gray sweatshirt) they sent you home.

Early on it was full skirts with crinolines underneath. I still remember the day I wore a full skirt without a crinoline or underskirt--just straight hanging--a big day of acknowledging change. An alternative was a sheath dress or straight skirt with a sweater of blouse.

Then the change came: Jackie Kennedy look, Audrey Hepburn, and out with heels for special occasions and in with almost flat shoes with big bows and trending toward pointed toes. And Chanel crept in, although I'm not sure we were aware of this designer.

I'll never forget the day a cute, popular girl walked into Girl's Glee class wearing an above the knee pleated skirt! Also wearing tights underneath. Soon we were wearing tights of all colors under our skirts, which we had cut off at least 3" and hemmed anew.

My hair went from short to past shoulder-length and longer. I wanted to look sophisticated and model-like, but at the same time still wanted to be a tomboy.

I was very fashion conscious--5'8 1/2" and 125 pounds, motivated by fashion models I saw in the newspapers. Of course, my Mom was having none of that. Besides, what mattered was what the girls on American Bandstand were wearing?

Can't find the right photos right now, but here's one of my sister's friends to show the changeover. Full skirts, and then the Jackie influence.

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Carol

(website)

Veteran

Edit before responding to all posts: oh, geez. No, that is not me in the photos--my style was not that ambitious. I do believe that's a retro photo I pulled from the internet. My style would have been relegated to A-line minis, sweaters and go-go boots.

nuancedream

Veteran

I was a tall and very skinny girl in high school (1975-1979) who was pretty nondescript. I dressed the way my parents wanted me to dress, and that was conservative. I actually wanted to dress like I was heading to Studio 54 in a Yves Saint Laurent Le Smoking jacket or like one of the Soul Train dancers. Preppy and pricey reigned supreme at my high school. I didn't fit into that world. So I ended up wearing clothes from The Limited, 5-7-9 Shop, and Casual Corner just like so many other girls. I do remember with great fondness my first pair of Jordache jeans, which I absolutely loved!

lyn67

Veteran

Highschool (1982-1986) was all uniform dressing(navy shift sleeveless dress over a pale blue collared long sleeve shirt)- I hated that each day but sometimes wore jeans underneath (which was forbidden -sometimes was even not allowed to enter the school gate so we undressed them around the corner and tryed again:-)). College (1986-1991) was a mish mash of mostly modern(at that time-or mod?) of the more mature classic feminine urban/bigger city style (heels, pearls even hats) for the classes and rebelious jeans with graphic tees and sweaters, adidas/nike/puma sneakers and moto jackets (for the weekends). I loved black but didn't really have the pieces (and the brave personality) for the rocker style I always admired.

Olive Green

Veteran

Wow, great topic. I was definitely boho hippie the first time around. Sweeping bell bottoms, maxi coats, ethnic everything. Bodysuits were new, and very bright and tight. Combined with my dad’s old military pants and quite sturdy shoes. We had very few clothes and maybe three pair of footwear so not part of the pricey preppy crowd and not much wardrobe variation, but I still really like that sort of thing and there is a nod to it in most of my outfits.
Thanks, Carol!

Helena

Veteran

I was pretty similar to how I am now hahah ... Relatively classic, relatively mainstream, relatively minimal/simple. I also wore a uniform so had a very small collection of "civvies" ... Probably two to three outfits max I would say? Explains a lot about me doesn't it lol!

What I was super into was makeup ... From the colourful 80s to the berry lips and brown tones of the 90s and then the return to colour of the early 00s, I loved it all and evolved my makeup style to the trends. That part of my style has simplified considerably. My hair too ... I was always cutting it, growing itz cutting bangs, dying it black or auburn. But the rest is just variations on the theme!

Dee

Veteran

Its the 1970s and I dressed to fit in, so I wore wide-leg bell bottoms which reigned supreme, the ultimate was Howick star wide-leg jeans, just barely scrapping the ground and Adidas or North Star sneakers in suede or platform shoes. I had my hair permed, shoulder length and flipped a la Farrah Fawcett style and I used Sun-in for some beachy streaks of colour. I was big into volleyball, gymnastics and track & field but I also loved art and history too.

Ginger

Veteran

In retrospect, I was a mess. I had no real friends group, so no influence on style. I loved 40s and 50s styles even then but this was the late 90s and would have looked incredibly bizarre. Not in a good way. Also in the late 90s the current styles were not good for my already very pear-ish shape, so I wasn't really tempted to try. And I didn't know where to shop anyway. Most of what I got was from cheaper department stores, and sometimes catalogs that came to my mom. If anything I leaned more into outdoorsy/military influenced styles.

Jen

Mod is how I aspire to dress now!
In high school I was full on 80s— “pegged” skinny pants (as we called them then; we sewed them to be skinnier), skinny ties, mismatched crazy earrings, vintage full skirts with t-shirts, lots of geometric pink and black. The girl on the English Beat logo sums it up— or the Go-Go’s. A very cheery fashion time!

Irina

Veteran

I wore uniform all my school years. The small collection of clothes that I had was mostly made for me due to my petite size not being available in other than kids stores. I was fashion conscious and my clothes were reflective of that, I wore styles that were popular at the time - midi dresses, tight fitted turtleneck, one pair of needlecord jeans in navy, tapered pants. Some of my dresses and shirts had ruffles! Lady Diana was my fashion icon.

April

Veteran

Carol, that girl to the left in your pic seems to have borrowed your face.

My style: whatever was 50% off or more and whatever trend showed up in the latest trashbag of hand-me-downs from whoever. This was 1980-82 (our high school was just 3 grades) so it was all about designer jeans and spike heels. If you didn't come by "preppy" naturally, you could wear it as a fad. My view of preppy then was that it was the most unflattering style ever created. Not at all appealing to boys, which, I'm not pleased to say, was the main goal of most of us.

70s style was fading and "aerobic dance" - we pronounced it "arabic" - style was hot; just look up the Olivia Newton John video for Physical. Lots of makeup. I wore my hair long until the middle of college but was surrounded by layers, feathering, and that curled-back-from-your-face style popularized by Farrah Fawcett.

In college I lived near an awesome thrift shop and my style branched out into hipper-for-the-time pieces like my favorite oversized old-man blazer with tartan lining.

Fun thread!

And now I'm off to stand in my current closet and be grateful for how far away I am from my high school and college wardrobes.

rachylou

Veteran

Preppy Mod with a dash of Punk. I had the parka with badges and the union jack and loved the vintage stores

LaPed

Veteran

Rachylou — me too! I spent my whole youth trying to overcome my innate preppiness by covering everything with obscure patches and pins, collecting band tees, giving myself DIY haircuts, wearing mismatched Chuck Taylors, and thrifting everything. The problem is, when you thrift in New England, everything is vintage prep.

rachylou

Veteran

Lol, high five LaPed!

slim cat

Veteran

School uniform all the years - brown with black ( hate brown color - lol ).
Whatever I could find in my size - including my brother' sweater, only good black pants ( made for me since nothing was fitting my straight frame ), loose fitting jacket in red&black, flat black booties ( my favorite thing from that time ). No style to talk about at that time .

Carol

(website)

Veteran

Joy--sounds not fun, maybe? You should have grown up during the grunge era, when throwing on the ugliest brown thrifted thing you could find was the cool thing.

Suz--cute knitted vests. Would that have been the early 70s, maybe? I look in my parents' college yearbook, and all the popular girls had knitted vests over their turtlenecks and such.

And what reaction did I get? Well, Boulder was full of expressive kids, but the cool thing was to have expensive outdoor gear, or a clean, preppy look. I was one of the different ones, and I think others thought I was fun. (Mod was actually a bit of a look in the 90s, think of Oasis or Sleater Kinney.)

Peri--first, the boho look sounds great. Second, goth really is a loaded style, isn't it? I'm surprised I never did it. Had friends who did, but I was so much more into funky dance parties than their Depeche Mode dancing.

Runcarla--wow, all great influences. I always say anyone is intelligent for picking up an Annie Hall style, and I snatched a vintage Annie Hall hat at a flea market years ago. In fact, for many years I wanted "Woody Allen" to be one of my style words. Even your prairie skirts would fit that. Those wardrobes were always a killer mix of je ne sais quoi and stealth wealth.

Carol

(website)

Veteran

Angie--wow, I love how you pulled from two very definite 80s styles--New Romantic and preppy. If you look at some of the great 80s movies--James Spader, The Breakfast Club--they are also pulling from those two influences. (And I bet wearing real riding books made you very discerning about boots shopping for life.)

Vicki--thank you, but once again, that's not me in the photo. Would love to snatch those kitten heels, though. I have trouble picturing preppy morphing into hippie, but it sounds pretty cool. (Sounds like Delia's from the 90s.)

Sal--I also painted shoes and tie-dyed things. I once tried to tie-dye some white Converse. Sounds like you have interesting style.

In terms of the young women today...there's two thoughts. First, you're probably right about the "have to have" factor. I always find it so funny when influencers insist their audience will never regret "investing" in a $5,000 Chanel bag. But on the flip side, the massive production of capitalism has created some incredible deals, making clothes much cheaper than they used to be. I have a necklace people rave about--it cost $3 on Poshmark.

JAileen--sounds like style to me! All those things sound like they go together. I am especially impressed by the pants. Sometimes when you go to the original source (painters, military), you get the best clothes.

Echo--that was my time, too. I fondly remember both the hypercolor tees, and the army jackets. Cool that you had colored hair in the 80s, though. Back then, really only punks had it.

Lee

Another who was preppy with a smidgen of punk!

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