I remember being a preteen and dying for a pair of Guess jeans. All the cool kids had em, especially the cute, popular girls. I was so not cool, so not cute and figured I could get "in" if I just had a pair (looking back, I probably just needed to venture out of the library and become a bit more social).
me in my teal "Express" sneaks. Wore these with EVERYTHING. At least they matched my Humpty Dance teeAnd mama bought me a pair of JUST; a pair of overall shorts with that big ol' black JUST patch on the pocket. I did not want them, but I meekly obliged because I would dare not refuse anything she bestowed upon me. I knew better.
But inside I was so EMBARRASSED/UPSET/CONFUSED with her because my cousins ON.FREAKING.WELFARE had all the latest jeans and sneakers... yet we stayed shopping at the swap meet/Goodwill/KMart/etc. I'm just saying, how did they get Guess and I'm over here struggling.... OK not so much--my mama had a damn job and her own place (we lived in a single family home with a huge yard for 15 years until we moved out of state), always had a car, we always ate good, had great toys/books, we traveled. But I remember only one time in my childhood owning a pair of Adidas (maybe 2nd grade? they were probably used but I hung on to those for a while, lol!) Wait-wait-wait-I had some black & hot pink LA Gears in 7th grade - from the Swap Meet, lol!
At first I refused to wear them. Eventually I went ahead a wore them as shorts underneath an over-sized t shirt or with the bib & straps hanging down so the back pockets wouldn't be revealed. (I had an image to build, man)
"hip hop smoothed out on the R&B tip with a pop feel appeal ..."That sufficed for a while, but I really wanted to wear my hip hop style overalls ya know? (shoot it was BBD era) I just didn't want to be caught dead in the dreaded JUST denims. It was bad enough the only "in" thing I wore were Pacific Express canvas sneakers aka knock-off Keds. The only reason those were acceptable is because they came from Mervyns.
Eventually I gave in and ripped off the Just patches and just wore them... with only one strap hanging off like Fresh Prince used too (ha!) I had a rayon print shirt too. I wish I had a pic, I know my mom does, lol!
By high school guess jeans were OUT, and shopping at thrift stores was ultra hip (ah! mama had me ahead of the game) and my wardrobe became acceptable - except the plastic knock-off Doc Martens aka "Jodeci boots" (aw come on, you know you had a pair!!) I also discovered stores like Marshall's and Ross where I could afford an occasional Girbaud, Nike, or Tommy Hilfiger item - yay for babysitting!!
I remember proudly scoring these wide leg L.E.I jeans in a Sac-Town thrift store. And yes, I'm wearing my Jodeci boots.
I'm sure my little sister's had it worse though, they had to wear all my Vanessa/Rudy Huxtable hand me downs - well into the 90's. Yes they gto to wear "Express" shoes tooI love my mom.
9 comments:
I had the red hightops that I wore with everything. Were they Reebok? With both velcro and lace ups? They were the ONLY brand name I ever had growing up. I feel you on this one! Thanks mom indeed.
WWOOOOWWWWWW!!... HAHAHAA.... I think you just brought up some PCM's for me too... But I refuse..REFUSE!! to post the many, many, many photos of me flaunting my leg-warmer and matching headband fetish....with a jeri-curl, no less!!
Chiming in with my PCM's...I am a few years older than you so name brands hadn't really taken off where I lived. But the worse thing in the world to wear back then was "homemade or "mammy made" clothes and my mom made every stitch I ever wore as a child. Then she taught me how to sew so I could make my own. I was soooo embarassed. Yes...thanks mom, I love you for that gift.
PCM time for me too.....
We used go to Goodwill, buy the name brand clothes, hijack the label off GW purchase, and my mom would sew that thing onto my no-brand jeans.
Thanks, MOM! LOL
HAHA! That last picture of your sisters KILLS me! I had a whole outfit in elementary school that was leggings and a matching tie-front shirt, white, printed with huge fruit all over it. I so feel your pain... I was desperate for Guess jeans in seventh grade, when everyone was wearing them. I finally got a pair in high school after scrimping and saving babysitting money for weeks. I also had a pair of genuine Keds in eighth grade, and I wore those things with EVERYTHING. And I never just called them my sneakers or shoes, they were always referred to by the brand name, lest anyone miss the blue patch on the back. Ah, memories....
Okay, I'm not that much older than y'all I swear but my oldest DD could have written that post!!! ROTFLOL!
LA Geeeaaaar!! lol! the brand of my number 1 pair of kicks back in the day.
i love this post. just love it. :-D
Too funny! I won't even give up the names of the stuff I coveted 'cause you'd think I had one foot in the grave. And Lord, no pictures. Don't you just love our mama's because they still made of feel good about ourselves.
I love the last picture with your sisters. Hilarious! Up until 8th grade, I had to wear "mom made it" clothes and then my cousins got them. I couldn't wait to get a job. The minute I turned 16, I got a job (this was in the 80's mind you) and I was wearing oxfords, polos and alligators like crazy. I had a lot of catching up to do. Of course, my favorite, were my converse tennies. I still get sentimental when I see them. Yep, converse tennis shoes and tube socks in my school colors.
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