Girls Review

Girls Review 2.

Sorry this is completely unrelated to the theme of my blog and I do intend on updating this blog further, but I need to upload this podcast of my review of HBO’s Girls. So here it is, enjoy!

Fighting evil by moonlight…

It’s midterms at school, so I have been lax in my duties as a 90s blogger. Sorry! But today’s theme will make up for it: Sailor Moon.

For those of you that don’t know, Sailor Moon was a Japanese comic and TV series that ran from 1992-1997. The basic premise was that a teenage girl and her friends gained magical powers in order to fight the forces of evil. It had 200 episodes over 5 seasons that aired in Japan, and the series ran dubbed in the United States. It had some “mature” content, so it was heavily edited for the target audience here in the United States.

This series had something for everyone, and that’s why it was so wildly popular. The art was beautiful, it had strong themes of friendship and strength in the face of adversity, and cute girls. It was also ahead of its time because it was generally considered to be a children’s show, but it depicted normalized gay and lesbian relationships (which unfortunately were edited out for conservative American audiences).

Like most things from the 90s, this show has seen a huge resurgence in popularity. The original merchandise put out nearly 20 years ago is selling for hundreds of dollars, which makes me really wish I had kept the original Sailor Moon merch I used have so I could pay my bills. The original comics have slowly been re-released over the last few years, and they are so popular that each volume that gets re-released sells out right away. The most exciting news of all is that the cartoon series is getting revamped and aired in the summer of 2013! I’m 23 years old but I’ll be damned if I won’t be catching that as it airs every week in Japan.

To finish off my post, I’d like to point out that while this show is totally awesome and its general messages of love and acceptance are still very valuable, it is extremely dated, and therefore the outfits from the show (paired with the sometimes unrealistic proportions of the characters) are hilariously awful. Hopefully the new series will bring Usagi/Serena and her pals up to date fashion-wise, but here are a few examples of bad Sailor Moon fashion:

Rei/Sailor Mars in these gorgeous pink overalls…Really, girl?

This isn’t THAT bad but still kind of weirdly proportioned and super 90s. Love it.

Mamoru/Darien, Sailor Moon’s boyfriend, in one of his many sexy looks

He wears this one a lot and those shoulder pads and the purple pants are all wrong. I don’t know any 18 year old guy that dresses like this but whatever…

This is the whole gang, looking like they walked right out of a Hannah Anderson catalogue

And as an honorable mention…This is Sailor Moon’s final form, and the colors and accessories are just awful. Most of the costumes are over the top but come on. Way too much going on girl!

So there you have it. If you like the show, definitely keep an eye out for news about the revamp coming this summer.

15 Pieces Of Spice Girls Memorabilia You Definitely Want To Own (Buzzfeed)

I love Buzzfeed. I could get stuck on it wasting hours and hours looking at completely pointless stuff when I should be working on a paper. They have a whole section dedicated to 90s stuff, which is mostly lists of things you might remember from the 90s and how awesome and/or terrible they were.

I also have a deep, deep love and appreciation for the Spice Girls. I spent many an afternoon interpretive dancing to my Spice Girls cassette tape in a spandex leopard/floral print exercise ensemble. If I still owned that outfit, I probably would still be doing the same thing because god knows you would have to pry that cassette tape out of my cold, dead hands.

Without further ado, I bring you a post that mixes two of my favorite things ever: Buzzfeed and the Spice Girls. These are the 15 pieces of Spice Girls memorabilia that will make you seethe with jealousy. (Link to Buzzfeed) Where do they find this stuff….?

Fashion Highlight: Grunge

Hi folks! So I’d like to start out today’s post with a very special 90s birthday shout-out. I would be remiss in my duties of a 90s blogger if I didn’t mention that today is the late great Kurt Cobain’s birthday. Although he got popular before I could appreciate his music, he is undeniably a huge part of the meteoric rise of grunge in the early-to-mid 90s, which is a defining moment of 90s pop culture. Happy 46th birthday, Kurt!

This post isn’t going to be a Kurt Cobain love fest because unlike the myriads of teen 90s bloggers I’m shameless enough to admit that I’m not terribly familiar with his catalogue,  but I would like to make a post about grunge fashion. I was too young to actively participate in this cultural wave, but its influence did spread down to every area of fashion and society. I definitely remember rocking some flannels as early as five that probably came from Target or Eddie Bauer or something, although I had no idea it was a part of  the”grunge” fashion movement. Nowadays there’s something the kids are calling “soft grunge” that comes out of blogging sites like Tumblr, but I honestly have no idea what that means and it seems to bear very little resemblance to what most people think of as “grunge”. But anyway, I digress, I’m making myself sound old…

There was a moment in the 90s when grunge went high fashion, and that is Marc Jacobs’ iconic 1993 grunge-inspired collection for Perry Ellis. This collection was just a whole mess of florals, layering, mismatched patterns, and of course, flannels, and the fashion world along with everyone else went completely crazy over it. Jacobs was infamously ousted from the Perry Ellis brand after releasing this irreverent collection. Here are a few pics:

From the Spring/Summer 1993 Perry Ellis Collection

Images from Steven Meisel’s 1992 Vogue editorial Grunge and Glory, featuring the 1993 Perry Ellis Collection

The miraculous thing about this collection is that it really doesn’t appear dated at all and these pieces still have a grunge chic appeal. Everything looks effortless and comfortable yet oh so chic. Courtney Love, then considered the reigning queen of grunge, was sent this collection and promptly burned it. I know, it hurts to read that…

Grunge still lives on in various forms. Several designers have tried to reincarnate and update the grunge aesthetic, perhaps the most successful one being Alexander Wang (who is now at the helm of Balenciaga as creative director). Wang’s 2008 collection featured loose-fitting, slouchy knits and leather pieces (paired with ripped stockings) in dark colors, and the look became extremely popular among his legions of fans that became known as “Wangsters”:

Alexander Wang’s Autumn/Winter 2008 Collection

Even more recently, edgy designer Dries Van Noten released his spring/summer 2013 collection at Paris fashion week, and it displays some very obvious grunge influence. This was one of my personal favorite collections of Paris fashion week because Dries Van Noten has created an updated version of what Marc Jacobs did in 1993, and although these pieces are somewhat mismatched, I think the whole collection is a breath of fresh air that really works. The sheer floral prints mixed with plaids work to create a fresh grunge look for a new generation. I could totally picture younger celebs like the Fanning girls or Chloe Moretz rocking pieces from this collection.

And peep these sunglasses. Do they look familiar to you? Pretty sure we saw these earlier on a grunge icon in this post…

This look really has staying power, and I believe it’s because it’s a pretty easy and comfortable look for most people to emulate. It’s a kind of “messy chic”, and I see it all over my college campus because you can literally just roll out of bed and throw on a flannel, a skirt, ripped tights, and combat boots and it’s still a better look than sweatpants while simultaneously being (nearly) as comfortable. It’s lasted this long, so I think this is a look that’s going to stay around for a long time.

5 Hottest 90s Hunks

Hello loyal followers!

So as we all know from all the Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, etc. posts (and maybe just from your calendar) that today is Valentines Day. Some single people call it “Singles’ Awareness Day” and are just remarkably bitter about this holiday, but some people (like me) just use it as an excuse to eat their weight in chocolate.

For all you lonely single guys and gals, here is a special post just for you. These are the five hottest hunks of the 90s to keep you company on this dark day.

(Credit to Buzzfeed for this gem of a photo)

5. Jonathan Taylor Thomas (“JTT” to Tiger Beat)

Ugh, what a dreamboat! JTT blew up in the mid-90s when he starred as Simba in The Lion King. I personally had a huge crush on JTT, but I might have had more of a crush on Simba because I was kind of a strange six year old. Still, JTT was one of my biggest childhood crushes and I used to buy Tiger Beat all the time just to get posters with his dreamy face on them. That smile, that hair…

4. All five members of Nsync

This one is kind of a no-brainer (except to Backstreet Boys fans). They were hot and could sing and dance, what’s not to love? I know every one of my girlfriends had a favorite, and mine was Lance Bass. I’ve recently been revisiting my love for Nsync, though, and I think my current favorite (other than JT, of course, but he is in a league of his own these days) is the underrated JC Chasez. Soooo dreamy.

3. Jared Leto/Jordan Catalano

Ok, so I have to admit that this one was a little before my time. I was about 4 years old when My So-Called Life made its too-short run on TV so I didn’t watch it back then, but I would not be doing my job if I didn’t put Jared Leto’s iconic badboy character Jordan Catalano on this list. His devil-may-care attitude, flannels, and his intense stare made millions of girls hate Clare Danes for a period of time in the 90s. What a hunkster!

2. Paul Rudd

This is another case of “I was a little too young but I appreciate this 90s hunk.” I do remember watching Clueless as a youngster and having no idea what was going on but loving it anyway because I thought Cher was, like, such a Betty. Watching this film later on, I think we all thought it was a little creepy that Cher ended up with her step-brother, but he is such a dreamboat that it was hard to remember this fact. Paul Rudd is everywhere even now, and the best part about this hunk is that he NEVER ages!

1. Leonardo Dicaprio

Leo was undoubtedly my #1 90s crush. My friends and I were all absolutely obsessed with him after Titanic (also known as the best movie ever) was released in 1997. He is a great 90s hunk also because he is an incredible actor. I recently watched The Basketball Diaries, and damn, kid can act! I had every poster and creepy fan book released about Leo around this time because just look at him! He the quintessential 90s hunk and personally I think he should win the Oscar he has been waiting for just for being so damned cute as a teenager.

So there you have ’em, the 5 most drool-worthy 90s hunks. I sincerely hope these beautiful, brooding, and bodacious dudes have given you some hope that your heart will go on this Valentine’s Day.

Party Monster!

Nearly everyone that knows me in real life knows how obsessed I am with the club kid aesthetic. The bright colors, the loud fashion statements, the outlandish personalities…everything is just fascinating to me, especially because I’ve never been the kind of person who could adapt this kind of style to everyday life. It’s the complete opposite of what I’m about but for some reason I’m so in love with it.

This obsession is a fairly recent development for me. When I was studying abroad in Paris, I watched a lot of Netflix when I was feeling too lazy to go up and down the seven flights of stairs to and from my apartment. I saw Party Monster on Instant Watch and decided to watch it, and thus began the obsession. I thought the acting was actually pretty terrible but the whole movie was so campy and it embodied such a special part of the 90s aesthetic that I found it utterly and totally fascinating to watch. I even have a huge Japanese Party Monster poster in my room with Macaulay Culkin and club kid queen Chloe Sevigny that I’m 100% in love with (maybe I should upload a picture?)

I wanted to create my own world, one big party…

Obviously the lifestyles of people like Michael Alig and James St. James aren’t anything to be emulated. The drugs, drama, and murder aren’t really aspirational, but the look is so incredibly creative and attention-grabbing that it’s sometimes difficult to remember what awful people they all were.

Here are some more subtle ways to emulate the style of the club kids of New York City without rocking a chicken suit, wings, and consuming copious amounts of designer drugs.

The Makeup

I’ve personally found that the makeup is the easiest and most fun thing to emulate about this whole look. There always seems to be a lot of glitter and a lot of different colors going on for a club kid look, and the makeup doesn’t take any special skill unless you’re trying to rock a drag queen look (there were many drag queens on the club kid scene too, but that look is a lot trickier). The one product I use if I’m trying to bring out my party monster on the weekend is Urban Decay’s Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliner (found here, $18). You also can’t go wrong with the extensive color range of Mac Cosmetics which was probably used by the club kids at the time.

 

The Shoes

The shoes are an integral part of a club kid look. Platforms are the easiest way to emulate this look, and Jeffrey Campbell currently offers the most outlandish options. I find most of these a little too extreme but I guess if you’re in a big city it’s easier to rock five inch platforms without getting as many weird stares as you would where I am in Wisconsin, so to each their own. I just purchased a pair of platform leopard print Vans (seen on the lower left corner below) that are super comfortable and give an edgy, club-kid inspired look. They don’t actually look as dramatic as I wish they did in person, but they are nonetheless awesome. Below are a few options from Jeffrey Campbell:

Jewelry

Accessorizing is another fairly easy way to get the club kid look without looking too freaky. imyourpresent‘s Etsy shop has some really cute and spooky accessories and clothing that gives off a club kid vibe. They have laser-cut jewelry that you can order custom-made as well as a whole section dedicated to 90s jewelry that has lots of smiley faces, peace signs, yin yangs, and alien faces (i.e. the best 90s motifs in existence). I personally just ordered a custom laser-cut necklace to get a little “spooky” on the weekends as well as this velvet peace sign choker, and the person that makes the jewelry includes goodies like free candy and an extra gift in every order.

Lastly, don’t overdose and don’t murder anyone. Let Michael Alig be a cautionary tale rather than a role model. Be sassy and creative without going overboard. If you’re going to rock a whole bunch of statement accessories, shoes, and makeup, keep the rest of your look relatively simple. Basically, don’t do anything I wouldn’t!

 

 

Herbal Essences, oh yes!!

So for my first real post, I thought I’d touch on something I got really excited about while I was watching the Grammys last night: The new (old) Herbal Essences commercial!

Here is a photo that goes with this new ad campaign. Like the TV spot, the print ad features Nicole Scherzinger of Pussycat Dolls fame. Unfortunately I couldn’t yet find a video of this ad because I think last night may have been the first time it aired, but it really brought back memories of those infamous commercials from the late 90s. They even brought back the old bottles, which I think is great because I remember using how great the old product smelled. I was only a kid when the original ads aired so I really had NO idea what these ads were implying, but now that I’m old enough to understand, I think these ads are a stroke of marketing genius. The ads are so witty and so risqué, but somehow they really seem to work for the product because everyone I know remembers these ads and most women I know use this shampoo. I’m actually still surprised that they were able to run this ad during primetime,though, considering how conservative our country has gotten over the years about female sexuality (Grammy dress code, anyone?)

I’m not a huge fan of Nicole and I think they could have chosen someone more connected with the nostalgic themes of the campaign (Cindy Crawford, maybe?), but she does have amazing hair so she is probably a perfectly suitable spokesperson for Herbal Essences.

All in all, this just goes to show how big companies are capitalizing on the 90s nostalgia craze. I’m certainly not complaining because to me this kind of creativity is what sticks out most in my memory about the 90s, and bringing it to a whole new generation of people is probably a great choice for the Herbal Essences brand.

To the 90s and Beyond

Hello fellow 90s enthusiasts!

As we all know, the 90s are experiencing a huge surge in popularity. It can be seen in every aspect of popular culture right now and I know I’m personally loving it.

So just a little intro, I’m Abby and I was born in February 1990, so I did indeed get to experience many (but certainly not all) of the great things the 90s had to offer. I consider my childhood to be very happy, and I have to mention that I think the (sometimes) amazing trends, ideals, and pop culture phenomena had to have contributed at least a little bit.

I do hope to inject a healthy dose of nostalgia and remind you of things you may have forgotten as a youngster, but I hope to touch mostly on things that are happening now in fashion and pop culture that display a 90s influence. Kids born in the 90s are now growing up into adults, and this is pretty evident in what’s going on in pop culture at the moment. It wasn’t a perfect decade, but it was ours and I believe that most of us look upon it very fondly.