Style Over the Years

My style has evolved quite a lot over the years - I went through some of my old photo albums and dug up some pictures of me in some of my more interesting outfits. I wish I had more pictures of my high school outfits, but I was very camera-shy back then (not like now, ha ha!).

This is me with my Grandad (mom's dad):
What a cute little pink dress!

On the front steps of our house:

I liked to sit here and read. That's our dog, Schultzie, the schnauzer, and some neighbourhood dachshund. I'm about 6 years old. I don't remember that top, but I adored that long skirt - it had flowers on it.

I'm about 8 years old here. I can tell because I'm wearing my groovy Mickey Mouse hat from our trip to Disneyland in 1976.

Liking the high-waisted white denim shorts with the rainbow pop-top!

My 9th birthday!

Sitting on the front steps again, in my hand-me-down, many-times-hemmed polyester pants. Note the accessorizing: hair barrette and necklace. My mom made the princess cake.

Around the same age:

Donald Duck tee from the same trip to Disneyland. I caught a bullhead! Don't I look excited?

I think I'm about 10 in this picture:

Mom and I in Hawaii (Oahu) getting our pictures taken with parrots. Note our matching big round glasses. That yellow top was actually neon yellow. Like those short-shorts, Mom!

My "flying up" from Brownies to Girl Guides:

What a dork I am.

Do they still have those photo booths?
For a long time, these were the only pictures of myself that I liked. I think I am about 12 there.

I wore this for a Hallowe'en costume when I was 12 or 13.

This is one of Mom's old dance costumes - my grandmother made this. I felt so pretty in this outfit. Check it out: my very first perm!

This is my 16th birthday picture, on the front steps again:

I am wearing all my birthday gifts: my opal and diamond ring, the ball cap, the Sergio Valente sweatshirt, and the purple ear-muffs.

I was 17 when I graduated from high school. I remember shopping with Mom for this outfit for the grad dinner:

White plastic bead jewelry, white pumps, pale pink tee and floral skirt (with pockets!).

My girlfriend, Lynette and I, dressed up to go downtown and hang out.

Note the same white plastic jewelry. I find it funny that we are dressed nearly identical in our oversized baggy shirts (belted) and our long droopy skirts. We were so paranoid that we were fat.

This has always been one of my favourite pictures of me:
That's about 1986, and that's my old favourite "boyfriend" cardigan. I wore that until it literally wore out. My brother refers to that hairdo as "exploded bomb".

In the late 80s, I started veering into more of a punk-ish vibe (and started dyeing my hair red):
Still doing the big oversized sweaters. Those are my purple jeans that I distressed myself and sprayed with bleach. I wish I still had them - they were Daniel Hechter.

As I got into my 20s, my weight started to fluctuate...and I got more perms!
Man, that is just not a good look for me! The oversized tee with shoulderpads (I'm pretty sure I am wearing harem pants too). Scary!

I once dyed my hair black. It was not a success:
Dad and I at Christmas around 1988. I got the jumpsuit (again, just not a good look) and Dad got the goofy running shorts and top. Hey, there's my old Le Chateau belt!

Now, we visit the 90s, with a classic Bad Bridesmaid Dress.

The other bridesmaid is helpfully showing the back of this ugly-ass thing. Massive shoulders, a deep back V (which required a special bra, arg), dropped waist, giant rose on my thigh, white shoes...could this get any worse? Look how stumpified my legs are! Oh, right, I had to pay for this: $75.00. Thanks a bunch. I cut this up with scissors, I hated it so much.

Here I am dressed up for New Year's - probably around 1993:

It's a dress from Le Chateau. My boyfriend (my ex) and I went to some underground party - I was so badly overdressed that I didn't take my coat off all night. I never wore this dress again.

This is a classic look from the 90s that is starting to make a reappearance:

The super short patterned dress (I am wearing black lycra bike shorts under that). I also have very long hair (for me) there.

This is in 1996, at my wedding shower:

That's my best friend, Janet. She's probably going to kill me for posting this, hee hee, sorry, babe. I bought that blouse from a co-worker of mine at the Christmas store - she bought it at Club Monaco and it didn't fit. I loved that - I wish I still had it.

And even though it's the same outfit, this is one of the only pictures of me with my Auntie Lois:

I think I look like her. You're gorgeous, Lois!

This is my Hallowe'en costume around 1997 (L and I are now married):
I like being scary. Boooo!

A going-out outfit one Friday night:

Around 1998. The top is Fairweather and the skirt is Le Chateau, and I'm wearing Grandma J's jet necklace (this one).

Hallowe'en, probably 1998:

I was Poison Ivy and L was the Joker (no pictures of him, sorry). I sewed and hot-glue gunned all that ivy onto the skirt and stretch lace shirt.

This is the outfit I wore to one of Janet's parties, where the theme was "Euro Trash" - I went punk.

Hee, that was a fun party.

Mom and I at our Goth party:

Mom is wearing weird glasses with eyes on them. You can see how unhappy I look (and I'm not just being in Goth character) - my weight is going up rapidly. This is about 8 years ago. That's a fake tattoo...and hey, that's the the scrolly cross I just found.

Mom and I at my birthday party about 5 years ago.

I'm hiding behind my boa. I remember crying, trying to find something to wear that fit me. I still think I looked stylin', even though I was so unhappy with myself.

Heh, this is a Hallowe'en costume from 4 yeas ago - I'd lost 15 pounds. I'm an undead punk rocker:

I still have those Bronx boots.

Well, that's it! Hope you enjoyed this little retrospective.