Imma take you back...

... to the ma' fuckin 90's yo! It seems as though the nineteen nineties have taken over the 80's as the coolest decade. I think because it was now over a 10 years ago, and therefore can be classed as 'retro'. I was a teenager during this time, being 9 in 1990, and graduating high school as the class of 1999....yeah - it's all about the number 9 for me. When I think about being a teenager, I think 'awkward' - 'cause that's what I was. So glad that's fucking over. But these are the things that make me think that whole era was pretty radical.

I don't think anybody actually bought an album on cassette, or if they did, they eventually taped up the little holes on the top so they could record over it with shit from the radio. Otherwise, it was all about the blank TDK's. You would wait for a tune to come on the radio and quickly press record (sometimes you'd have to hold the play and record button down together) then stand near by, 'cause you'd need to hit stop before the the dude started talking. Else you would have some mad playlist with the occasional '...yeah guys, so that was Ace of Base hitting the airwaves'. How embarrassing.

Remember these things?! I think I gave my one a haircut. I cried when it looked like a troll cancer patient.

As far as I'm concerned, the nu rave tracksuit has never gone outta style. It kinda reminds me of the ones we had to wear at school...or what grandma's wear with bumbags, playing bridge at some old age joint in Miami. I'm always bidding on these fuckers on Ebay. I'm all about the parachute trackie, plain white kicks, gold bling and big ass sunglasses. SO 'Fresh Prince of Bel Air'. So Fly.

Now a bit of Owl trivia...my initials are 'TLC' - yeah I know... amazing. This 'lil fact made me fall in crazy sexy cool love with these broads. Plus NO ONE can MC like Lefteye - RIP.



Maybe this was just in my school, I dunno, but it seems like everyone had a thing for Tweetie Bird. If not Tweetie, then Garfield or the Tasmanian Devil. This little yellow bugger appeared on pencil cases, lunch boxes, school bags, and for those who had ridic liberal parents...tattoos. Eek, that's gonna hurt. And if not cartoon characters, it was defs sunflowers! Sunflower print dresses were the go go. Or those Blossom hats (remember Blossom?) that turned up on the front with a flower adornment? You were most definitely down if you had a sunflower on your hat. Don't even get me started on the perfume 'Sunflowers' by Yardly. Oh dear God.

I. love. the Spice Girls! I had the platform trainers by Buffalo and the Impulse deodorant just because it had a pic of them on it. Hell, I even started sucking on Chupa Chups 'cause these slags were hustlin it. And furthermore, Posh was and still is my favourite. I don't wanna hear a SINGLE criticism concerning this please. Victoria Beckham is amazing and that is the end of story.

And while we're discussing amazing women from the nine tee's. Lest we not forget Salt 'n Pepa! I'd totes rock these outfits in this picture non ironically to the pub right now. Is that a dare? And don't forget the men ... 'Colour Me Bad' anyone?

Now for all you teens ... Sex and the City made it's debut in 1998. So don't be claiming it as your era. Sozz. Same can be said for Friends, which hit our tubular screens in 1994.

I can categorically say I never went to the hairdresser with a picture of Jen Aniston. OK I did.










And while we are on the subject of television...what ever happened to Balki Bartokomous from Perfect Strangers?

God, why is it that the minute you think '90's you think sitcoms? I'll tell you why, because they were bloody incredible! Exhibit A ... the Fresh Prince! Hands up who got a kick from rapping along .. 'iiiiinnn West Philadelphia born and raised...etc etc' and would totes feel like you accomplished something amazing 'cause you knew every single word? Plus the fashions from this bloody show were beyond.

Television set most fashion trends back then I reckon. Screw The OC and Gossip Girl, let's pay homage to the mother ship ... 9021 fucking 0. Man, when you watch it back now you think, um...why does Luke Perry aka 'Dylan' have a receding hairline and he is supposed to be in high school? And Brenda has definitely aged the best. I'd commit murders for her wardrobe from this series. And the funny thing is, I DID have a replica of her 'drobe. I just thought I'd never wear the rags again. What I'd do for that stuff back so I wouldn't be spending hundreds on 'the bay' every bloody month. NEVER THROW ANYTHING AWAY!!!


The story lines were also just so 'after school special'. Like how they'd all gather round a table at the Peach Pit and discuss what they learnt from Davids DUI experience, Kelly's throwing up after she ate experience, or Andrea's...er...did she have any experiences? I swear to God, we could dress Brandon Walsh up in a purple suit, and this show could pass off as Barney these days! Kids of today eh?






Right, these were my first pair of 'name brand' kicks I ever owned. Weren't they everybodys? My Grandad sent them to me from England in green and white and I treated them like they were made of gold or some shit. I cleaned the laces almost every night, and watched where I walked etc. They looked particularly dope paired with my Pepe dungaree's and red flanno. *sniff* I miss these guys.

OK, so I'm South African, therefore have to touch on politics for a minute. In 1990 Nelson Mandela was released from prison at 71 years of age, after being in the slammer for 27 years. I remember the day in Cape Town. It was hot and I was 9, so all I wanted to do was swim and not be standing on the bridge my mother dragged me to, watching Mr Mandela walk down the street along with thousands. I distinctly remember looking at this black man in his suit, and thinking, 'Man, he must be boiling!' My mum knelt down next to me and told me I was witnessing history. I didn't understand that this day was the beginning of the new South Africa. And I was part of the generation that has become the building blocks of the nation it has become today. Its a up hill journey, but we'll make it.

I'm not sure if this was just a saffer thing, but does anyone else remember collecting Diaper Babies? You know those little plastic babies that you had to immerse in water to see if they were a boy or girl because their diaper would turn blue or pink? Then swap them at school if you had doubles, 'cause you only knew what you got once you opened the packet and dumped them in the bath? I used to steal these from the shop all the time with my sister.






Same goes with these damn things? Fuck, I used to have like 9 different colours on a chain and walk around as though I was some kinda trendsetter. That's because I was - FYI.

Speaking of trendsetters. How many times did you ladies of the nineties peep Clueless? I nearly creamed myself when I got my first pair of over the knee socks. How cute was Brittany Murphy in this flick hey? So devo she's kicked it. Can't believe they tried to spin off a TV series of this without Alicia Silverstone!? WTF, it's like tryna make pizza without a base. It's just cheese!

Yeah...that's a bad example of ICQ. If you don't remember ICQ chat then you weren't a true child of this amazle decade. I met my boyfriend of 6 years on this bad boy! (he is no more...perhaps this is why). I had some funny times on here. My ex's mates used to sign on, pretending they were girls and chat to their friends, and arrange to meet up and shit, then go meet them at the assigned meeting place and blast them with laughter. hahaha. OK, a bit cruel looking back now, but fucking HI.LA.RI.OUS at the time.

Or they would say, 'Would you like a photo of me?', and then their mate would be like, 'yeah for sure' and they would be all like 'OK, hang on babe' *snigger snigger* then send through a picture of gruesome car accident or lion maimed victim. OK OK, again a bit intense, but COME. ON. As if you wouldn't be tempted to do the same!?

Cindy banging Crawford. What the hell was Richard 'I shove gerbils up my ass' thinking lettin this goddess slip through his bestiality fingers? My friends and I used to collect pictures of her and make scrap books, and draw a mole on our upper lip with eyeliner. By then end of the night, the eyeliner had bled onto our entire top lip so we ended up looking more like Hitler than Cindy, but we made our point. We majorly hearted Cindy Crawford.




Britney Spears hey? Living proof that money doesn't buy class...or style for that matter. But when she busted out wearing this sultry school uniform singing, 'Hit me baby one more time' we shoulda known she was a dirty little slut. Virgin my ass. Appaz the whole school uni thingo was her idea! Jesus. Why did her parents mental alarm bell not start ringing it's ass off?!? I tell you why. It's because Britters 'ol parental unit were massive giant pimps! Look at that hot piece of ass! They couldn't hear the alarm bells for all the sound of the cash registers!

Don't get me wrong, I want a decent Brit comeback as much as the next person, but let's call a spade a slapper here.

In fairness to Ms Spears, she did choose to slay a fella from one of the better boybands that were all the rage back then. Haha, I shouldn't mock, 'cause I was a gigantic fan of New Kids on the Block. I even forced my friends into making a girl version which had the extremely original name of, New BABES on the Block' yup. We even 'performed' at the school fete. Miming to 2 Unlimited's biggest hit 'No Limits'. Well. There's a can of memory worms I'm not gonna be able to close for a while. But seriously, New Kids were pretty good. Naww, look at 'em all fresh faced and shit. (Not sure what old mate in the bandanna is trying to prove though).

I never owned a real pair of Doc Martins. I always had the fake pair from some crummy shop. But I did however, put bells on the end of the laces - man! I was cool. I was more a kicks kid than a Doc Martin one anyway. Doc Marins were asscoiated with those that listened to Pearl Jam, Smashing Pumpkins, Counting Crows, Radiohead, Red Hot Chili Peppers and of course, the Royal Family of grunge, Nirvana.




Now at my high school, there were the Kurt Cobain listeners ...

And the Biggie followers. 2 guesses for the one I was in...hehe. Even though there were the obvious separation of genres, there was still a mutual respect for the other one's taste. I think this is what I love most about the time we are living in right now. You can wear the illest kicks, were heaps of eyeliner, and listen to metal ... if you so please. It seems as though all the era's have shagged one another and we now live in the era of collaboration...I dunno. Well whatever was your scene back then, none of it mattered...

... because we all became fucking ravers anyway! Aahhh the love drug came to town. And so did the glowsticks. Everyone and their dog were a some kind of 'dancer' at some 'rave' called 'Euphoria' or 'Unity'. Paul Oakenfold and Carl Cox were our Gods, and we would worship every weekend. Don't even get me started on the New Years Eve in 1999. The scare of the Y2K disease was so far away from our ecstasy saturated brains as we partied in our all silver ensembles.

I looked like a frikkin goon bag. Plus I had silver glitter in my hair, glowsticks and white gloves. Oh yeah, I was a raver alright.

I know there were many more pivotal moments from those days. But I was just a mere teenager, having a good time. Having exactly the same outfit as Cher from Clueless was at the top of my priority list Im afraid. Plus, I had to really narrow this post down, because there is just so much to talk about! What are things that make you well up with nostalgia or cringe with embarresment when you think back on the big nine 0 ?