Setting the stage: A group of Gen-X pals gather around an old, dusty time capsule they've unearthed from one of their childhood backyards. This surprise find has unlocked a treasure chest of memories from the 80s and 90s.
So far, they've stumbled upon: Neon colored scrunchies, slap bracelets, and an old school book covered with a brown paper shopping bag with the words The Go-Gos and Bananarama drawn in ink.
What else do they find? Share your own picks, and let's create a fab collection of quirky Gen-X gems that'll give future generations a peek into what our generation was all about! 😎
Friendship pins, banana clips, white high top Reeboks, Jordache and Sergio Valente clothes, boom boxes, cassette tapes, plastic milk crates for storage, acid washed Jean jackets, Hostess baked goods, Dolphin shorts, knee-high socks, legwarmers, Aquanet, electric blue eyeliner and mascara, ice blue eye shadow, pink champagne lipstick- for starters!
Off the shoulder sweatshirts, neon anything, Jane Fonda workout tape (accompanied by Let’s Get Physical by ONJ), a Renault Le Car, an MTV shirt and a VHS copy of ET.
Nov 2, 2023Liked by Margit Detweiler, Liz Thompson
Actual 80's or caricatures of the 80's? I do think of princess phones as a very 80's thing, but the caricature would be that Mickey Mouse phone. That moment when ATT no longer issued you your phone hardware on lease and you got to/had to go buy your own. Most people got the princess phone because it was inexpensive and ubiquitous, but the Mickey Mouse phone was right next to it in the catalog. And then the day you saw one in real life you knew you were in the presence of coolness!
Tiger Beat Magazine, white Capezios, paisley and buffalo plaid clothes, lots of fun neck ware (bolo ties, thin ties, broaches/pins) , Beta Max tapes, stirrup pants, skorts, leg warmers, big gulps, scratch and sniff stickers.
A tartan pencil case with band names written on it so that everyone at school would know you had cool taste in music: New Order, Eurythmics, Tears for Fears, The Thompson Twins, Psychedelic Furs, Joy Division, Bauhaus, etc...
Nov 2, 2023Liked by Margit Detweiler, Liz Thompson
My first Beatles albums: the red and the blue ones. They're being expanded now for their 50th anniversary. I got them at thirteen in 1977. I know those were a lot of people's first Beatles albums.
We are nothing without our teasing combs! Wet N Wild, who came to the suburban punk rock rescue with almost black lipstick and nail polish (I don't think our town ordered the black, or it went very, very quick; we were forced to use Sharpies and clear polish if we wanted black nails). Black liquid eyeliner for Siouxsie eyes. Chocolate PopTarts. Pop Rocks. Ring Pops. Legwarmers. Granny boots. Fingerless gloves. Leather jackets. Members Only jackets. 501s. And Jake from Sixteen Candles. Walkman with auto-reverse. xo
Maybe just older gen x would remember these, but how about the donut-shaped AM radio that opened up to access the dial; and the little suitcase record player before you got your first real stereo.
Nov 2, 2023Liked by Margit Detweiler, Liz Thompson
Mix tapes, Aquanet, black WetnWild eyeliner, Levi jeans jacket, cabbage rose printed jeans, Shaker knit sweaters, cheap plastic jewelry from Clares, Judy Blume and Cynthia Vogt books, Tiger Beat posters, Izod polos and Esprit everything; The Preppy Handbook; Loves Baby Soft; Seventeen magazine, Molly Ringwald, a mall, strip mall movie theater and its arcade.
Oh! Oh! (Waving my hand in the air) Something from the Bicentennial! I had Bicentennial stickers all over my notebooks in sixth grade. Wish I could post a photo here.
Nov 3, 2023Liked by Margit Detweiler, Liz Thompson
Putting on my acid washed jeans and fluorescent tank top to ride around on my banana seat bike with my friend, tracking down the boys on their skate boards and going to 7-Eleven. Reading Seventeen magazine and smelling the Calvin Klein perfume inserts, crimping my hair and looking like a poodle. Hearing With or Without You for the first time. Going to the beach slathered in banana boat oil with no SPF and eating Hickory Sticks. Really caring about the Coke vs Pepsi issue (haha). Being devastated by the Challenger and amazed at the Berlin Wall going down. Being inspired by women on tv like Wonder Woman (I think I was 5) and the lovely ladies of Nine to Five. Ahh those were the days.
Nov 3, 2023Liked by Margit Detweiler, Liz Thompson
Lite brite, mood rings, pet rock, duran duran record, saturday night live and star wars movie tickets, sears catalog with toys circled that you want for Christmas, 8-track tapes, mad libs, sea horses ads, jelly shoes, hair scrimper, metal tooth comb to tease hair a foot high, relax dont do it t-shirt
Guess jeans, two-toned acid washed jeans, rubber bracelets x as many that you can fit on your wrist, Hello Kitty anything, Lisa Lisa’s epic hair, that amazing jean jacket from the “Dress You Up” Madonna video...lace fingerless gloves, and on and on!
I am late to this party, but I was thinking of maybe adding anything from Esprit... like the black stirrup pants they sold with the tent-like banana yellow button-down shirts? Maybe James Jeans? And Focus 21 hairspray... that scent was unmistakeable and it held like cement. And WHAM! "Choose Life" sweatshirts, neon green Madonna anklet socks with white lace edging, Manic Panic hair color, but the deadliest thing of all... Lawn Darts... they were like terrifying metal stomp rockets. I still have scars from those!
Friendship pins, banana clips, white high top Reeboks, Jordache and Sergio Valente clothes, boom boxes, cassette tapes, plastic milk crates for storage, acid washed Jean jackets, Hostess baked goods, Dolphin shorts, knee-high socks, legwarmers, Aquanet, electric blue eyeliner and mascara, ice blue eye shadow, pink champagne lipstick- for starters!
Here's a good one....who remembers The Official Preppy Handbook?!
Off the shoulder sweatshirts, neon anything, Jane Fonda workout tape (accompanied by Let’s Get Physical by ONJ), a Renault Le Car, an MTV shirt and a VHS copy of ET.
Scratch and sniff stickers, rainbow shoe laces, Kaepa’s, braided ribbon barrettes, Trapper Keeper, Journeys Escape cassette.
Those Girbaud parachute pants, but from Express in lime green
We're going to need some mixtapes from earnest high school boyfriends in there!
Actual 80's or caricatures of the 80's? I do think of princess phones as a very 80's thing, but the caricature would be that Mickey Mouse phone. That moment when ATT no longer issued you your phone hardware on lease and you got to/had to go buy your own. Most people got the princess phone because it was inexpensive and ubiquitous, but the Mickey Mouse phone was right next to it in the catalog. And then the day you saw one in real life you knew you were in the presence of coolness!
Some clothes from Banana Republic.
Punk zines.
CARNATION INSTANT BREAKFAST BARS, chocolate chip flavor. My god I miss those.
Swatch watches.
I second the person who suggested Trapper Keepers, they HAVE to be in there!
Of course the time capsule itself is a Caboodle...
Tiger Beat Magazine, white Capezios, paisley and buffalo plaid clothes, lots of fun neck ware (bolo ties, thin ties, broaches/pins) , Beta Max tapes, stirrup pants, skorts, leg warmers, big gulps, scratch and sniff stickers.
I came to add the Care Bears, Strawberry Shortcake dolls, and a VHS tape of "Desperately Seeking Susan". Oh, and tube socks... neon tube socks.
A tartan pencil case with band names written on it so that everyone at school would know you had cool taste in music: New Order, Eurythmics, Tears for Fears, The Thompson Twins, Psychedelic Furs, Joy Division, Bauhaus, etc...
A crimping iron!
My first Beatles albums: the red and the blue ones. They're being expanded now for their 50th anniversary. I got them at thirteen in 1977. I know those were a lot of people's first Beatles albums.
We are nothing without our teasing combs! Wet N Wild, who came to the suburban punk rock rescue with almost black lipstick and nail polish (I don't think our town ordered the black, or it went very, very quick; we were forced to use Sharpies and clear polish if we wanted black nails). Black liquid eyeliner for Siouxsie eyes. Chocolate PopTarts. Pop Rocks. Ring Pops. Legwarmers. Granny boots. Fingerless gloves. Leather jackets. Members Only jackets. 501s. And Jake from Sixteen Candles. Walkman with auto-reverse. xo
Maybe just older gen x would remember these, but how about the donut-shaped AM radio that opened up to access the dial; and the little suitcase record player before you got your first real stereo.
Village Lip Lickers (in the little tins!), Kissing Potion lip gloss, Lip Smackers
Mix tapes, Aquanet, black WetnWild eyeliner, Levi jeans jacket, cabbage rose printed jeans, Shaker knit sweaters, cheap plastic jewelry from Clares, Judy Blume and Cynthia Vogt books, Tiger Beat posters, Izod polos and Esprit everything; The Preppy Handbook; Loves Baby Soft; Seventeen magazine, Molly Ringwald, a mall, strip mall movie theater and its arcade.
Let's not forget everything diet/sugar-free and fat-free: Crystal Light, Lean Cuisine dinners, Snack Wells, TCBY (!)
Benetton Rugbys, scarves and sweater dresses, Espirit ANYTHING
Sea Breeze and Buff Puffs
A Hard Rock Cafe t-shirt
Scrunchy Socks
90s YA books from authors like Christopher Pike, RL Stine and Lois Duncan.
Oh! Oh! (Waving my hand in the air) Something from the Bicentennial! I had Bicentennial stickers all over my notebooks in sixth grade. Wish I could post a photo here.
Putting on my acid washed jeans and fluorescent tank top to ride around on my banana seat bike with my friend, tracking down the boys on their skate boards and going to 7-Eleven. Reading Seventeen magazine and smelling the Calvin Klein perfume inserts, crimping my hair and looking like a poodle. Hearing With or Without You for the first time. Going to the beach slathered in banana boat oil with no SPF and eating Hickory Sticks. Really caring about the Coke vs Pepsi issue (haha). Being devastated by the Challenger and amazed at the Berlin Wall going down. Being inspired by women on tv like Wonder Woman (I think I was 5) and the lovely ladies of Nine to Five. Ahh those were the days.
Lite brite, mood rings, pet rock, duran duran record, saturday night live and star wars movie tickets, sears catalog with toys circled that you want for Christmas, 8-track tapes, mad libs, sea horses ads, jelly shoes, hair scrimper, metal tooth comb to tease hair a foot high, relax dont do it t-shirt
Guess jeans, two-toned acid washed jeans, rubber bracelets x as many that you can fit on your wrist, Hello Kitty anything, Lisa Lisa’s epic hair, that amazing jean jacket from the “Dress You Up” Madonna video...lace fingerless gloves, and on and on!
I am late to this party, but I was thinking of maybe adding anything from Esprit... like the black stirrup pants they sold with the tent-like banana yellow button-down shirts? Maybe James Jeans? And Focus 21 hairspray... that scent was unmistakeable and it held like cement. And WHAM! "Choose Life" sweatshirts, neon green Madonna anklet socks with white lace edging, Manic Panic hair color, but the deadliest thing of all... Lawn Darts... they were like terrifying metal stomp rockets. I still have scars from those!
Forenza cotton v-neck sweaters, banana clips and a swatch watch