With my 12 yr old entering Junior High this year I am reminiscing non-stop. I can’t help but LOL at how the times have changed and how there were some hilarious trends that are no more, and a few I hope will make a comeback.
For the purpose of this post let’s pretend we’re headed back to school in the 80’s and 90’s. These are my TOP TEN must-haves for being COOL in SCHOOL.
TEN Must-Haves for Back to School in the 80’s & 90’s
1. Hyper Color T-Shirts!
Hyper Color shirts were among the priciest t-shirts back in the day. Not only will really cool hand-prints show up, sweaty armpits and back sweat showed up too!
Photo Credit Smithsonianmag.com
2. Billabong jackets!
I’m not sure if this was just a trend for us Florida kids but these jackets were hot. Unfortunately for me we couldn’t afford a Billabong jacket so I just borrowed my friend’s every single chance I got.
Photo Credit Pinterest
3. LA Gear Sneakers!
These were all the rage! LA Gear sneakers were so popular that there were even jeans and jean jackets featuring the LA Gear logo and twist accents. Did you own a pair?
4. Hair Crimpers!
These were the bomb. Everyone wanted crimped hair. Hair crimpers work like a flat iron but gave your hair that zig-zag stair step look. My mother was a hair dresser so yeah, I wore my share of crimped hairstyles.
Photo Credit YeahFlashBack.com
5. Shark Watches!
Again, I have no clue if this was a Florida thing but these velcro Freestyle Shark Watches were hot. So hot they are actually making a comeback and you can order them here. Back when I was a kid you could push all four buttons in a special sequence and make a digital shark swim across the screen. These were a must-have and definite compliment to the Billabong jacket.
Available for sale on Amazon.com
6. Igloo Coolers!
When you outgrew those babyish lunchboxes there was no where to go but UP! The bigger the better. I still can’t believe it was in style to bring these seemingly huge lunchboxes to school. Were they a trend where you went to school?
7. Trapper Keepers!
Trappers Keepers were the stuff dreams were made of. In order to have the best first day back to school ever you really needed a pimp Trapper Keeper. They came in all styles so you could definitely find the best one to match your fun personality. From unicorns and kitty cats to pop-stars and landscapes, these were so totally IN.
Photo Credit Neon Rattails
8. Carousel of Colors Pen!
One pen with many colors. Not comfortable to hold at all but super fun, perfect for all those retro doodles you needed to draw on your notebooks.
9. Scented Markers!
With the world becoming more conscious of toxins and chemicals I suppose that encouraging the sniffing magic markers is frowned upon. I can only imagine the amount of brain cells lost during the reign of these popular scented Mr Sketch Markers!
Photo Credit Gurl.com
10. Airbrushed Shoes!
Airbrushing was very trendy. If you were lucky enough to own a pair of custom airbrushed Converse or Keds then you definitely showed them off.
Photo Credit Rock Star Kisses
11. Luke Perry!
LAST but not LEAST. I had to have my Luke Perry magazine cut-out so that I could tape it inside my locker! No 7th grade girls locker was complete without Beverly Hills 90210 paraphernalia! <3
Well folks, this is my list of memorable must-haves for when I was headed to Junior High. I know what you’re thinking, “Dang she is OLD!” Yeah I guess you could say that. Proud class of 1996!
What were some of your Back to School Must-Haves when you were headed to Junior High?
*This post does contain affliate links. Thank you for supporting my work at home mom owned business.
I’m Julie, a former cloth diaper retailer who discovered a passion for the industry. Now, instead of selling cloth diapers, I advocate them and promote small businesses I love who sell and manufacture them.
I’m the wife of a fireman and mother of three. I have a daughter and identical twin sons.
