A waist pack, walkman, tape player, or legendary platform boots. This is just a short list of all retro pieces which are indelibly written into fashion history. What was once cool are what used to make us to feel really IN?
Chic fashion under socialism? Utopia! During this period we (did not) enjoy a limited choice, various substitutes and airtight synthetic materials. Those did not want to wear dederon fabric dresses and shirts had to wear tapered trousers or stonewashed denim made by using chlorine.
Great popularity was enjoyed by the ´string´ bag, produced from the 20´s in Czechoslovakia or the legendary plimsoles with elastic on instep - ´Jarmilky´.
In the nineties fashion became more relaxed, colourful, more accessible and cargo pants enjoyed the limelight, as well as dungarees, tights, shell suits of nylon, waist packs or platform shoes higher than half skyscrapers in New York. Just look at legendary Spice Girls, setting the trends or the main characters of Beverly Hills 90210 and you will see that although this fashion was a bit crazy, it was however what the doctor ordered after the grey socialist era!
In the 80's others would give anything for giving them a tape-player at least for a moment. The same glory a few years later was enjoyed by a walkman, discman, game boy or the phenomenon of the late nineties, Tamagotchi. Strolling the streets with a tape-player on one shoulder listening to the latest hits, playing Tetris over and over or feeding the digital pet at 2 o´clock in the morning and during school breaks? Who didn´t do that?!
Technology or clothing were not the only things that determined our status. Who collected plastic C shapes, had gaming Pogs and chewed Pedro gum, was simply cool. And trading in these commodities has become legendary kids´ entertainment.
Although many of the trends, such as a waist pack, dungarees or Tamagotchi enjoy a comeback, their boom had passed. Is it the same? Never again!