24 April 2012

1983 (and so on and so forth)












not sure what my eighties self would have thought of friday night's all school eighties dance. I mean, I think she probably would have been fascinated. plus maybe a little mortified but mostly fascinated. I can distinctly remember my preteen self wondering, what are future people even going to think of the eighties? we have no style, no real definitive style. we are nothing like the fifties, the sixties, the seventies. what defines us? I just couldn't see it. because I was living it, I guess. I turned ten in 1980, twenty in 1990, so there you go. I am the eighties.

so, friday night I slapped on my (ahem, original) go-go's pins, yanked my hair into a stupid side ponytail (which I never ever ever would have worn back in the day, by the way) and declared my sloppy self properly attired. oh but to see my daughter wearing the clothes I wore a hundred years ago, the colors, the tights, the mess of pins. to see her at the dance standing next to the boy she likes, to see the sweet, awkward way that all played out. the whole scene made me ache. filled me with the sort of longing that can only be described as ridiculous. and so of course I hid behind my camera the whole night, tried to figure out how I really felt about the whole thing. mostly, I felt old. I tried to pretend I didn't but I felt old.

and I wondered what these dances will look like in twenty or thirty years. what will define the style of the millennials? the 2010s? what pieces of clothing will ava save? what will she share with her own children? what will make her laugh? cringe? and will it make her feel as old as I did friday night? probably.

anyway.

I am still wallowing in nostalgia here which means I will be spinning eighties records all week long and maybe watching john hughes films on repeat. it also means I will be treating my eighties self to a little neon because you know, after friday night, she really sort of deserves it.

23 comments:

  1. i love every single thing about this post, my friend. EVERY. SINGLE. THING.

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    1. thank you, lady. thank you thank you thank you. xoxo

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  2. The title of your post was itself enough to draw my attention to the content, because as another 1970 baby this was the first of the tumultuous teen years for us. Fingerless gloves and floorboards bring back memories of shuffling at the school gym. And the Purple One! Yes, we're getting old but still time to shine hula, still time to shine...

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    1. a fellow 1970s baby! I love it. 1970 babies rule (as you well know). and yes, still time to shine. sort of needed to hear that, I think. xo

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  3. fourth photo down. umm...why does she look like an ADULT? she looks like a beautiful grown up girl! what is happening?!?

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    1. I KNOW. oh carrie. I know, I know. it's crazy is what it is. crazy times one hundred.

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  4. ava looks so grown up. now *I* feel old! love love love those leg warmers. and the tights. and, well, everything.

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  5. and I should also tell you that I'm headed to the palm springs ace hotel today, and it is totally because I was inspired by you, so thank you for my mini-vacation! and for being inspiring, generally. <3

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    1. what! THAT IS AWESOME. are you down there right now? are you soaking in all that sun? are they treating you well? I hope so! please report back with details when you return! we must talk about the rich white hipster situation down there.

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  6. I'm a little older than you and I can't say I loved the 80's but I LOVE crankin any Prince tune up as high as it will go :) I remember in school at some function we all got up on stage and danced to Prince's 1999 and thinking wow that is SOOO far away :) My daughter is 7, she has a very 80's style and is now into glitter eyeshadow hmm Thanks for a great flash back! Michelle from www.mommyspinkielipgloss.blogspot.com

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    1. omg YES! I thought the same thing about 1999. how it seemed light years away! surreal.

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  7. well, i definitely understand your emotions here, but you are in fact NO WAY old, that's for darn sure. in fact, i do believe you're one of the coolest women i know of.
    off-the-shoulder T's forever!!!! <3

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    1. thanks, friend. thank you so much! made my day. :)

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  8. THe legs in the first picture!! SO RAD

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    1. hey thanks! had to find away to capture those awesome tights.

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  9. Aww! I actually thought this photos may have been you in the 80s for a second. Loving those Prince badges.

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  10. this post is entirely awesome. makes me want to kick up my feet and stare longingly at my billy idol poster... with a teen beat magazine in hand.

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  11. how great is this post?
    you are an awesome mum.
    I just know it.

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    1. oh lady, I try. I am trying. :) (and thank you) xoxo

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  12. wow. this looks like so much fun! :)
    i remember thinking the same thing as a kid, what will define our era? it's so hard to see when you're living it, but so obvious when you're not, haha.
    ...and you can never go wrong with a little bit of neon. ;)
    -Tina

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    1. isn't it? just so hard? guess you're just too close it when you're living it. now I can't seem to figure out why I couldn't see it before!

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