Function Over Fashion

I wouldn’t call myself overly fashion concious, but now I’ve hit my 40’s, I believe I know what suits me – and I wear that. A lifetime of mistakes has seen to that (let’s just say I fully embraced the 80’s). But I can’t help but feel there have been past fashion faux pas’ (well, they are certainly deemed so now) that at the time, were actually rather useful. And to be completely honest, I think we may have been wrong to let some of these items go.

1) Scrunchies: An 80’s classic (with a bit of an overhang into the 90’s too). I’m sorry, but no other hair-band held back your hair as perfectly as a scrunchie. They were thickly covered bands of elastic, usually in bright, gaudy coloured material. You felt confident in a scrunchie, untouchable; your normally unruly hair was going nowhere! The only frayed strands falling out were the tendrils you’d purposefully pulled out, moistened with spit and twisted around your finger to make them curl. And your freshly-permed hair felt protected from the riggers of elastic-damage (real follicular terminology in use here!). I think you’ll agree after that persuasive argument that the banishment of the scrunchie was a mistake. Still, my daughter tells me the scrunchie is making a reappearance in schools, so I’m going to have to nip to ‘Claire’s’ and see for myself.

2) Shopping Trolleys: Granted, not an item of clothing and never fashionable in my lifetime but they probably were once. Shopping trolleys have long been the domain of old ladies, you don’t look twice at an old dear dragging a fabric cart behind her, but if I were to sport one, you probably would. Sometimes I don’t particularly want to take the car to the supermarket, especially for a small shop; I want to take in the air, stretch my legs. But supermarket plastic bags and even reusable hemp ones cut into your hands, and let’s face it, you always buy more than you intended to. How useful would a shopping trolley be then? VERY useful, that’s how. But can I honestly imagine myself trundling along, wheeling one behind me? May as well just give up and wear slippers and curlers to the shops! However, people tell me that in certain circles in London, some young ladies are sporting shopping trolleys (y’know, funky, floral Cath Kidston ones) to cart about all their wears. But I can’t help feeling I’m being lied to because I certainly haven’t seen it for myself.

3)Bum-bags (yes, I’m going there!): I understand. I know, I know – even in the 80’s these were questionable but you can’t argue about how useful they were. Only carrying a a small amount today? Only need keys, wallet and a phone? Finding ruck-sacks and satchels uncomfortable for your back and shoulders? Get a bum-bag! BOOM!! All your problems are over!

Alright, I’ll admit, all these items are horrible (not the scrunchies, there’s life in them yet) and I don’t really want to wear or use them any more than you do. And maybe not all of the above were ever in vogue. I’m just saying that maybe we sometimes write off useful items too quickly. But every dog has it’s day and some of these dogs appear to be having a resurgence (not the trolleys though, they ain’t ever going to happen)!