Favourite Things From My Teen Years

I’ve been feeling nostalgic lately, thinking about some of my favourite things I miss from my teen years. I think this wave of nostalgia is because of a couple of reasons. First, I just finished watching Stranger Things, which is set in the 80s. The music, fashion, and general vibe transported me straight back to those years.

And the other reason is that my birthday is next week. So once again, here I am, wondering how time flew so fast. It feels like I blinked and fast-forwarded to now—yikes!

Anyway, I thought I’d go all in on the nostalgia and take you along as I share some of my favourite things I loved from back in the day. Thanks so much for being here!

Favourite Things From My Teen Years

Levi’s 501s

Oh my goodness, I don’t know if it was the jeans I wanted or the guy in the Levi’s TV ad—probably both. My first paycheck (yes, I literally got paid by cheque) went straight towards a pair of faded 501s, and I wore them until they got a hole in the knee… and then I felt even cooler. 😂

Impulse Spray

In high school, most of us kept a can of Impulse spray in our lockers to freshen up between classes. I think my favourite scent was called Dancing Queen. I remember it had a pink lid. They still sell Impulse, and a few years ago, probably around my birthday, when nostalgia hits, I bought a can, but I couldn’t stand the smell. Not even as a bathroom spray.

Dolly Magazine

Ah, Dolly magazine. Every Aussie teen girl had to have it in the 80s. I loved going through each new issue, checking out the fashion, taking quizzes like Answer These Top 10 Questions to Know if He Thinks about You, catching up on celebrity gossip, and collecting some of the posters of my favourite boy bands, pop stars, and TV heartthrobs. Rob Lowe was my teen crush. Even though it featured stars from overseas, Dolly was Australian, printed and sold right here. Sadly, it stopped publishing in 2016.

Swatch Watches

I had to wait for my 15th birthday to get one of these and I chose a grey one with faint colourful lines on the dial. Haha, always the minimalist when it came to bright colours, even back then. I really wish I’d kept it, but I didn’t. That is the downside of decluttering, you throw away good stuff sometimes. But then again, what would you do if you kept everything? I feel like I’m going around in circles here.

Coke in a Glass Bottle

I think that Coke in a glass bottle just tastes so much nicer, even today. They aren’t as common as they used to be, but I occasionally treat myself to a glass one. I just remembered I forgot to order it with my grocery delivery that arrived today. Boo!

Ray Ban Wayfarers

After years of wanting a pair, I think I finally bought prescription ones in either 1987 or 1988, and I’ve still got them and still wear them sometimes. Yay!

Off-The-Shoulder Tops

Remember Flashdance, when Jennifer Beale wore that off-the-shoulder sloppy joe (we call them sloppy joes here)? I wanted one so badly! The same year the movie came out, we had a Textile and Design assignment at school to make a sloppy joe. Not Flashdance style, but the proper ones. I was painfully slow during class, and since we didn’t own a sewing machine at home (my mum hated sewing with a passion), I never finished mine and didn’t get to sew on the ribbing around the neck or sleeve cuffs. So, I accidentally ended up with one that actually looked like the one on Flashdance. I failed the class, but I loved my top!

Big Hair Accessories

Scrunchies were all the rage, but I didn’t really wear my hair in a ponytail. Instead, I liked the Madonna-style hairband with a big bow. As long as I didn’t tease my hair too much, because my mum said only the naughty girls wore their hair like that, I was allowed to wear the headband.

Well, I guess that’s a wrap on some of my favourite 80s teen memories. I’m sure I’ll remember a dozen more as soon as I hit publish, but for now, I’m off to see about treating myself to a Swatch and some faded 501s. I never really know what to ask for my birthday, but I’m thinking this year, a few classics are the way to go.