Style: April ’96

A black floor-length skirt is more versatile than you might think. You can probably wear one just about every day, with any black shirt or band t-shirt you like. (Trent Reznor is so hot, right?) I think combat boots are cool, but jump boots have a smoother sole that I like better. Nobody’s going to see your legs with those boots and long skirt, but just in case, you can wear these striped thigh high socks. And I found these arm warmers for sale, but I just make my own out of tights. DIY project!

Red glasses are kind of arty, so I like them. (I hope they’re not too Salle Jesse). My hair is purple now, but I’m thinking about bleaching it next, or maybe just dying it black again. Oh, and I usually carry everything I need in my backpack, but my mom got one of those Sak purses for me when they came out. I guess it’s cool.

Whoops, how did 15-year-old me post this!? Happy April Fool’s Day!

Comments

84 responses to “Style: April ’96”

  1. Megan Avatar
    Megan

    Wicked awesome…which is what I would say if I weren’t so angsty and depressed over Kurt Cobain’s suicide two years ago.

  2. Heather Avatar

    April fools!!

  3. Making it Lovely Avatar

    Oh no!!! You guys, how did this blog post from 15 years ago show up!?

  4. aa Avatar

    i love styling myself like avril lavigne.

  5. Gwendolyn Avatar
    Gwendolyn

    hahaha

  6. Erin Avatar
    Erin

    This made me giggle. I definitely had a skirt just like that.

  7. Lovey Avatar
    Lovey

    hahaha Great style tips. Did you consult with my 17 year-old? She still tries to dress like this. *rolls eyes* If only what she wore out of the house today was a joke for April Fool’s.

  8. Nolita Morgan Avatar

    Hah! I momentarily forgot it was April Fools! I did a good prank on my kids, the youngest of which does not like fried eggs. I made Eggs in a Basket (more like ON a basket) out of toasted pound cake, yogurt and apricot halves (I saw this online yesterday and thought it would be a good prank!)- http://nolitamorgan.blogspot.com/2011/04/apricot-fools.html

    Happy April Fools!

  9. Holly Marie Gibbs Avatar

    Haha, happy April Fool’s Day to you, too :) Also, I had very similar arm warmers that got lots of use in the 90s.

  10. Holly Hanna Avatar

    Hahah! Oh the nineties….

    I still have my long black skirt, the elastic’s blown and there’s a hole in it. I just can’t part with it yet, too many fond memories. It’s tucked away in my closet right next to my baby blanket.

  11. Loren Avatar

    Fantastic. I briefly had flash backs to my teen years. If only I’d been even THIS fashionable at 16 maybe I would have been more popular. But if I had been more popular I wouldn’t have been as angsty and wouldn’t have worn so much black. Then I wouldn’t have been popular!
    Of the tangled web we weave.

  12. Sarah Avatar

    So hilarious. I totally wore this look (long black skirt, boots, black stripey sweathers) and dyed my hair with Kool-Aid. So glad those days are over!

  13. liz Avatar
    liz

    totally me in 1996. well…maybe 1994. :) Good one!

  14. kirida Avatar

    No mention of plaid body suits? Or velvet chokers? I was more of a crushed velvet babydoll dress myself.

  15. kaelva Avatar
    kaelva

    oh my I thought you had lost it for sure until I realized it’s April Fool’s day.. haha :D

  16. rhea Avatar

    i had such a good office chuckle when i realized it’s april fools!!!!!!!! thanks nicole :)

  17. Andrea Avatar
    Andrea

    *groan* I totally had that outfit when I was 13 or 14 – only I wore it with this truly awful blue polyester button down top instead of the NIN t-shirt. Just thinking about it makes me cringe!

  18. Sara Avatar
    Sara

    Best April Fools yet!

  19. Karrie Avatar

    Haha! Well, I still might have my Sak purse (in black)–but in all seriousness, I think this is totally ’94. :)

  20. Kristi Avatar
    Kristi

    Sarah- glad to hear someone else was dying their hair with Kool-Aid!

    Thanks for the laugh Nicole!

  21. Melissa Avatar

    Love it! I first opened this and thought huh? Then saw the April Fools note.

  22. Rach Avatar

    hahaaha! At first I was like, whaaa? Ya got me.

  23. Brick Window Avatar

    I don’t think Anna Dorfman is going to find this very funny! ;)

  24. Hollyp Avatar
    Hollyp

    If I were 25 years younger I’d buy those striped tights to wear with hot pants or a mini. Oh, to be Riff Randall in Rock ‘n Roll High School!

  25. Meredith Avatar

    Oh my goodness I am so gullible! So GLAD it’s April Fools Day! :)

  26. liz @ bon temps beignet Avatar

    wooooah. I was confused for about .2 seconds. I gotta tell you though, that Manic Panic ‘virgin snow’ is an AWESOME toner. It fills the hair shaft and leaves it super shiny and soft.

  27. Stephanie Avatar

    Wow! I’m gullible as well… I kept thinking, really? REALLY?

    I guess you got me!

  28. CoraD Avatar

    Wow, this takes me back…to April ’94. It’s totally spot on. Nice work.

  29. rebecca Avatar
    rebecca

    i was actually feeling pretty good about myself that i was finally dressed cuter than you today…and then i figured it out. fail.

  30. Lori Avatar
    Lori

    omg, this was totally my look in ’96!

  31. Kelly Avatar
    Kelly

    LOL I was really confused till I read that your hair was purple and then I realized… APRIL FOOLS! Very funny!

  32. Miss Kris Avatar

    I had that NIN shirt in the original blue. Got it in ’91 when I was in H.S. and saw them at Bumbershoot. I definitely owned most of these outfit elements in the early to mid nineties!

  33. Erin Avatar
    Erin

    Wow! What a slice from High School. Obsessed with NIN at the time, check. Purple hair, check. Paratrooper boots, check. Crochet purse (I had a backpack my Mom made me), check! Uncanny :)

  34. Sarah Avatar

    Totally been there.

    The versatility of the skirt slays me.

  35. Amanda Avatar
    Amanda

    I think I wore that exact outfit around then. Love. Combat boots go with everything. :)

  36. Mariesa Avatar
    Mariesa

    Ah! that was a good one. Love it! At first I said to myself “Why does that say ’96? Must be some sort of computer error or something.” Then as I actually looked at all the items I said ohhhh, no way is this right, April Fools!

  37. Laurendy Avatar

    minus the socks and arm warmers and I am pretty sure I rocked that outfit everyday for at least a year or two.

  38. Julie Avatar

    hilarious! thanks for the april fools fun!

  39. Jessica at Lavender and Lilies Avatar

    Good joke. That is quite a change from your normal style. :)

  40. jbhat Avatar
    jbhat

    You totally fooled me. I clicked the purple link, thinking I had missed a post where you had dyed your hair. OMG. I should have known better! Good one, good one.

    jbhat

  41. amy good house Avatar

    My eyes kind of rolled around the images, looking for something to grasp onto. I’m eating lunch and kind of distracted, so it took me a minute to realize I was looking at my highschool years. :)

  42. Kirsty Avatar

    this made my day! omg the manic panic is such a nice touch haha – love it!

  43. lsaspacey Avatar

    Um, wrong date, right. ;)

    In fact, I am wearing an ankle length black wool skirt right now. I have always had one long black skirt for the fall and winter and wear them with tall or short boots (though not Docs). This one (L.L. Bean) is getting a bit tight in the waist so I’ll have to start looking for this fall’s version.

  44. Aimee Avatar

    LOL, I know you are April Fooling but I love those tights! ;)

  45. my little apartment Avatar

    “red glasses are kinda arty” hilarious!

    I still remember the smell of Manic Panic and Punky Colour dye…

  46. Jennifer W Avatar

    Oh my goodness, I was so excited when I saw it was a new Style board. I love them. And then really disappointed when I saw all that crap! I was totally fooled until I saw the April Fools message! You totally got me!

  47. Alison Avatar
    Alison

    Is it wrong that I have more of an emotional connection to “all that crap” than the usual style boards? Too bad your not going all Tavi on us! Would have loved it.

  48. carolyn Avatar

    Gah. This WAS me freshman year of college. Oh, 1996. I’d probably still wear those glasses, though.

  49. Kate Avatar

    Hahaha… this is too funny! I think at one point I wore everything on this ;)

  50. Debbie Avatar

    I’d have definitely gone with the Doc Martens. I had the 3-holes (convinced my mom they were orthopedic!) and wore them so often for so long, I actually wore a hole in the bottom. But I always wanted 8-holes. In cherry red, natch.

  51. amanda6 Avatar
    amanda6

    You really had me there, I was going to ask you to post a photo of your purple hair!

  52. Erika Avatar

    When I saw those combat boots (and before reading anything) I just thought, “God, I am old!”

    Nice one!

  53. Elisa @ What the Vita Avatar

    Hahaha you totally got me.. I was like ehh not your usual style board.. until you said purple hair, then I thought, something’s not right!! Good one :)

  54. Marcia V. of Precious Style Avatar

    I saw “black floor length skirt” on my feeds and thought “that doesn’t seem like her style.” I am so not quick when it comes to these April Fools posts.

  55. val Avatar

    i am so brought back to my junior high days right now, manic panic and all. Happy April Fools to you!

  56. shortsweetseason Avatar

    omg…i was a little scared until i read your comment about hair color and remembered it’s april 1.

  57. Amanda Avatar

    That took me back!

  58. emily Avatar
    emily

    Wow you got me. I was thinking, sooo I guess those sleepless newborn nights are getting to her…:)

  59. Mandy Hough Avatar

    This reminds me of a cute, clean cut soccer mom I came across one day at a kid’s soccer game. She had a nine inch nails tattoo on her ankle peaking out between her cropped jeans and ballet flats. I bet she rocked that April ’96 look once upon a time.

  60. christy Avatar
    christy

    That was very close to my style 20 years go. :) I still have my docs.

  61. Lizzy Avatar

    I like the Comic Sans font! So 1996!

  62. erica Avatar

    Comic Sans…nice touch!

    1. Amy Avatar
      Amy

      HA! That didn’t even register at first. Love it.

  63. TDM Avatar
    TDM

    Haha this is a bit different to your usual stylish self!

    TDM x

  64. Holly G Avatar
    Holly G

    OMG! Didn’t see the 1996 at first….kind of had me going for a sec!

  65. Gwen~healthymamma Avatar

    Eeeek, I remember those boots! haaahaaaa! very funny.

  66. Kate Holt Avatar
    Kate Holt

    Wow, for a second there I felt like I was looking at my high school year book. And once I saw the Sak purse I knew you were kidding. Egad. Well played.

  67. Julie Avatar
    Julie

    That was awesome! I was SOOOOOO confused.

  68. erin Avatar

    You had me at ‘Trent Reznor is hot.’ What a big, bad crush I had on that man.

  69. Dayna Avatar

    Ahaha…my Mom never allowed any of the other stuff (thankfully!) but I did own a SAK purse. *groan*

  70. Christina Winters Avatar
    Christina Winters

    i just said to my boyfriend (horrified) “WHO IS THIS AND WHAT HAVE THEY DONE WITH NICOLE??”

    you got me so good, haha =.=

  71. Christina Winters Avatar
    Christina Winters

    ps the red glasses are actually cute :3

  72. Amy Avatar
    Amy

    Black long skirts and combat boots…what I wore in high school! 1996! Style is very circular, isn’t it?

    1. Amy Avatar
      Amy

      Oh!!! Ha ha! I just realized you wrote 1996!

  73. Bethie Avatar

    I was just over at Young House Love and got duped by them and then got duped by your site immediately after! Sheesh! I’m far too gullible!

    1. Grace Y. Avatar
      Grace Y.

      me too! I always look at YHL and then immediately after mosey on over to MIL. I was taken in by both as well :)

  74. Tanya W Avatar
    Tanya W

    Man I totally rocked the long skirt look! Fun post :)

  75. Sarah in Indiana Avatar
    Sarah in Indiana

    Ha–1996 jumped out at me immediately, because that was the year I graduated from high school. This look is totally familiar, but I pretty much struck with jeans and tees. I loved my black suede Sambas, my Doc Marten sandals, and my Lisa Loeb glasses, through.

  76. SPEXYLADY Avatar

    LOVE IT! you totally brought back high school memories :)

  77. Karina Avatar
    Karina

    Man, Alanis Morrissette started playing in my mind when I saw this!!

  78. […] you guys. You didn’t think that this was my April Style post, did you? That was my little April Fool’s Day joke. Ha ha, jokes on […]

  79. jj Avatar
    jj

    I am now aware of my total lack of taste because I thought all this stuff was kinda cute in an off-beat funky sort of way. I’ll bet you looked totally rad?bad? ………… uniquely individual?

  80. Amber Avatar
    Amber

    What’s embarrassing is that I had everything on your board! The sack purse was in black, it was blue stripes, downward spiral tee shirt, blue-green hair, platform boots and mesh arm warmers… good times!

  81. […] top, because I haven’t worn a maxi skirt since I was a teenage goth (and duh, you just wore a black band tee with your black skirt back then). The shirt I tried on with it looks good, but the skirt needs to have more than one […]