Style

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!

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  • Megan
    April 1, 2011 at 9:04 am

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

  • Heather
    April 1, 2011 at 9:05 am

    April fools!!

  • Making it Lovely
    April 1, 2011 at 9:05 am

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

  • aa
    April 1, 2011 at 9:06 am

    i love styling myself like avril lavigne.

  • Gwendolyn
    April 1, 2011 at 9:07 am

    hahaha

  • Erin
    April 1, 2011 at 9:07 am

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

  • Lovey
    April 1, 2011 at 9:10 am

    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.

  • Nolita Morgan
    April 1, 2011 at 9:10 am

    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!

  • Holly Marie Gibbs
    April 1, 2011 at 9:12 am

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

  • Holly Hanna
    April 1, 2011 at 9:13 am

    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.

  • Loren
    April 1, 2011 at 9:13 am

    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.

  • Sarah
    April 1, 2011 at 9:15 am

    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!

  • liz
    April 1, 2011 at 9:15 am

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

  • kirida
    April 1, 2011 at 9:15 am

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

  • kaelva
    April 1, 2011 at 9:19 am

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

  • rhea
    April 1, 2011 at 9:20 am

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

  • Andrea
    April 1, 2011 at 9:28 am

    *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!

  • Sara
    April 1, 2011 at 9:30 am

    Best April Fools yet!

  • Karrie
    April 1, 2011 at 9:30 am

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

  • Kristi
    April 1, 2011 at 9:35 am

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

    Thanks for the laugh Nicole!

  • Melissa
    April 1, 2011 at 9:37 am

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

  • Rach
    April 1, 2011 at 9:38 am

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

  • Brick Window
    April 1, 2011 at 9:39 am

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

  • Hollyp
    April 1, 2011 at 9:46 am

    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!

  • Meredith
    April 1, 2011 at 9:47 am

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

  • liz @ bon temps beignet
    April 1, 2011 at 9:48 am

    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.

  • Stephanie
    April 1, 2011 at 9:48 am

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

    I guess you got me!

  • CoraD
    April 1, 2011 at 9:58 am

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

  • rebecca
    April 1, 2011 at 10:02 am

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

  • Lori
    April 1, 2011 at 10:08 am

    omg, this was totally my look in ’96!

  • Kelly
    April 1, 2011 at 10:26 am

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

  • Miss Kris
    April 1, 2011 at 10:48 am

    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!

  • Erin
    April 1, 2011 at 10:49 am

    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 :)

  • Sarah
    April 1, 2011 at 10:51 am

    Totally been there.

    The versatility of the skirt slays me.

  • Amanda
    April 1, 2011 at 11:00 am

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

  • Mariesa
    April 1, 2011 at 11:00 am

    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!

  • Laurendy
    April 1, 2011 at 11:14 am

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

  • Julie
    April 1, 2011 at 11:15 am

    hilarious! thanks for the april fools fun!

  • Jessica at Lavender and Lilies
    April 1, 2011 at 11:32 am

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

  • jbhat
    April 1, 2011 at 11:34 am

    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

  • amy good house
    April 1, 2011 at 11:47 am

    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. :)

  • Kirsty
    April 1, 2011 at 12:04 pm

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

  • lsaspacey
    April 1, 2011 at 12:26 pm

    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.

  • Aimee
    April 1, 2011 at 12:38 pm

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

  • my little apartment
    April 1, 2011 at 12:51 pm

    “red glasses are kinda arty” hilarious!

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

  • Jennifer W
    April 1, 2011 at 1:06 pm

    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!

  • Alison
    April 1, 2011 at 1:10 pm

    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.

  • carolyn
    April 1, 2011 at 1:17 pm

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

  • Kate
    April 1, 2011 at 1:29 pm

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

  • Debbie
    April 1, 2011 at 1:57 pm

    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.

  • amanda6
    April 1, 2011 at 2:02 pm

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

  • Erika
    April 1, 2011 at 2:11 pm

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

    Nice one!

  • Elisa @ What the Vita
    April 1, 2011 at 2:25 pm

    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 :)

  • Marcia V. of Precious Style
    April 1, 2011 at 2:32 pm

    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.

  • val
    April 1, 2011 at 2:49 pm

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

  • shortsweetseason
    April 1, 2011 at 3:18 pm

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

  • Amanda
    April 1, 2011 at 3:27 pm

    That took me back!

  • emily
    April 1, 2011 at 3:41 pm

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

  • Mandy Hough
    April 1, 2011 at 3:57 pm

    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.

  • christy
    April 1, 2011 at 4:02 pm

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

  • Lizzy
    April 1, 2011 at 4:46 pm

    I like the Comic Sans font! So 1996!

  • erica
    April 1, 2011 at 4:50 pm

    Comic Sans…nice touch!

    • Amy
      April 1, 2011 at 11:55 pm

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

  • TDM
    April 1, 2011 at 4:51 pm

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

    TDM x

  • Holly G
    April 1, 2011 at 6:24 pm

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

  • Gwen~healthymamma
    April 1, 2011 at 6:50 pm

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

  • Kate Holt
    April 1, 2011 at 6:51 pm

    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.

  • Julie
    April 1, 2011 at 8:07 pm

    That was awesome! I was SOOOOOO confused.

  • erin
    April 1, 2011 at 8:22 pm

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

  • Dayna
    April 1, 2011 at 9:17 pm

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

  • Christina Winters
    April 1, 2011 at 11:09 pm

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

    you got me so good, haha =.=

  • Christina Winters
    April 1, 2011 at 11:10 pm

    ps the red glasses are actually cute :3

  • Amy
    April 2, 2011 at 1:00 am

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

    • Amy
      April 2, 2011 at 1:01 am

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

  • Bethie
    April 2, 2011 at 6:22 am

    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!

    • Grace Y.
      April 2, 2011 at 7:42 pm

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

  • Tanya W
    April 2, 2011 at 7:53 am

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

  • Sarah in Indiana
    April 2, 2011 at 9:40 am

    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.

  • SPEXYLADY
    April 2, 2011 at 11:02 pm

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

  • Karina
    April 4, 2011 at 11:35 am

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

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    April 5, 2011 at 9:45 am

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  • jj
    April 5, 2011 at 4:31 pm

    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?

  • Amber
    May 12, 2011 at 4:12 pm

    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!

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