Our first Best of Gen-X episode “Did We Really Wear That?” recounts the sometimes misguided and often experimental fashion choices of our burgeoning womanhoods in the 80s and 90s, and raises some compelling questions, like: What is a Mod? Is there such thing as too much AquaNet? When your your secondhand garments come from a friend are they called hand-me-overs? Did leggings start out as long underwear? Who wore it first: ParcoSam or Seinfeld’s Elaine?
We may or may not find out the answers to these and so many more ponderables in this episode of Hey Parco!
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- Google Podcasts: https://bit.ly/3zLxMP2
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- Stitcher: https://bit.ly/38JrsMt
- Amazon Music: https://amzn.to/38shRcH
On to the Show Notes…
Camp Beverly Hills & Vans – ParcoSam
Not to be confused with “Troop Beverly Hills”, which was a Shelly Long movie 
This is a pretty good representation of the Camp Beverly Hills color palette 
Oh what a feeling, when your neckline isn’t choking you
Not only did we cut the necks out of our sweatshirts (Camp Beverly Hills or otherwise), but we also often wore them inside out. Neckless sweatshirts were quite comfortable, and practical in a warmer climate like Southern California. As for the inside-out thing… honestly, I haven’t got the foggiest idea of WHY we did it. It’s not the dumbest thing I did in high school.
VANS! So comfy, so cute. I was never a skateboarder or surfer, but I put a lot of pavement miles on those slip-ons. Not only was Fast Times at Ridgemont High filmed at my high school, but the infamous scenes with Jeff Spicoli (Sean Penn) and Mr. Hand were filmed in the classroom where I was a peer tutor for two years. Behold a clip featuring the legendary checked VANS:
The Iceman with frosted tips! How fitting. 
Part of ParcoSam’s Pins/Badges collection. The Anglophiles–the only time the Parcos were actually in a band together!
We are the Mods…. – ParcoAnn
From Wikipedia:
‘The British mod revival was followed by a revival in North America in the early 1980s, particularly in Southern California, led by bands such as The Untouchables. The Mod Scene in Los Angeles and Orange County was partly influenced by the 2-Tone Ska revival in England, and was unique in its racial diversity, with black, white, Hispanic and Asian participants.’
Yes I was a “Mod” in Los Angeles at the height of the Mod Scene. I went to the On Klub, Lhasa, Roxy, Whiskey a Go Go, backyard parties and even held a couple of my own. One was a planned Sweet 16, and the other was when my mom was out of town and my then-boyfriend told all his Mod pals that there was a party. 200 Mods–some traveling from as far as Orange County–converged upon my mother’s house. Lambrettas and Vespas were parked all over my front yard.
Dancing ensued, but so did the raid on my mother’s liquor cabinet. I did NOT drink that night, as I was trying to keep the house from falling into ruin. I had a few very, very drunk Mods crashed on the floor. The cops were called. Needless to say, when I grew up and left home, ALL the neighbors collectively breathed a sigh of relief.
I will say, it was a diverse crowd and we truly believed in being unified with each other. I loved the Carnaby Street look, the pop art kind of Mod. Here’s a very small list of the bands that I saw at that time: The Who (with The Clash opening), The English Beat (danced on stage with Ranking Roger), The Jam (went to their soundcheck at Perkins Palace and their in-store at Tower Records on Sunset Blvd), The Specials, Madness, The Question, and of course, The Untouchables, and so many more.
Just a small smattering of humans of the 200 mods 
Sweet 16 Party with the Aberrant 4. 
Outside the Lhasa Club
Yes, I was inspired by Madonna and Cyndi Lauper. I didn’t listen to their music, but I did love that they were doing their own thing. You only need one uber-militant Mod archnemesis to ruin the whole Mod thing for you. I don’t like rigid rules and I certainly don’t like to be told of “dress code” violations. I loved my time in the Mod scene–and continue friendships with many of those old Mod pals–but there was something so fun about allowing myself total creative freedom in dressing. I don’t have any photos of that time that I can find, so allow me to show you Madonna and Cyndi in 1984
A Gallery of Questionable Fashion Choices
Before leggings were leggings, there were cotton leggings that looked like this in a wide variety of colors. Totally unflattering and would bag at the knees, but hey, you could wear them with big stretched-out sweaters. 
The Parcos would purchase large sweaters then make them bigger by helping each other stretch them out even further. Often nearly down to the knees. Great with long john leggings! Or maxi-length skirts.
This was ParcoSam’s faaaaaaaaaaaavorite item from Victoria’s Secret. Now selling on eBay! Kinda creepy. 
Elaine Benes (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) of Seinfeld. Not in her Palazzo Pants, but sporting her and ParcoSam’s favorite uniform from the 90s: Black blazer, maxi-length dress and big curly hair pulled back.
Waist clips
We cinched everything with these kind of clips. ParcoAnn found this one at a thrift store, and the store peeps had no idea what is was. ParcoSam has a collection of these in a storage container in New England. So practical, not questionable at all.
Nuns in Easy Spirits
Couldn’t find the Easy Spirit commercial with the nuns, but this has the song at least. Maybe ParcoAnn dreamt that it was nuns. Could be Catholic school damage.
Hey Parcos! That was a great episode. What about legwarmers, oh! and slouchy socks, especially with whitewashed jeans tucked in?! 😬😜 Fun times 💗
Thank you so much, Donna! You’re absolutely right! How could we forget those? The leg warmers!! ( Isn’t it weird that what was a perfectly fashionable teen clothing choice at the time–high-waisted whitewashed jeans–are now called “Mom jeans”? The nerve!! ) They were fun times!