Throwback Thursday: Giving Off Total 90's Vibes in My Senior Picture

I don't know how things worked where you're from. But when I was in high school, senior pictures were ALL THE RAGE. This was back in the days of people actually printing photos, for one thing -- I honestly don't even know if kids today get senior pictures anymore. But in the 90's, it was a BIG DEAL.

Senior pictures were pretty much the only time we all got to participate in our very own photo shoots. I mean, come on -- getting to do wardrobe changes, hair and makeup changes, different poses and sets? And then getting proofs and photos you could frame and pass out to your friends? There was seriously nothing better or cooler than senior picture day. Cleveland had a lot of options for where you could have your senior pictures done, and to be honest, I don't remember the name of the photo studio where I took mine -- but I do know it was the coveted one and I had to make an appointment three months in advance.

The best part about senior pictures was that, depending on which photo package you chose, you could have multiple options to pass out to all your friends and family. I ended up getting three -- my graduation/yearbook photo, one of me in a red corduroy jumper and black turtleneck (oh my good God), and the photo you see above.

Yes, this was an outfit I rocked in the 90's. Yes, I loved it. Yes, I actually wore this outfit ALL. THE. TIME. Let's break it down, shall we?

White ribbed mockneck tank top
Blue and white pinstriped wide-leg carpenter pants
White ankle socks
Black chunky loafers
Tiny hoop earrings (I had gotten them for my Bat Mitzvah)
Gold signet ring (given to me by my mom on my 18th birthday, and I still wear it to this day -- I'm actually wearing it while I type this!)

I kind of don't know where to start with this one, except to say that even though my outfit may not still be in style, I sure did love it back then. I loved those pants SO MUCH. I wore them as much as possible. I'm so short, but somehow the silhouette lengthened my legs and made me feel tall and willowy. And I basically wore that tank top all the time, either on its own or layered under overalls and button downs. I couldn't get enough of it.

And then there's the hair. THE HAIR. Not only did I have a triangular-shaped bob (this was before I knew how to use a flat iron and barely knew how to even blowdry my hair properly), but I had bangs. BANGS. WHY DID I THINK BANGS WERE A GOOD IDEA? This was around the time that I started realizing bangs were actually terrible, but I hadn't been able to grow them out yet. (That was a process I undertook throughout my senior year of high school. By freshman year of college, gone were the bangs -- and the rest of my hair, since I chopped it into a pixie cut, but that's a story for another time.)

Since my hair is wavy, my bangs NEVER laid flat against my forehead -- they always curled inwards, even if I blowdried them the moment I stepped out of the shower. They just didn't know how to be straight. Unfortunately, that's fairly obvious in this photo, as you can see them curling toward each other with a space left in the middle. But they actually behaved better on this day than most!

And just in case you're curious, here are the rest of my senior pictures -- proofs and all!

All of my senior picture proofs. Check out that bob! The bangs! The red jumper! The leaning on the ladder! (Everyone's favorite senior picture pose.)

The top left was my yearbook photo. The top right was my third choice for prints. I really loved the one where I was sitting in the chair (bottom right), but ultimately I went with the photo at the top of this post for this outfit. But I love that there's a Route 66 sign behind me in this shot -- foreshadowing of my eventual trip across the country to live in LA, perhaps?

I definitely didn't love either of the leaning ladder shots -- I just thought they looked awkward. But I did really like the one where I was standing with my hand on my hip and legs crossed. Seriously, check out how long those pants made my legs look! Shoutout to Coca-Cola, too -- basically my lifeblood throughout high school.

The third photo choice! I loved this jumper SO MUCH. I honestly wore it as much as I wore the carpenter pants and white mockneck tank. And don't forget the sheer black hose and faux Docs!

Were senior pictures a big deal where you went to high school? Let me know in the comments!