What's the most embarrassing fashion item you've ever worn, or been asked to wear? I remember the years of ra-ra skirts and leg-warmers as a child and also remember thinking that to have 'Grolsch' bottle tops like those worn by 'Bros' was the height of fashion! I know these fashions vary from location to location and, of course, year to year so what have you worn that makes you blush?

I think that it was the song "These Boots Were Made For Walkin'" with Nancy Sinatra and Lee Greenwood that made every girl in our town want a pair of go-go boots. My ten year-old daughter absolutely had to have a pair of these calf length, white vinyl boots. She wore them for two weeks before they went into a closet, never to be seen again.

12-inch flared jeans, a purply-pink tie-dyed T-shirt and 3-inch clogs. 'Love' and 'Peace' temporary tattoos...

Never again!

For a very short period while I was in Junior High School, the fashion was "elephant pants". The pant legs from the knee down flared to such a wide width they had to be about one to two feet wide (similar to the "bell bottom" but much larger). Since they were so wide and there was so much fabric being swished around, sometimes walking was difficult. One day while wearing my best purple elephant pants, I had to run to catch the school bus and the pants got in the way and down I went, sliding like I was heading for home base in a baseball game. Needless to say, the kids at school had a good laugh, I had a bruised ego (not to mention bruised body), and I never wore those pants again. Thank goodness that was a short fad.

Now come on let's get real here! Height of fashion, 2inch cuban heels with pearl effect fasteners, fitted trousers, Frock Coat and Lace Cravat, black shirt with mandarin collar clipped with gold fastener. (I also had hair still attached to my head touching my shoulders then! ) (AND can I add 40 years on I can still comfortably put that Frock Coat on (we kept it for kids Fancy Dress Parties!)

To add - been asked to wear - being male how about a St. Trinians Schoolgirl blouse (with padded bra), pleated skirt and black stockings (paraded in public on the back of a float (parade entry) , only consolation being we won the best float competition.

Dear Shel,

We discussed this topic eighteen months ago (before you were a member). It was a great thread so I brought it back up again so that you and other new members could read it. There's some great stuff in it. It's called "Your biggest fashion faux pas". Enjoy!

As a child of the '70s: bell-bottoms, silk shirts, leisure suits, platform shoes, must I go on....

There are a number I recall but the worst are to do with hats.

The earliest was the leather balaclava helmet (with a peak on). All the kids at school wanted one of those. I pestered my Mum for ages until she eventually got me one for my birthday. There were two sorts. The close fitting type and the ones that came to a point at the top of the head. Mine came to a point. Must have looked like an alien who'd just got out of the spaceship

When I was around thirteen (1957) there was a craze in our circle for wearing Bavarian (Alpine) hats. The fashion statement was complete when a real birds feather was stuck in the hatband. They were nicknamed 'Robin Hood' hats. I can't think why because the shape is totally different to them. My 'Robin Hood' hat was worn with pride ...but looking back . I say 'in our circle' because I'm not sure it was a particularly widespread fad. I remember they were readily available in the shops, so maybe it was a nationwide thing. Anyway, only some lads of the era wore them. Not everyone looked as daft as I did.

A bit later came the 'Andy Cap' modelled on the long-running British newspaper cartoon character, Andy Capp. Most of us wore one of these. None of our crowd would ever be seen riding a motorbike without an Andy Cap on!