Exploring blog archives: purpleasme.tumblr.com, 2011-2012

If the words “blackmilk,” “romwe,” or “galaxy print legging” give you a visceral reaction, please proceed carefully. Purpleasme.tumblr.com showcases many a 2010’s fashion crime, ranging from random crosses to skeleton bodysuits to, yes, the infamous black milk galaxy leggings.  

It’s basically impossible to exaggerate the degree to which every tumblr-obsessed girl I knew wanted to dress like her.  Her OOTDs, simply put, epitomize 2011 tumblr style.  

Scrolling through her blog archive, I can’t help but wonder if galaxy print is going to come back.  I mean, Dior did send it down the runway in 2022, but I feel like it’s so heavily associated with the early 2010’s that most gen-zers would be put off by it (unless worn ironically).  But perhaps gen alpha has fonder memories of seeing older kids sporting starry shirts and upside-down crosses and would be inclined to revive it.  I’ll be honest though, I do have a soft spot for the galaxy trend—it just feels sooo internet-y to me that I can’t help but be a fan. 

McKayla is not impressed

 I can’t believe I almost forgot about this one.  

Back in the day I was OBSESSED with mckaylaisnotimpressed, a tumblr dedicated to photoshopping gymnast McKayla Maroney’s face onto a variety of pop culture moments, featuring the disappointed smirk she made after coming a few points short of winning gold at the 2012 Olympics. Obama leading the assault on Bin Laden, Rebecca Black singing in her car, and Psy oppa gangam style-ing in an elevator are a few instances that grace its archives, all made better with McKayla’s now infamous look of contempt.  

This meme was tremendously impactful to me on a personal level.  For the rest of the year, I refused to smile in photos, exclusively making the :-/ face whenever I had my picture taken, much to the bearevement of my parents.  I even made the face during my 8th grade graduation, and repeated it when I was handed my diploma at my high school graduation ceremony as a little inside joke with myself.  To this day, sometimes I find myself slipping into that old twisted facial expression whenever my reality disappoints me, which, frankly, is often. 

But back to the meme: for a brief, shining moment during the August of 2012, people of all nations, races, and creeds were bound together by the shared emotion that McKayla displayed.  Her face was not just used to bring an ironic juxtaposition to pop culture moments, but to also express frustrations with first world problems like when a restaurant only has Pepsi and you want Coke, or being greeted by aloof teens when entering Hollister.  McKayla is not impressed isn’t just a meme, it’s a universal feeling. 

  

exploring blog archives: space-trash-blog.tumblr.com, 2013 polyvore collages

I've had a nostalgic hankering for Polyvore as of late, so you can imagine my pure and utter elation when I across space-trash-club's tumblr archive last week, full of quintessentially 2013 Polyvore collages.  Back in the day, I used to be obsessed with Polyvore, to the point where I was routinely late for school because I had couldn't resist the compulsion to make a new collage header or sidebar icon for my tumblr every other day.  I was addicted.

Polyvore was a website where you had access to thousands of transparent images, mostly of clothes from popular sites like Romwee, forever21, UNIF, etc.  It was most commonly used for outfit collages like the ones seen below, but it was also used to make blog headers and profile pictures, as well as grunge collages. 

Marina and the Diamonds was a popular collage fixture (as she should be)

Unfortunately, Polyvore was shut down in 2018, two years after it was acquired by SSENSE, which is widely seen as a bad move.  Even though I'm fond of shopping at the SSENSE sale from time to time, I will always hold a grudge against them for shutting down that treasure trove of a site and losing thousands of creative projects, ideas, and pieces of internet history.   

pic.twitter.com/9iGU2kZgjx

— SSENSE (@SSENSE) April 10, 2018

yeah they fucked up big time. 

Thank god for Tumblr.  The outfits from space-trash-club are peak 2013, and scrolling through them scratches that Polyvore itch I've been getting as of late.  The alien accessories, galaxy prints, and creepers were all essential items back in the day, and I can't wait to see how they re-enter the trend cycle in the coming years.  Take a look below: