Fashion
13 Plastic Jewelry Items To Remind The World You're Still A Child And That The '90s Have Your Heart
When it comes to adding the perfect finishing touch to a winning outfit, each and every one of us has our own statement jewelry preferences. And mine is definitely plastic jewelry. My happy-go-lucky former housemate Hannah favors anything bright and florally fantastical, whilst my fairy-esque friend Freyia uses all things sparkly and celestial to lighten her daily drudgery. But I gravitate towards the costume-like accessories of yesteryear.
Our accessory choices are clearly a sign of just how acutely opposites attract; as when I stand by my dressing table mirror and pick my daily outfit adornments, I'm never happier than when I'm faced with cat ear Alice bands, candy wrapper rings, and plastic fantastic pendants. However apprehensive the day ahead might make me feel, adding a light-hearted edge with caricature-ish childhood-inspired knick-knacks allows me to embrace my child-at-heart without swapping office-ready for creche carte blanche.
So if you identify as a fellow cartoon-inspired queen of jovial jewelry, it's time to grab the Cherryade and Party Rings and blow up the pink bubble chair; because you're in for a tacky-chic treat.
Etch A Sketch Pocket Mirror
Etch-a-Sketch, my old pal — the toy that had us all dreaming of tweaking monochrome mechanical masterpieces, but in reality only resulted in wonky-roofed two-up-two-down houses and half-hearted infant school insults; this plastic two-knobbed toy was like an early years education on the weary world of Facebook fraping. This perfectly proportioned pocket mirror allows you to relive those heady days — but this time, your cheeky chops are the focal masterpiece!
Etch A Sketch Pocket Mirror, $12, Punky Pins
Game Boy Necklace (Printed)
From Space Invaders to Super Mario, whether you were the proud owner of your own hand-held console or just nicked your cousin’s, the glory of the Game Boy is a memory dear to the hearts of many ’80s and ’90s babies. But why simply leave it as a memory? Pick up this pretty perspex pendant, and your Game Boy can make a repeated rib-rubbing appearance!
Game Boy Necklace (Printed), $11, Sour Cherry
Red Crayon Earrings
Gone are the dreamy days of mischievously munching wax crayons out of sight of your kindergarten teacher until your teeth turned blue. But don’t panic — with these authentic-looking Red Crayon Earrings, you can still stick them in your ears until your heart’s content.
Red Crayon Earrings, $11, Sour Cherry
Itty Bitty Gumball Machine Necklace
Ah, the humble gumball machine — strangely ubiquitous in swimming pool spectator areas and sports center entrance halls up and down the country, these rock-hard candies were responsible for a myriad of rainbow colored tongues (and tooth decay troubles). This cute plastic pendant version is kinder to the teeth without skimping on the sweet multicolored mirth.
Dinosaur Necklace — Gold
As a kid, I was so dinosaur-devoted that my childhood best friend and I tried to take up camp in the local dinosaur park (true story). This necklace allows me to indulge in my love of Tyrannosaurus Rex, without sitting in a Diplodocus-shaped bush crying and binging on Babybels.
Fuzzy Felt Charm Bracelet
In my family, Fuzzy Felt was a well-treasured family heirloom passed from auntie to mother to son. I thought my fluffy-landscaped days were over, until I stumbled across THIS piece of linty joy on the Tatty Devine website in celebration of the brand’s fifteenth birthday. Now, I have a new piece of family-tree treasure to grace the future generations with.
Fuzzy Felt Charm Bracelet, $110, Tatty Devine
White Candy Mouse Necklace
The white candy mouse was a Pick ‘n Mix feature so highly sought after that mini-Raffy used to plug her pie-hole with them until white chocolate drool spattered unabashedly out the sides. This necklace reminds me of those unadulterated sugar-saturated highs, whilst also acting as a reminder to keep a handle on my sweetie-shoveling etiquette.
White Candy Mouse Necklace, $19, Etsy
8-Bit Ash And Pikachu Pokemon Necklaces
If you’ve never played Pokemon until your peepers became pixelated, then clearly you played the late ’90s all wrong! But don’t let the FOMO bring you down — these impressively detailed 8-bit pendants will make you feel like you’ve Master Balled your jewelry game for good.
8-Bit Ash and Pikachu Pokemon Necklaces, $14, Etsy
Movie Ticket Stud Earrings: Set Of 9
Back when popcorn was weighed by the pound and you could squeeze in three movies a day for $15, the cinema was the hippest hangout for the too-cool-for-school. With this multicolored set of nine pairs of studs, you can fake a movie theater binge without having to re-mortgage your gran.
Movie Ticket Stud Earrings Set of 9, $15, Claire's
Pokemon Arcade Necklace
Back when “playing hard to get” meant thrashing the person you fancied at Pacman, the arcades were prime teenage territory. Next time you intend to press somebody’s buttons, why not adorn your collarbone with this little beauty? Rose-tinted glasses optional.
Pacman Arcade Necklace, $60, Etsy
Grilled Cheese Necklace
After a long hard day of times tables and rounders, school-night teatimes demanded a cozy, comforting clash of taste and convenience. Meet the all-ailments-curing grilled cheese — the mother of all after-school snacks. Just string this delightful dairy simulation around your neck, for a dash of grilled-cheese-worthy confidence wherever you go.
Grilled Cheese Necklace, $22, Etsy
Upcycled Monopoly Hotel Charm Bracelet
Crafty, crafty Monopoly — the age-old connector and destroyer of many a well-intentioned family gathering. This brightly-colored charm bracelet brings you all of the board game pleasure, without the Christmas Day parental-politics pain.
Upcycled Monopoly Hotel Charm Bracelet, $11, Etsy
1993 Polly Pocket Photo Locket Necklace
I was the proud owner of that exact blue locket as a child, but coldly relegated it to its car-boot-related ruin at the age of about 12. Pfft… youth is wasted on the young. Luckily, thanks to Etsy, it’s not too late to learn from my mistakes. I’m coming for you, Polly!
1993 Polly Pocket Photo Locket Necklace, $29, Etsy
