Shell Suits
Shell Suits :
During the 80s a bizarre fashion hit the world in the form of nasty nylon waterproof trousers and matching jacket. Originally designed as outdoor sports wear, people (who obviously were not doing any sports) started wearing them out everywhere they went.
Shell suits have recently been voted the number one fashion crime of the 1980s despite a recent (worrying) revival in the UK thanks to the Welsh hip-hop crew "Goldie Lookin? Chain".
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The original fiendishly difficult puzzle,
now with solution guide
The original fiendishly difficult puzzle, invented by Erno Rubik in Hungary and one of the biggest toy crazes ever. In 1982 Hawkin's Bazaar was the first to bring a few cases of the Rubik's Cube to England. Unfortunately 25 years ago we were very small and it wasn't long before a much larger company had the exclusive rights to distribute in the UK. We are very pleased to be offering it again! And now includes a new seven step solution guide.
Features
5.5cm Seven step solution guide
About Hawkin's Bazaar
Hawkin's Bazaar has been providing you with unusual gifts, toys and gadgets since 1973. Originally a local toy shop at the Hawk Inn (hence the name), Hawkin's Bazaar now sells things you thought had gone forever and things you never even knew existed. They bring you Pin Art, Morph, Rubik's Cube, Big Trak, Space Hoppers and much more.
Also remembered...
Friendship Bracelets became the trademark of being a Student in the late 80s/early 90s- preferably worn with a festival entrance band. You did them up really tightly so they were impossible to get off. After several months they took on a unique pungent smell. Eventually you had to cut them off.
...and do you remember these?
- Bay City Rollers Tartan
- Loon pants
- Shoulder pads
- Tank-Tops
- Trainers with Big Tongues
- Benetton
- Skinners
- Hair Crimper
- Parachute Pants
- Slogans on T-Shirts
Comments
~Laffing~ Why hasnt anyone else admitted to having one of these I wonder ... OOOH THE SHAME!
Chykie 23-Jun-2004, 11:48:51 AM
I've never been one to follow fashion or the latest trend, and ain't I glad - I can proudly say that I NEVER owned a shellsuit.
mike 20-Dec-2004, 10:08:52 AM
i wore a pink shellsuit with spandex.
dan mccann 22-Mar-2005, 12:06:47 PM
I didn't have one!! I was gutted I had pleaded for one but My Mum thought them I waste of money, Know I look back and think thank god!!!!
cazza 21-Aug-2005, 02:58:11 PM
I was so chuffed when i got one for christmas. it was brightpink with a psychodelic patterned stripe across the front and down the legs! I teamed it with a bum bag and thought I was super cool!
sally 01-Nov-2005, 11:26:08 AM
I had a shell suit!!! I was about 10 years old maybe, They were all the rage!!(even my 4yr old bro had one?!) It was one of my most prized posessions!! Oh the shame!!
louisa 29-May-2006, 07:55:51 PM
i owned two!!..sadly..i remember getting a mark on my favourite one which wouldn't wash out..i was gutted. Perhaps wasn't such a bad thing afterall!!
jenny 30-May-2006, 10:58:48 AM
I bought a green and red acrylic one in a charity shop two years ago for ?5 and gave it away to charity the other day - the missus was thrilled !
Aidan 30-May-2006, 05:24:15 PM
my mum made my dad one an it fit my mum when she was pregnant
laura aka i cried 31-May-2006, 10:23:06 PM
Yup I had a few of these when I was younger. My favourite one melted in the airing cupboard. I remember being gutted. Now whenever I see photos I cringe!
Ian 01-Jun-2006, 10:21:54 AM
I had a couple of shell suits, my favorite being my England World Cup one.It was dark blue and white.Gazza had one so I had to have one.OMG..
Liz 01-Jun-2006, 05:21:57 PM
ahhhhh! my brothers had a couple of shell suits, lets just say they well erned the title "fashion crime" good times!
Lianne 06-Nov-2006, 07:36:12 PM
The Shell Suit - A sure way to hear someone walking from a mile away, god i hated them.
Samski 07-Nov-2006, 04:10:42 PM
Well I was forced into a shell suit by my mother in the 80's/90's, I honestly wish I could burn the photos, they are hideous! I was so pleased when in the early 90's shell suits were being shown on the news being burnt on bonfires, supposedly to illustrate the dangers of their highly flammable properties, but I like to think it was a symbolic ending of the worst fashion disaster since knitted swimwear.
Tim 07-Nov-2006, 09:44:06 PM
I remember holidaying as a family and we'd all go out wearing our shell suits! Very worrying times when I look back...
Hayley 13-Nov-2006, 01:54:37 PM
i had an awesome PUMA cats shell suit in Light Blue!!!! I rocked in the playground!!! ha ha ha
jedistyle 29-Dec-2006, 01:09:51 PM
I remember having one as a child and my Mum getting rid of it because there was a feature on TV about them shrink wrapping people near fires...
Pete 04-Jan-2007, 01:43:26 PM
Oh yes! had one of these...the shame!!!..can somebody tell me who the guy in the picture is, I have seen him somewhere on tv!?
Becky 08-Jan-2007, 02:42:29 PM
I had loads of these nasty things. Now I actually want one again. Only for an 80's party. Where can I get one?
JAMES 13-Feb-2007, 01:02:21 PM
For James: You could always try ebay.co.uk..??? they tend to have anything and everything!
Becky 13-Feb-2007, 04:22:03 PM
Becky - that's Bob Downe, he's an Aussie comedian. I had the same shell suit as MC Duke (who my sister's mate was seeing) on the cover of one of his singles. Horrible things that just create static electricty every time you move. I think that shell suits weer actually responsible for the hole in the Ozone layer.
Mulletino 23-Feb-2007, 06:31:59 AM
Thanks Mullentino!!! It has been annoying me for ages!!
Becky 28-Feb-2007, 01:19:23 PM
I HAD A 'PUMA' ONE IN PURPLE, PINK & GREEN BUT IT WOULD ALWAYS GET CAUGHT IN MY BIKE CHAIN AND ID GO FLYING OVER THE HANDLEBARS!! SHAMEFULLY MY GRANDMA (WHO THINKS SHES BET LYNCH) HAD A LEAPORD PRINT ONE!!!
CHARLY 10-May-2007, 03:39:56 AM
these clothes rule i go out in them everyday iv got a blue one and a red one there the best style i am 50 yr old and lookin ;) hint hint ;) any single 50 yr old men out there im waiting
mwah 23-May-2007, 03:11:14 PM
these clothes rule i go out in them everyday iv got a blue one and a red one there the best style i am 50 yr old and lookin ;) hint hint ;) any single 50 yr old men out there im waiting
mwah 23-May-2007, 03:12:56 PM
Someone nicked my much loved shell suit jacket from the PE changing rooms at school and I never found out who it was and never got it back. To think you couldn't pay a kid to nick one now! I hope they stood too close to a roaring fire and suffered the concequences!
vic 06-Jul-2007, 09:55:26 PM
I was made to wear one to my mother's second marriage. She thought it looked better then a normal suit. Thank goodness she git divorced and the wedding photos and evidance of me wearing one have vanished!
bazzap 06-Jul-2007, 10:39:07 PM
I have over 30 shell suits in my collection. I just love them. My collection just keeps on growing and growing, just wish these would come back into fashion :) I am a web designer and have a few domain names, ready to design a website about them :) if anyone has any ideas or would like to get in touch let me know. Maddog
maddog_chrisuk 07-Jul-2007, 02:27:55 AM
Yeah I had one, and I am so embarrassed because I even bought it via the stereotypical route...from a scouser lol
interceptor 21-Aug-2007, 12:04:29 PM
Everyone else has elasticated bottom of legs on there shell suits, forcing me to tuck mine into my odd flouro socks and puff them out over my reebok pump trainers... they were the days! it was a white shell suit with a multitude of flouroescent colours with a pose of 4 surfers on the reverse of jacket, did anyone else own one of these my mum bought it for me from the thrify shop crewe! Emma x
skedd 01-Jun-2008, 07:13:26 PM
aren't shellsuits more early nineties than eighties anyway...don't remember people wearing them in the eighties and I'm the kind of sad bloke who remembers stuff like this
bison 02-Jun-2008, 05:41:35 PM
i used to wear 1 when i was 13 most nights i have my bounce they were so noisy but nice feel off them while i was bouncing ! anybody else bounce while wearing them ?
michellex3 17-Oct-2008, 02:15:27 PM
I sadly owned of these circa 1989 I wore it on my first holiday abroad me my mum and my sister had matching ones I think mine was an england one blue white and red. How cringe worthy my partner also wore several during the 80s he had one that he wore with his towelling mis match socks one pink one green luminous I cringe soo much when I look back at photographs no matter how old you were in the 80s you still could commit such bad crimes against fashion and look so stupid even though at the time you thought you looked so cool.
What I want to know is why would your parents subject you to such cruelty making you wear these ha ha.
Madonna1984 25-Oct-2008, 12:03:08 AM
I still own my Campri shell suit, it as navy blue bottoms and a navy blue top with a white stripe across the back and a green panel to the sleeves. I still wear it around the house. They are really comfy to wear and feel nice and silky to wear. BRING EM BACK but with sensible designs tho'.
I also own 16 Adidas and Puma shell suit tops, all very 90's, when people see them they ask where did I get them from, as they want some of the Adidas designs.
J-Nylon 09-Nov-2008, 12:14:57 PM
i had 1 when i was 12 ish, stood to close to a bonfire and melted it to my footy socks didnt realise til i went to take it off
johnjrambo 02-Jul-2009, 09:53:13 PM
There used to be a joke at the time:
Q. How do you know the Bride at a Scouser wedding?
A. Shes the one in the white shell suit.
uknational 19-Jul-2009, 12:25:47 AM