Walking down the path of reminiscing about 77th Street is bittersweet. The homegrown brand was always there for us whenever we needed streetwear apparel and accessories to make us look cooler than we felt. But then again, who doesn’t look back on their teenage years with at least a smidgen of embarrassment? (Those who erased all photo evidence of your centre parting, you know who you are).
Sad to say, the once-iconic shop will close its shutters for good at its final outlet in Ang Mo Kio Hub by the end of July. If you recall, at its peak, the chain had 16 stores in Singapore, with many youngsters buying up the funky goods on display.
According to founder Elim Chew, the decision was nudged into place by the changing retail scene and high rentals — for comparison, when the brand was established in 1988, rental rates were about $9 per square foot; now, they’ve gone up to $35 per square foot.
Before the store closes its doors for the final time, let’s look back on some of its more popular items beloved by teens in the ’90s and noughties.
Studded everything
There was no such thing as too much — spikes made you look fierce, and they basically made up your entire punk/goth phase. Bonus points if you wore studded leather accessories to rock out at a gig.
Neon shoelaces
Okay, maybe this one came a little later. But still, they made you beam with pride every time you played daredevil and got away with wearing them to any kind of school activity.
Backward caps
Yep, you thought you were super cool by wearing one of these backwards, along with a cheesy slogan tee and jeans so baggy that every time you left the house, your parents were genuinely confused as to why you needed a bag when you could just store everything in those bottomless pockets. #truestory
Chain necklaces
Because MTV.
Backpacks
Cutesy, plain, printed or funky, backpacks were your way of showing a glimpse of personal style, to set yourself apart from the masses clothed in identical school uniforms. And the lower you slung them across your back, the better you thought you looked.
Bandanas
Maybe you wore them around your head, maybe you got an extra large one to wear as a daring top, or maybe you just bought a bunch ’cause you thought they looked cool but you never knew what to do with them.
Beaded, braided and leather accessories
Depending on your mood, you’d stack on multiple bracelets to add pizzazz to your outfit, whether it be punk- or boho-inspired.
Also, let’s not forget about those colourful plastic ear sticks that everyone wore instead of actual earrings (damn, they remind us of a time when things were cheaper), and funky wallets with a chain attached. Good times, people. Good times.
