The most totally Nineties things we found in the 1991 Sears Christmas catalog

It was mostly teal and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Images: Sears / Wish Book Web

It was a time of teal and puce. Turtlenecks and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reigned. Our pants were pleated, acid washed, baggy and zebra-striped. The only thing on a bigger roll than roller blades was Vanilla Ice.

We are talking about the early Nineties. The beloved Sears Wish Book was on its final legs. The thick Christmas catalog faded away in 1993, but in its final years, the annual publication perfected captured the era. Just as it had in the 1970s  and in the 1980s

Flipping through the pages of the 1991 Sears Wish Book, we were overwhelmed with a feeling of nostalgia that was warmer and fuzzier than flannel. So take a journey back in time with us. Here are 19 items that you would only find in the 1990s.

[Images: Wish Book Web]

1. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as formal wear

When your parents told you to wear a nice sweater for the holidays, you could at least still represent Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael and Michelangelo.

2. McDonald's clothing

Thankfully, McKids threads did not smell of Big Macs. You'd have to hang out all day in the restaurant for that effect.

3. That Jerry and George look

These kids are cosplaying as the cast of Seinfeld, right? It's hard to tell. Everyone in these pages looked like they were cosplaying Seinfeld.

4. Turtlenecks, blazers, turtlenecks under blazers

This was the look — available in a variety of Professional Sports Expansion Team colors.

5. Stop… pajama time!

People took MC Hammer and Vanilla Ice seriously enough to take them to bed.

6. N.K.O.T. Bed

Or, you could tuck up inside a new kids sleeping bag.

7. Pants had earned their stripes

There were no fewer than six pages of Zubaz. Let that sink in — six pages of Zubaz. The zebra-themed sweats were for more than Buffalo Bills tailgating. People worked out in them. People wore them to school…

8. This kid with all the patterns

Ombré, acid washing, Zubaz, phony surf brands… this lucky kid had all the trends at once.

9. Jordan over Jordache

MJ was the king of basketball and pop culture. Jordan apparel popped up throughout the catalog, nowhere more dramatically than this airbrushed Starter jacket.

10. Fanny packs and film

Fanny packs were not ironic fashion — they were functional. You could stuff in all sorts of great things, like these stylish plastic cameras. That used film. Remember film, kids?

11. Swatch phones

The Swiss pop watchmaker got into the telephone biz with these bright devices that allowed — get this — TWO PEOPLE to talk on the same phone at once! Science, man!

12. "Cellular-style" walkie talkies

Walkie talkies were modeled to look like the cellular phone of the era — which made them bigger than normal walkie talkies.

13. Air in your feet

Reebok took Technotronic's jock jam hit "Pump Up the Jam" to heart and unleashed the Pump sneaker. It was the Crystal Pepsi for your feet.

14. Now this is what we call streaming

Who needs Netflix? With the Sony Video Walkman you could watch (four-inch) television in the palm of your hand. For the low, low price of a grand — or about $1,800 today. Eesh.

15. Race car in bedrooms

The Silver Spoons effect was still going strong.

16. Thingz spelled with Zz

This is about when things got X-Treme with the Z pluralization. Take this totally to the max word game. Makes you want to slam a Jolt Cola.

17. Three full pages of roller blades

There was no shortage of roller blades. Roller skates were for squares.

18. Captain Planet toys

The environmentalist superhero was so eco-friendly even his mullet was green. 

19. These jeans

Just these jeans.

SEE MORE: 19 ITEMS FROM THE 1979 SEARS CATALOG THAT WILL GIVE YOU A 1970S OVERLOAD

Mork was the Ninja Turtle of his day. READ MORE

Are you sure you want to delete this comment?
Close

25 Comments

15inchBlackandWhite 15 months ago
LOL! I worked for a retailer at the time. We had NKOTB sleeping bags in our stockroom and on our clearance rack, still trying to get rid of them, in 1996!
tootsieg 15 months ago
Love it!! What a stroll back to the nineties. All the items shown were so popular.
Runeshaper 15 months ago
I remember so many of these. Captain Planet = AWESOME!!!
WordsmithWorks 15 months ago
When did Sears discontinue its catalogue? This had to be close to the last hurrah.
Bricat2001 15 months ago
That pink pinafora dress the girl wearing for the McKids add looks cute, I remember having something similar to the video Walkman when I was little, mom would always put that in the car for me and my brother to watch some dvds on long drives.
Bricat2001 Bricat2001 15 months ago
And I’d like those pink rollerblades 💕
Sway 15 months ago
Turtlenecks and blazers are still in style.

Mom jeans are back in 🙄
MrsPhilHarris 15 months ago
I had no idea McDonalds had clothes. 🤷‍♀️
LoveMETV22 MrsPhilHarris 15 months ago
LOL. Through Sears. However can you imagine going into McDonald's and @ the counter:

Yes I'll have a Big Mac, a Chicken Nugget Happy Meal...Oh, wait and a medium pink turtleneck.
I can hear the Church Lady saying:
KJExpress MrsPhilHarris 15 months ago
The McDonald's clothing was a revelation to me, as well. 🤔
harlow1313 15 months ago
Way off topic: In the eighties, I quickly bought a Walkman. Little that this crass technology was to be so soon replaced. Heck, it wasn't even well made. The manufacturer saw me coming. Beware of "the latest thing."

Thankfully, I remain a timeless classic.
LoveMETV22 harlow1313 15 months ago
You're not to off topic. #14 mentions the " Walkman" name.
You will always be a classic to us here- Well " us" meaning some/most. Do others agree?
LoveMETV22 harlow1313 15 months ago
I can see you in a #7 or 8- striped or pattern pants with a #10-fanny pack (no film), either driving a
#15 racecar or sporting a pair of #17 rollerblades. Yep the manufacturers would definitely see you coming. Well you could always get on a #11 Swatch phone and set up a return or exchange.
harlow1313 LoveMETV22 15 months ago
Very descriptive, but I'm more the hipster cowboy type, quite self-deluded

I'm toolin' on down that metaphorical two-lane highway, with loose screws. Sadly, I have begun to shed parts...
LoveMETV22 harlow1313 15 months ago
I enjoy your comments, and I think a few others have mentioned the same. i'ts always fun conversing with you.
harlow1313 LoveMETV22 15 months ago
Thank you
LoveMETV22 15 months ago
#3. Forget the Jerry and George look- Kramer sliding into a room was the look.

#19. "These jeans. Just these jeans."
Well, There are these jeans as well.
idkwut2use 39 months ago
Love the color combos in #4. And everything about #10. And Captain Planet, and roller blades. I want that Walkman now...

Miss Sears. ;; So many memories. Plus shopping the Christmas catalog, and others...JC Penney’s was similar. My mom and I used to make humongous lists of what we wanted from those and then wind up ordering most of it. x3
Russ 51 months ago
For a channel that likes to cloak itself in nostalgia and make money from it, MeTV sure likes to mock old trends.
LeeHarper 62 months ago
And that's why Sears is going bye-bye.
Are you sure you want to delete this comment?