Starting my tumblr journey by raiding my mumβs archives. Iβve just discovered that she has kept her annuals since the 80s and 90s and Iβm obsessed! π so glad she is a hoarder of these annuals.
The pages have that specific old paper smell and the colours are still so vibrant for being 30+ years old.
So first Iβm starting strong with the brat pack. π₯
β’Lou diamond Phillips. βCoughβ βcoughβ one of my crushes growing up. π₯ hair long, hair short. That man could rock both! Heβs pulling off the ultimate 1990 power move here: the full denim ensemble. He looks like he could fix your computer and reminds the teacher about homework , but those ripped jeans and boots are saying a rebel. Itβs like heβs a rebel from the waist down, but from the waist up, heβs ready to help you study for your exam. Heβs basically the 1990s version of βget a man who can do both.β Honestly, itβs a total mood. 10/10 because he rocked both.
β’ Wil Wheaten. Is it just me, or is he dressed slightly like a substitute teacher who is really trying to connect with the kids? Itβs very wholesome. Heβs the 'Safe Choice' heartthrob. If you brought him home, your mum wouldn't just approve; sheβd probably try to adopt him.
β’ Patrick Dempsey Looking at Patrick here is actually wild. Heβs not 'McDreamy' yet; heβs more like 'McSweetheart.' He has this very soft, innocent look, like heβd be too nervous to ask you to the school dance but would write you a really long, poetic note about it instead. Itβs the ultimate 1990 'sensitive guy' starter pack.
β’ Kirk Cameron. Can we talk about the smize? Heβs looking at the camera like he just won a game of Monopoly and heβs very proud of himself. Itβs that 'Growing Pains' era charm where he was literally on every bedroom wall in the country. He doesnβt look like a 'Leader of the Pack'; he looks like the Head Boy who also happens to be the captain of the football team.
β’ Corey Haim ποΈ He has that mischievous look in his eyes, like he just pulled a prank and is waiting for you to notice. While Kirk Cameron looks like heβs never broken a rule, Corey Haim looks like heβs the reason the rules were written in the first place. Heβs the 'bad boy' whoβs actually just really charming and fun to be around.
β’ Johnny Depp. Also one of my childhood crushes π₯ Johnny is out here doing the absolute most by doing the absolute least. He looks like heβs accidentally stumbled into a photoshoot and is just waiting for it to be over so he can go buy some vinyl records. Heβs the 'mysterious' one of the group- no smile, just vibes.
β’ Corey Feldman. Honestly, the intensity in this photo is unmatched. He looks like heβs about to give a very dramatic monologue about the state of the world. Itβs a total mood. Heβs got that 'rebel with a very specific cause' energy.
β’Rob Lowe. Rob is really leaning into the 'Intellectual Heartthrob' vibe with those glasses. π Honestly, itβs a bold move. He went from being the 'pretty boy' of the 80s to looking like a very handsome architect who also happens to be your university professor. Itβs the ultimate 'Iβm more than just a pretty face' aesthetic. Giving Clark Kent vibes.
β’Michael J Fox. Honestly, can we just appreciate the vibes? Heβs the perfect antidote to the 'edgy' 90s look. Heβs giving 'Boy Next Door' but make it iconic. He looks so sweet and genuine, itβs impossible not to love him.
β’ Tom Cruise This is peak Top Gun era. Heβs doing the classic 'lean and smolder' that basically defined the entire decade. He doesn't look like he belongs in a teen magazine; he looks like he belongs on a recruitment poster for the Navy.
β’ Emilio and Charlie Sheen. Wait, can we talk about the Sheen/Estevez genetics for a second? Itβs hilarious because theyβre brothers, but theyβre serving completely different vibes.
Emilio is giving us 'Serious Actor' vibes, very much the guy whoβs going to direct a movie one day. Charlie, on the other hand, looks like he just walked out of a Platoon screening and is ready for the after-party.
β’ Patrick Swayze. Patrick is just in a league of his own. Heβs got the 'tough guy' build but the 'sweetest man alive' face. He looks like heβd defend your honor in a car park and then go home and write you a song on the piano.
β’ Matt Dillon. Matt is out here looking like heβs about to start a very handsome riot. Heβs got that 'don't touch me' energy that ironically makes everyone want to touch him. Heβs the moody, dark alternative to the 'Safe' heartthrobs like Kirk Cameron.
Looking through this annual, itβs clear that 1990 was a confusing but glorious time. You either wanted a guy who could pilot a fighter jet, a guy who could dance in a lake, or a guy who looked like heβd read you poetry in a denim jacket.
So Who was your favourite back then?
