Looking back at New Look, River Island and Topshop’s tragic 2012 Instagrams

We were all very bad at Instagram in 2012. Multiple hashtags, over use of the Valencia filter and duck face. It turns out all the high street fashion brands were too.

One TikTok user did a deep dive into New Look’s first couple of Instagram posts and they are shocking. There’s loads of collages, over use of filter, outfit flat lays and zoomed in pics of food. They honestly look like how your mum posts now.

And it isn’t just New Look. Topshop and River Island have equally tragic early Instagram posts.

Remember those ‘Dweeb’ jumpers, cut off American flag shorts, those detachable collars and moustaches on everything. Yeah they’re all there on their Instagrams.

Like how did we think these items looked good? I’ll forgive our fashion naivety we were in year 10, but theses brands have no excuses.

Here are some of the worst offenders from the early Instagram posts of New Look, River Island and Topshop:

New Look

New Look started their Instagram back in 2012 and it’s full of awful outfit posts and pictures of the staff together repping the brand. They were averaging about 40 likes per post.

New Look even started their official Instagram with a random woman in Ibiza sitting by some motor cycles.

There was even one featuring Mario and Luigi as style inspirations. Yes you did just read that correctly.

The worst items are: 

Cut off shorts and those trainer heel combos

All the clothing with a moustache print (why were we so obsessed with hipster men’s facial hair before it was even cool)

THIS. I don’t even know how to comment.

Cheap, tacky studs on literally EVERYTHING

RED AND BLACK check shirts, we are not lumber jacks

EW.

Those rings which attached to a bracelet via a gold chain that was guaranteed to go green in a month

Galactic prints and unicorns

The detachable collars you can add to all shirts

Quite simply stunned. 

River Island

River Island’s Instagram featured less clothing and more desperate attempts to promote all the events they hosted. Oh and remember when they did a collection with Rihanna? Well you don’t need to because it is ALL OVER their Instagram.

Let’s just say it now, they peaked with Rihanna and they knew it because they rinsed the collection for all it’s worth. The Instagram is full of collages, a runway show, behind the scenes pics and Rihanna’s mates Cara and Jourdan posing backstage.

And clothing wise, well it’s not looking good.

Their worst offenders are:

A faux trim bag that quite frankly looks like they’ve skinned a yeti

This collage with very blurry pics

Gold brogues (I wish I was joking)

All the Rihanna pics

A variation on New Look’s ring bracelet combo

Topshop

Their Insta was actually ok in the beginning, probably because this was their peak popularity. Remember when they had a number of fashion shows and actual celebs went to them?

But their A-listers (ok B-Listers) couldn’t save their Instagram from still featuring many tragic items of ‘fashion’. The Instagram featured the standard 2012 collage, lots of outfit pics (particularly those from their personal shoppers – who I genuinely thought were goddesses at age 14) and pics of DJs like Laura Whitmore playing at their events.

Their worst fashion offenders are:

These Tory esque boat shoes

These bracelets were just the tip of the slogan jewellery iceberg

Cut off shorts with the slogan BAD ASS on the back

THESE SHOES ARE WORN WITH SOCKS

Those god awful platform trainers

This tragic combo

Slogan jumpers with ‘dweeb’ and ‘nerd’ (Come on, admit it, you bought one)

Shirts tied at the waist around EVERYTHING

This skirt fit for a four-year-old

A striped co-ord set with seven inch heels

I can see this outfit on someone at a year 10 party

Cut off shorts with the American flag

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