Me on the Internet in 1997

Someone asked me recently when I realized the internet was a big deal.

I gave the answer that was the first thing I could think of at the time (AOL chat rooms!), but it just occurred to me that a better response might have been: winning an Armani Exchange online contest!  A|X was one of the first retailers I remember having a web presence that I was at all interested in.  This being 1997ish, just to be clear.

So - A|X had contests calling for ideas on where/how people would wear items from their new collections.  How you entered: you sent “them” an email.  Seems charmingly outdated and limited in its social scope now, but hey - that’s how the internet used to be!  I’m sure they got dozens, if not hundreds, of responses.  

That simple, two-way interface also encouraged me around that time to write Abercrombie and Fitch and ask them why they didn’t still stock shoes.  Again, 1997, people!  I got a very friendly, well-considered response.  Who were the people manning the inboxes of these brands at the time, I wonder?!

Anyway, I won a massively oversized, terrycloth, logo-emblazoned hoodie that I wore proudly around the house.  It is now lost to the sands of time, much like my first-ever internet purchase (also around that time) - a pair of Royal Elastics sneakers from Boo.com.  I love my parents for handing over their credit card, and not judging me too much for how I took advantage of the “big deal” retail possibilities of the internet.