Wannabe is 25: The key Spice Girls looks we’d still genuinely wear today

From Victoria Beckham’s chic LBD to Mel C’s take on sportswear, Liz Connor reminisces.

Thursday 08 July 2021 05:58 EDT

Lloyds Bank British Fashion Awards – The Spice Girls – London (PA Archive)

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In the latest instalment of ‘things that will immediately make you feel old’, the Spice Girls’ debut single Wannabe is turning a quarter of a century.

The hit was released 25 years ago on July 8, 1996 and catapulted the girlband into superstardom, topping the charts in 37 countries and spending a whopping seven weeks at number one in the UK.

The Spice Girls are set to mark the occasion by releasing a 25th anniversary edition of Wannabe (called Wannabe25), which features unreleased track Feed Your Love, the demo of Wannabe and a dance remix of the hit song.

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Of course, the video for Wannabe is arguably just as iconic as the song itself – it was famously shot on the staircase of the former Midland Grand Hotel in St Pancras London.

The fan favourite saw a young Posh, Sporty, Baby, Scary and Ginger wreaking havoc on the hotel steps, dressed in some outfits that have been committed to memory. As we pay our respects to one of pop’s greatest singles, here’s some of the Wannabe outfits we’d definitely still rock to this day…

1. Victoria Beckham’s little black dress

In her Spice Girls era, Beckham was synonymous with slinky black dresses that hit above the knee. In fact, one of the best lines in Spice World, the Spice Girls movie, is when Sporty says to Posh: “It must be so hard for you, Victoria. I mean, having to decide whether to wear the little Gucci dress, the little Gucci dress, or… the little Gucci dress!”

The body-con black mini dress she donned for the Wannabe video is one of her most famous, and it stands the test of time (unlike some of the more questionable looks the band wore at the start of their career).

2. Mel C’s athleisure moment

Styles that keep you comfy while working from home have dominated our wardrobes in recent times, which is why we’d definitely still throw on Mel C’s tracksuit bottoms and dad-style trainers for a casual stroll to get coffee.

In true Nineties style, the shiny blue Adidas trousers had fluoro stripes running up the sides, and while Sporty teamed hers with an orange crop top, we’d probably pair ours with a Zoom call-ready oversized sweatshirt for a ‘ just running errands’ kinda look.

3. Mel B’s silk trousers

We’re still trying to work out what ‘zig-a-zig-ah’ means, but one thing we do know is that Mel B’s trousers are probably the most versatile staple of the whole video.

The pyjama-style trousers like the pair Scary wears in Wannabe feel like the smarter sister to our WFH comfies. While the shiny green trousers probably aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, we reckon they’d still get the Instagram seal of approval from influencers today.

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