Nights out at the LCR are an iconic part of UEA life and have been for years. For so long in fact, my mum, Katy, used to go regularly when she was a student here over 20 years ago. Although the smoking area, the bar and the building itself are the same, the fashion seen on the dance floor is vastly different. 

‘No one ever turned up in the same clothes’ in the 1990s, Katy notes, as people often shopped at charity shops or second hand stalls. People wore outfits once or twice, then donated it to charity and bought something new (second hand, as it was cheaper – and online sites like Shein and Boohoo were not accessible). “Tie dye was all the rage back then, too, something I wouldn’t even consider wearing on a night out now. 

Katy also thinks that ‘people looked a lot more individual than today, and were not afraid of looking different’. This, I agree with – looking around the LCR on Sports Night, it’s a sea of SHEIN tops, tiny skirts and the same leather jackets every week. It may be due to social media and the pressure of ‘must have’ items which are so easy to access at the tap of a button. Whereas generations before us would have to scavenge shops for items which were seen as cool, and thus no two people were the same. She was personally a fan of ‘bright blue nail polish’ to ‘match my flowery trousers’. 

Hair styles are also different, as they have gone from huge curls and high pony tails in the 90’s to flatter and again more subtle nowadays. 

In 2026, mainstream fashion seems a lot more subtle, and a lot less brave. Some things haven’t changed, however – for example, knee high boots are an essential for many women, especially in the colder months, to keep one’s legs warm in a shorter clubbing dress. 

Drag is also still huge here at UEA, and was a regular staple of a night out back then. However, in the 90’s drag was ‘shocking and seen as a taboo’, despite groups of drag queens performing at the LCR each night. Now it is much more normalised, again due to social changes and shifts in culture. 

Even accessories have changed. When my mum went out, she often didn’t take a bag. Instead put £10 for drinks and a taxi home (yes, a tenner would pay for her whole night back then…) and her flat key in her shoes. Now, I always bring a bag because my phone won’t fit anywhere, and women’s clothing is severely lacking in pockets. 

Although the practices of clubbing have not massively changed in 30 years, the fashion has. Students are engulfed in fast fashion and cheap, lower quality outfits which are more subtle than in the 90s. 

Melissa’s mum and friends at the LCR in the 1990s.

Image credit: Melissa Battley and UEA SU events team