When a reader delivered a lofty compliment this week proclaiming I looked like I could be in Empire Records in my unabashedly '90s outfit, my freakish amount of love for that movie came rushing back and I was left daydreaming about Liv Tyler in Doc Martens and a plaid mini to the beat of Sugar High ("I want to kiss myself goodbye!"). I wanted to be her a crazy amount, and had the plaid skirt collection to prove it. I rocked them to school with thigh highs from Wet Seal, which now that I am pontificating upon it, was pretty scandalous for my awkward age. Hmmm.

Unfortunately for me and the rest of the cultish Empire Records obsessers, the story unfolds throughout the course of one measly day, which equals exactly one look. We are left to imagine the assumed glory of Casey/Liv cavorting at the mall and eventually Harvard in Rampage dresses and high waisted shorts. I'm not saying I'm going to rock the cropped angora or anything, but my already existent desire for Doc Martens has probably increase tenfold due to these reminiscings and photos of Camille in her recently acquireds.

At least I had logic behind my idolatry, with these Liv ads staring at me from my Seventeens:

The setting:

Damn the man. Save the Empire.

The only time I ever did care about something Renee Zellweger did:

Oh Liv...Rex is all wrong in every last wavy blonde hair way imaginable.

There were like 50 of these kinds of girls at my middle school:

Warren: Stop calling me Warren! My name isn't FUCKING WARREN!
Eddie: His name isn't Warren.
Corey: His name isn't Warren.
Berko: His name isn't Warren.
Mark: I thought his name was Warren?

Liv exhibiting her charm in full, you really have to watch this:

Sources: moviescreenshots and bwgreyscale