The most remembered comeback of 2007 will be the Spice Girls reunion. They came back, and they were worse. Much, much worse. They didn?t finish their world tour and cited their reason as stress, and their ?comeback? single didn?t even make the top 10. The revival of 1990?s pop bands last year seemed to be spearheaded by ?Take That? after their world tour reunion was an out-and-out success. They received rave reviews and again reigned supreme as the ?best boy band ever?. During the tour, you could be sure that Simon Fuller was rubbing his hands together in glee at the thought of a Spice Girls reunion. All the girls pocketed a whopping £10 million each for the tour, but even that didn?t seem to urge them to go back to their former excitable glory. The old stereotypes of the five girls were tired, and made cringing viewing and the apparent battle to be skinny off stage was just as odd. I heard the nation let out a sigh of relief when the tour was cancelled, if only so that Posh Spice would head on back to LA.
The Spice Girls were not the only surprise comeback of 2007 though. With their distinctive waxy finish and their corduroy collars, Barbour jackets have for generations been worn by pony-mad rich girls, and the muddy-faced farmers of rural England. But this niche market is no longer enough to sustain the Queen?s favourite coat maker. It?s looking to revamp its image and the company is now promoting the Barbour jacket as a coat for the young and hip. The indie power couple of the moment, Alexa Chung and Alex Turner from the Arctic Monkeys have been spotted wearing new variations of the old design, and Peaches Geldoff even chose a Barbour jacket to offset her rock chick image at Glastonbury last June. Their main competition, Burberry, also gave their brand an image overhaul in much the same way that Barbour are doing now, and it is certain that Barbour will be learning from Burberry?s mistake. The brand became too accessible and before you could say ?pass me the White Lightning?, chavs up and down the country were wearing the now infamous check pattern with their Adidas. And it?s happening already. The Barbour jacket has been impersonated by high street stores, H&M and River Island, so you can guarantee, that by winter 2008, it will be seen at a ?Maccy D?s? near you.
While we watch Barbour jackets gain in popularity we can be sure that another made over item of the Queen?s favourite attire is also here to stay. The Wellington boot. The rubbery, clumpy, waterproof boot. Every year, festival season sees the must-have accessory hit the shops again, and 2007 was no exception, except instead of pretty flowered boots or a quirky animal print, Hunter Wellingtons were the only way to wear this new trend for wellies. The slight heel and the simple design were seen all over the festivals of Britain, and this new take on the classic green Hunter was worn by supermodels, pop singers and muses in all the backstage Portaloo queues. Lily Cole sported some bright yellow ones at Glastonbury whilst Kate Moss, chose a black pair. I personally cannot see this trend turning into a chav dream but surely a Wellington boot will never be that cool … regardless of who wears them?
A brand revamping its image is hard, but taking an already classic item and redoing it is even harder. To coincide with the 50th Anniversary of the original Fiat 500, a new model of the old car was released last year. And it has been suggested that not since the Mini relaunch has an old car been restyled so closely to its original. ?It is cute yet purposeful? said the Auto Express, and ?there?s no doubt that, after 50 years, the 500 is back with a vengeance. Is there a better small car on sale? We seriously doubt it.?
But it doesn?t stop with 2007. Old things are constantly being revived and made new again, leaving it up for speculation as to whether the revamp was worthwhile. In June the Sex and the City film will be hitting our screens, and after much hype surrounding the comeback, some people are saying that it will simply be too much of a good thing. If SJP?s kooky clothing and too-cool-for-words lifestyle were a source of annoyance for you during the last series, then this should probably be avoided. Whilst ladies all want to be part of the gang, the reality of the comeback makes it hard to believe we could be, when in real life they are at each other?s throats. This has taken away the charm of the show, and now instead of wishing we were lunching with them we will be sitting watching the film, looking for evil exchanges between Samantha Jones and Carrie Bradshaw. Perhaps this was something best left in the past.
But maybe we should welcome comeback attempts. Because without them, there would be no familiarity or nostalgia in the modern world. And, as the saying goes ?there?s always room for improvement. You know, it is the biggest room in the house?
