It's usually the likes of The Sopranos, Mad Men and The Wire that get trotted out as pertinent illustrations of the Golden Age of Television. But anyone who grew up in the ‘90s will know that despite their Dickensianly sprawling story arcs and psychologically complex characters, these shows will never hold a torch to ‘90s Saturday nights on ITV and its holy trinity lineup of Baywatch, Gladiators and Blind Date.
I'm betting that my younger sister and I are not the only millennial women who once upon a time would knot our cotton vests into cropped tops and practice our best slow-mo running around the sitting room in an attempt to emulate Pamela Anderson’s CJ. 20 years ago, to two girls on the Hampshire coast (which has zero in common with the beaches of Malibu) she was peak #goals.
Now, a whole new generation is falling in love with Pammy. Last year, we had Pam & Tommy, Disney's drama that told the story of her stolen (and leaked) sex tape with Tommy Lee. Despite imitation being the highest form of flattery - Anderson described the experience as 'crushing' in an interview with Variety, although she took pains to explain that she doesn't blame Lily James, who played her in the mini series: 'I think it’s hard to play somebody when you don’t know the whole picture. I’ve got nothing against Lily James. I think that she’s a beautiful girl and she was just doing the job. But the idea of the whole thing happening was just really crushing for me.'
Now, Pamela has her own project to shout out: Pamela, A Love Story. The Netflix documentary, which dropped earlier this week and is directed by Ryan White, is her chance to set the record straight. And on the promo trail, Pamela has been reminding us why she's such an enduring style icon. At the premiere in Hollywood, she wore a simple, yet stunningly sexy, red dress that was a clever throwback to Baywatch (the scoop neck and sizzling tomato shade were both spot on).
Throwback Pammy fashion feels very now doesn't it (and not just because she's trending on Netflix)? Consider her fondness for corset tops – they’re getting a lot of love right now from the likes of Bella Hadid, Dua Lipa and Rosalía. If one of those is as terrifying a prospect to you as donning a red one-piece, simply layer over a white T-shirt.
Anderson also has an excellent arsenal of hats (although as she told Variety, 'My life has been much more meaningful than a fluffy hat or a sex tape'). Sure, she was fond of a baseball cap, but it’s the huge-brimmed hats she favoured for award ceremonies which would garner the most social media momentum now. Feeling it? I’d urge you to check out the fluffy bucket hats from Emma Brewin – Rihanna, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Bella Hadid are fans.
Craving even more Pammy nostalgia? See also her love of thigh-grazing mini skirts, sparkle, double denim and daring cut-outs (my favourites are the dresses by French brand Marcia) and the audaciously twisted pieces by Nensi Dojaka. Go commando or go home. It's not a stretch to imagine the likes of Kendall Jenner wearing the hip/tummy/boob baring outfit Anderson sported to the 2001 MTV Music Awards. Need evidence? See this look Kendall wore to her friend's wedding.
And what about the bleached blonde hair and pencil-thin eyebrows? Well, RuPaul’s Drag Race UK fashion winner Bimini Bon-Boulash already had me reaching for the tweezers.
So iconic was the Baywatch swimsuit, the barbed wire tattoo, the bombshell body, that Anderson has been somewhat ignored for her style credentials. But designers – like Vivienne Westwood and Stella McCartney – have long been fans (of Anderson as an animal rights activist as much as a fashion plate). Now it’s time to give her her due.
Because above all, it’s the Pam glam spirit that feels right for now. It’s the fact that she unapologetically owned, and enjoyed, her sex appeal. Lo-fi style requires stealth fakery, there’s something more honest, more authentic, more fun about making an effort and choosing clothes that make it clear their purpose is to be noticed. After all, there's nothing wrong with unapologetically sexy dressing. And it's never too soon to start prepping that Hot Girl Summer wardrobe.