# Biggest Fashion Mistake **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 29, 2004, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-fashion-mistake/247696 "2004-05-29T19:50:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2004, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-fashion-mistake/247696/21 "2004-05-30T02:09:40Z")
**Spectre of Pithecanthropus** : > [@](#): > > But why should short shorts on a guy be a mistake? Understand, I’m not talking about really short & tight booty shorts like women wear, but rather just somewhat shorter than they are now. Actually, I kind of like wearing really short & tight booty shorts like women wear. Maybe an inch worth of leg. Now, the guys who used to wear the frayed shorts that between being cut with really short legs to begin with and then being frayed significantly as well, so there’s no fabric to speak up between their legs, well, I can see why you’d just as soon do without that, even if the dude in question _is_ wearing underwear at the time. I don’t dress like that but insofar as I don’t walk around with my guyparts pointing down my pants legs I don’t need pantslegs long enough to cover a set of guyparts hanging down into them. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2004, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-fashion-mistake/247696/22 "2004-05-30T02:16:45Z")
> [@AHunter3](#): > > Pants that come down anywhere close to as far down as your knee aren’t “shorts”. They’re just silly-looking great-grandpa garments that belong in a sepia photograph along with those striped undershirt thingies that men used to swim in at the beach. > > Shorts have legs no longer than mid-thigh at the most. Well, this goes along with the “wife-beater” t-shirts and boxers that young males seem to like so much these days. When I was a teenager (late 70’s), any guy wearing ANY of these things would be laughed back into the house for wearing their grandpa’s clothes. ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2004, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-fashion-mistake/247696/23 "2004-05-30T02:31:39Z")
My own personal biggest fashion mistake. Hmm. Well, in the spirit of the thing, it had to be the cashmere hot pants. They cost $3. Reduced! Down from $80! They were cashmere! Now the thing here is they actually felt good on. However, they looked the only way purple cashmere hot pants (read: shorts) can ever look, which is slutty. And being cashmere they were too warm to wear when shorts were appropriate (not that cashmere hot pants would ever be appropriate, anywhere). The thing is I knew this when I bought them but I thought, “$3? I can make something out of these. Maybe a mitten.” I am happy to report I never actually wore them out of the house. I am unhappy to report that it took me 15 years to actually give up on the mitten-or-whatever idea and throw them into the ARC box. Whooeee! Who has them now? ---
**Author:** ![Cherry2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cherry2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cherry2000)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2004, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-fashion-mistake/247696/24 "2004-05-30T03:25:57Z")
Sandals with socks…bad enough on women, but even worse on men. IMHO, this is a fashion crime that should be punishable by death. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2004, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-fashion-mistake/247696/25 "2004-05-30T03:28:55Z")
> [@Cherry2000](#): > > Sandals with socks…bad enough on women, but even worse on men. IMHO, this is a fashion crime that should be punishable by death. Along with old men wearing black socks and shorts. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2004, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-fashion-mistake/247696/26 "2004-05-30T03:45:18Z")
> [@](#): > > Now the thing here is they actually felt good on. However, they looked the only way purple cashmere hot pants (read: shorts) can ever look, which is slutty. And being cashmere they were too warm to wear when shorts were appropriate (not that cashmere hot pants would ever be appropriate, anywhere). Heck, I’d have worn them for warmth in the wintertime, either under my regular clothes or as part of my night time outfit (and I WILL wear PJs or a nightie when I’m cold). ---
**Author:** ![gum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bbe5ce/32.png) [@gum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gum)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2004, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-fashion-mistake/247696/27 "2004-05-30T04:51:32Z")
Hehehehe. Thanks, **BiblioCat** 🙂 And another vote for socks and sandals. Almost as bad as berets. Have you ever noticed that a beret looks like a pan cover with a leprechaun’s hard-on on top of it? Not a lot of people can wear that. ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2004, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-fashion-mistake/247696/28 "2004-05-30T05:13:57Z")
Even worse than socks and sandals: black socks, preferably knee-high, with white shoes. Patent leather loafers, for example. ---
**Author:** ![yosemite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/3ab097/32.png) [@yosemite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yosemite)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2004, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-fashion-mistake/247696/29 "2004-05-30T05:23:55Z")
I am guilty. I wear socks with sandals. I don’t care. I don’t like shoes that much. Never have. I went through all of high school wearing thongs (flip-flops). Quite the fashion plate, I was. Anyway, I avoid regular lace-up shoes or proper shoes whenever possible. So when I moved to Hooterville, where it’s too cold to wear sandals in the winter, I just started wearing them with socks. Trust me, compared to the fashion choices of those around me, my socks/sandals are pretty tame. ---
**Author:** ![Stillsmiling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Stillsmiling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stillsmiling)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2004, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-fashion-mistake/247696/30 "2004-05-30T07:37:00Z")
> [@gum](#): > > hehehehe , \*\* Stillsmiling\*\* 🙂 > > [btw: What’s mall hair?] Sorry, didn’t mean to run off to work and leave you hanging. 😉 It seems like BiblioCat answered your question. I have always had longish hair and used to tease it out something outrageous. Then I would apply nearly a can of Aquanet hair spray. ( **BiblioCat** , you mentioned the healed ankle boots…do you remember the boot chains?) No, **Mr. Blue Sky** I didn’t have the Mall Ball…my sister did. 😛 Oh, and since I live in a “retirement destination”, I’d like to add men in pastel plaid shorts and women in lame’ track suits. ---
**Author:** ![Kayeby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de0a6/32.png) [@Kayeby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kayeby)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2004, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-fashion-mistake/247696/31 "2004-05-30T07:53:25Z")
I’m still baffled at the “tight jeans tucked into ugg boots trend” that started several months ago and just won’t die. ---
**Author:** ![Tentacle\_Monster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba9def/32.png) [@Tentacle\_Monster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tentacle_Monster)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2004, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-fashion-mistake/247696/32 "2004-05-30T08:12:03Z")
> [@Cicada2003](#): > > I am happy to report I never actually wore them out of the house. I am unhappy to report that it took me 15 years to actually give up on the mitten-or-whatever idea and throw them into the ARC box. So if I see someone wearing a fuzzy hat with two holes in it, I know where it came from. cashmere hot-pants? what the fuck? ---
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2004, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-fashion-mistake/247696/33 "2004-05-30T08:12:34Z")
> [@yosemite](#): > > I am guilty. I wear socks with sandals. I don’t care. I have sometimes worn socks and shoes with shorts, or socks with sandals. Generally I bow to fasion (this is the one opinion that seems universal) but if that’s what I need to wear, and I don’t care what I look like, why not? Seriously, why do people have such an intense dislike for it? ---
**Author:** ![Stringer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Stringer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stringer)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2004, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-fashion-mistake/247696/34 "2004-05-30T08:13:17Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > Along with old men wearing black socks and shorts. I’d say any kind of socks (that aren’t ankle-less athletic socks worn with athletic shoes) worn with shorts just look terrible. ---
**Author:** ![yosemite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/3ab097/32.png) [@yosemite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yosemite)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2004, 8:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-fashion-mistake/247696/35 "2004-05-30T08:29:46Z")
> [@Shade](#): > > Generally I bow to fasion (this is the one opinion that seems universal) but if that’s what I need to wear, and I don’t care what I look like, why not? > > Seriously, why do people have such an intense dislike for it? I don’t know. I see a lot of people wear them around here so at least I fit in. 😉 I think it looks worse when the hem of your pants is high enough to get a full view of the socks (like if you’re wearing capris or shorts) but with long loose pants that cover half the foot anyway, who cares? I see people all around me wearing wretched things. Big girls (like me) wearing tight polyester pants or tight sleeveless tops, showing off every nook and cranny, etc. etc. Horrors! I think half of a socked sandal peeking out under long pants is pretty low on the totem pole here. ---
**Author:** ![Already\_in\_Use](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9adbd/32.png) [@Already\_in\_Use](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Already_in_Use)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2004, 9:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-fashion-mistake/247696/36 "2004-05-30T09:44:23Z")
Eh, I don’t really care about weird dorky things that old people and clueless dweebs wear, since at least they’re unique. And hey, I’m a bit of a clueless dweeb myself. These things only truly become crimes against humanity when they become trends. So let’s see: Frosted hair Sagging pants, long shorts, baggy clothing in general, including those peasant blouses or whatever they’re called Low-cut pants on women. They look bad on more than 99% of women, and many of that 99% are actually quite beautiful, just not particularly flattered by plumber-esque pants. Trucker hats Long fake nails Tie-dyed clothing (not really a trend currently, though, so it’s sort of charming in a “clueless dweeb” way) Male hairdos that flip up in the front ---
**Author:** ![monica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a183cd/32.png) [@monica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monica)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2004, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-fashion-mistake/247696/37 "2004-05-30T14:39:40Z")
> [@Stillsmiling](#): > > Fashions today? If another girl in low rise pants bends over and shows her plumber’s cleavage, I’m dropping a quarter in the slot. If you plan to do this every time you see this, you should switch to pennies or it might get expensive. One of my guy friends (possibly moving towards more than just friends, but that’s beside the point) wants to shave his head for the summer. That’s not the problem. The problem is that he decided he wanted to have some “fun” with it first. Therefore, he shaved the bottom half of his head and the top half (with very thick hair) just kind of poofs out. He looks ridiculous, and we can’t wait until he decides to shave the whole thing. ---
**Author:** ![wonder9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c57346/32.png) [@wonder9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonder9)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2004, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-fashion-mistake/247696/38 "2004-05-30T15:31:57Z")
I’m going out on a limb here because most of the women on this board are probably harboring a pair in their closets as we speak but I defy anyone to tell me that capri/cropped pants look good on anyone. Ugh. When will this fashion travesty end?!! Also, high heels with no stockings, even in the dead of winter. Who hates themselves that much? ---
**Author:** ![Magickly\_Delicious](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magickly\_Delicious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magickly_Delicious)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2004, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-fashion-mistake/247696/39 "2004-05-30T15:57:07Z")
I hate capris, too. I swear the only reason the stupid things still exist in stores is because few people are buying them. Hello? I’m 5’3", no I don’t want to look shorter than I am. I just read three fashion mags last week. I’m writing a letter to all the editors: Orange and pink DO NOT go together! They’ve got models wearing a pumpkin orange top + hot pink or pastel pink skirt in every other magazine. And they look awful! It’s really hard to make a _model_ look bad, but boy have they done it. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2004, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-fashion-mistake/247696/40 "2004-05-30T16:41:23Z")
> [@micahjn](#): > > I’d say any kind of socks (that aren’t ankle-less athletic socks worn with athletic shoes) worn with shorts just look terrible. I truly, truly hate the ankle-less athletic socks. **shudder** Too … fruity. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-fashion-mistake/247696.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-fashion-mistake/247696.md?page=3)