Looking at an old yearbook got me to thinking about this, especially after the massively poofy/teased hair look a good portion of the females were sporting.
My answer? That’s an easy one.
Tight rolled pants
What were we thinking? What were adults thinking about us? Actually, they were probably happy we had picked up something slightly dumber than the fashion disasters they thrust upon the world.
So, what say you?
My own, really bad fashion choice, would have to be from the whole ‘nu-metal’ scene when I was about 15, 16, 17 (actually not that long ago, i’m 23) but i learnt quickly.
You know the look, the HUGE, HUGE flares, that had enough material to make about 5 pairs of trousers, and could hide a small child in the leg of them. Which i invariably tripped up over as my feet got tangled in the extra material. That was an AWESOME look! Honestly! Complete with baggy band hoody, i pretty much looked like i was dressed as a boy. Not so good!
I’m sure I’ll make mistakes again, but one I will NOT be making is the whole smock, baggy huge vest thing thing that all the girlies are wearing (at least in the UK they are) that makes you look 6 months pregnant. Not a good look I don’t think!
One mistake I’m probably guilty of right now is leggings under a mini-skirt. Me and my friend Alex were talking about it the other day, and he was saying that when he sees girls dressed in both leggings and a skirt, he can’t help but think, “why can’t you just decide which one you want to wear, leggings OR a skirt?” personally, i think it looks cute, so I’ll be wearing that until I think otherwise.
I don’t remember what these were called, but in the early 90s we all wore these weird pants for like a minute. They are hard to describe, but let me see if I can do it. They were kind of baggy, and each leg had a big flap of material at the top. Each flap criss-crossed over to the other leg and buttoned there. I think it was an offshoot of that genie-pants look popularized by MC Hammer. God, they were awful. Anyone else remember them?
I heard the MC Hammer pants are making a comeback. Ack.
Two Words:
Leg Warmers
I think those were called diaper pants. I had a pair.
My confession: banana clips.
Parachute pants.
Hey, it was the 80’s.
In highschool I was one of those kids you saw at the mall wearing gigantic, baggy JNCO’s with a chain wallet and a band shirt.
I had it all: poofy bangs, rolled jeans, banana clips, slouchy socks, Converse All-Stars (pink), biker shorts … you name it. I blame my sister.
Two or three pairs of socks in contrasting colors at the same time. If you were feeling sassy you could layer them in a differet order
…different order on each foot. All showed off by those pegged up jeans, of course.
Hey, I was only 9 or 10. I blame it on my “trendy” older sister, who’s never met a fad she didn’t like.
All I can think are some shirts I had in the 80s. Snaps on the shoulders. Back then I had great shoulders so I would unsnap them sometimes when I was warm to show off my shoulders.
Mostly I’m not a trendy guy though.
Oh man, this thread is dredging up memories. Tight-rolled pants? Check.
Parachute pants? Check. Hammer pants? Check. (However, I only wore my Hammer pants twice then traded with my cousin for an awesome necklace.
I think the most horrific fad that I bought into was the whole flouresent colored shirts/sweaters, worn with ::ack:: stretch pants with the wonderful stirrups, jelly shoes and the cheap, colored, pearl-like necklaces that are actually *tied in a knot * at the bottom. Flourescent and black jelly bracelets, GIGANTIC earrings, Swatch watches of the most unholy color combinations and of course the entire ensemble was brought home by slapping on United Colors Of Benetton perfume.
Can I get a barf smiley please?
I only wore that crap my 8th grade year in a desperate attempt to fit in.
Freshman year I did start in with the Coca-Cola shirts (nice move Coke! I hope you paid your PR/Advertising team well) After that I toned down my attempts to get with the “In” crowd and started dressing more alternative…so you know, I was trying to be different by wearing what all the other “alternative” kids were wearing. I’ll let someone else explain the attire.
To quote my stepdaughter, when she was going through her Hot Topic phase:
“I want to be different, just like everybody else.”
Oh lord, I never actually owned a pair, but yes, I remember. Those were quite possibly the single most ridiculous item of clothing ever invented. And please don’t give me any credit for not actually owning them, because I’m pretty sure I coveted them and my mom, recognizing them for the absurdity that they were, refused to buy them for me.
I was going to come in here and post about tight-rolling my jeans all through middle school. Glad to see it was addressed in the OP.
Anyone remember slap bracelets, the long skinny pieces of plastic that you slapped on your wrist to get it to wrap around? Nothing like combining fashion with flagellation.
I also had a mullet in the 1980s. Not by choice. I was about 9-10 years old and my aunts got a wild hair up their asses and took me to the salon. One of the many things I’ve never forgiven them for. I was all spiky on top and long and straight and shaggy on the sides and in back. I looked like Rod Stewart. It was awful.
Please don’t try to challenge my generation with our paisley nehru shirts, pointy toed men’s dress shoes and paisley prints.
…and get off my lawn!
Drain Bead,
My condolences on the mullet. That reminded me that in 7th grade I had a tail. It wasn’t frighteningly long, about 2 inches but still. What was I thinking? Then I wanted to spike my hair but mom wouldnt’ pay to have it done. I showed her! I took a pair of scissors and whoops! I spiked it alright, but I also accidently cut off a huge piece of my bangs by mistake. I was and still am quite a laughable dork.
I kind of like that look. 
Anyone remember the fad of wearing, usually white shirts, a vest (often paisley or black) suspenders, a black hat, usually a fedora, white socks and black patent leather shoes? Yeah, I jumped on that bus. That’s one fad I wish would come back. I really liked it. Aw hell, I’m not waiting. I’m going to start dressing like that now.
Banana clips! I loved them.
And bandanas as a headband…
Oh, and the stirrup pants were my absolute favourite! I was the coolest in my middle school.