I commented to a friend the other day that I don’t understand the appeal of Labubus (these goofy-looking dolls that are currently popular with adults). I was similarly baffled about the Stanley cup craze. But it occurs to me that grumbling about and judging fads that aren’t my jam is too easy and, really, just unnecessary. I’d rather talk about the fads you DID enjoy.
Did you collect something that was “in” at the time? Spend too much money on something that might make someone else (or even the current version of yourself) roll their eyes? Did your clothes, makeup, or home decor reflect something that was very trendy and now seems dated?
Also, how do you feel about it now? Do you stand by your tramp stamp? Cringe when you see photos of yourself with emo hair? Still play Pokemon Go? Quietly deleted your Harlem Shake video?
For me… I still love a flash mob. I’ve never seen one in real life or been part of one, but I love the videos.
I did buy and kind of enjoy a fidget spinner when it was available at the gas station checkout. I didn’t care enough about it to put effort into seeking one out, but it was fun to play with.
I actually loved dresses over jeans in my teenage years. It’s one of the only times in my life I’ve worn something that ridiculous because it was fashionable and I stand by it. But not enough to keep dressing that way.
Dinosaurs seem to be having a moment right now (like you can find plenty of stuff made for adults that have dinosaurs or dinosaur bones on it) the way penguins and foxes did a few years ago and I am absolutely here for it. In fact, I wore dinosaur earrings today.
I gave bento boxes a go (shamelessly influenced by Tiktok/Youtube videos) and had fun with it for a while. I still have a couple, but currently find a few separate small tupperware containers more practical.
I got a Wham-O Superball for Christmas in the mid-60s when it first came out and became a massive fad. First bounce shattered our living room window. Santa took it back—said it was a threat to national security. At least that’s what my parents told me.
Geocaching. I must have hiked a thousand miles in 2002 just to find a Tupperware container and log my visit. It was good exercise but that last 50 feet turning over rocks and walking through the weeds was just stupid.
I had clackers, but even before that I had a Footsie (Remember those? A jump rope hooked to one leg, weight on the other end, so it could be set rotating. You jumped over it with the other foot.)
Pogo stick, of course. Flubber (the skin-irritant 1960s version). Creepy Crawlers. Love beads.
Oh, and I only three the clackers out a few months ago, after finding them in my late father’s basement. Not due to any good sense on my part, but because the cords had deteriorated.
1977: Powder-blue polyester leisure suit—shiny, wide-lapeled, and unapologetically loud. Underneath, a bold patterned polyester dress shirt unbuttoned to the navel, collar flared like I was cleared for takeoff. Footware? Two-tone black-and-white platform shoes with enough lift to make eye contact with a disco ball. Around my neck? A gold chain, a puka bead necklace, and a medallion big enough to eat dinner on.
I didn’t sweat—I glistened.
I wore that groovy getup in the ’70s, and I still wear it today. Classic never goes out of style, it just goes out of circulation.
Boy - I LOVED superballs when I was a kid? Big ones, little ones! Had a bunch of them. Loved seeing how high I could make them bounce on the sidewal outside. Always sad when the big ones would crack.
And I remember the Duncan yo-yo pros giving demonstrations in the 60s. Never got beyond walking the dog myself.
Re: bellbottoms - pretty much everyone dressed like an idiot back then. For whatever reason bellbottoms, platform shoes and silky shirts just seem like the “style” - somewhat different than a “fad.”
Probably wore my army jacket to high school every day in the mid-70s. That wasn’t a fad - I was just being cool!
What were those things with 2 discs on a loop of string, with 2 rings on the end that you would pull, making the discs spin? I recall making our own out of large buttons.
When we moved out of my childhood house, the one I had was still stuck 30+ feet up in a maple tree. I found, at least with the one I had, it was perfectly weighted to be swung around and launched rather high up into the air.
Not at all trying to fight the OP, but this has gotten me thinking about what exactly qualifies as a fad. I’d think of hula hoops as a fad, but my grandkid likes to use on today. Likes my old yoyo too. Tho I acknowledge neither are as popular as back then.
Not sure I perceive the clear line between bellbottoms and flares. I recall some folk had HUGE bells - I think we called them elephant bells or something. But short of those, I think we kids used the terms bells/flares interchangeably. Mostly, we just called them pants. Either jeans or dress pants. I recall in 8th grade having a few pair of plaid pants with flared lower legs and cuffs. But never called them flares or bells.
Clothing style is a weird thing. For example, greasers wore work pants/shoes and white tees. At other times, different groups adopted similar styles. But for greasers, that is just what they wore.
Like I said - has me thinking about what is/isn’t a fad.
A Happy Days episode aired on January 18, 1977, called “The Book of Records” in which the Fonz’s cousin set a world record for catching coins off of his elbow. It became a huge deal among my classmates in 7th grade, with many of us trying to set our own records. I think my personal best was successfully catching 18 quarters.
