“Flared, Low Rise Jeans”: People Reveal 35 Vintage Looks That Should Never See The Light Of Day Again

Fashion is subjective and when a particular trend’s popularity declines the once glam looking designs can look relatively unappealing. That’s why looking back on throwback pics can be a cringe experience. You look at some outfits you actively chose to wear out in public and are horrified in hindsight at the visuals they created. Hairstyles, accessories, clothing pieces that were considered stylish may look decidedly boorish in light of today you’s sense of fashion. As many Redditors realized during one popular discussion on the subject of fashion trends from their youth, there are some retro fashion choices that they hope never make a comeback ever again.

#1

Image source: WemblysMom, cottonbro studio

White lipstick.

#2

Image source: luisapet, Tristan Wood

Perms or ‘permanent’ waves. They were so awful.

Salt-N-Vinegar-Lover replied:
The smell of fresh perms, too, absolutely noxious.

#3

Super low cut pants with the thong sticking out on top.

Image source: krissym99

#4

Image source: ThreeDogs2963, freepik

Shoulder pads.

tiffy68 replied:
They’re dangerous too. My aunt had a suit jacket with huge shoulder pads. She picked it up from the dry cleaners and wore it over a sleeveless top to church the next day. About halfway through the service, she started to feel an intense burning sensation on her shoulders. The shoulder pads absorbed the dry cleaning fluid and caused severe blistering on her skin!

#5

Image source: SheShelley, dmitrytph

I was in my teens for this, but stirrup pants.

#6

Image source: NoRestForTheWitty, Dwayne joe

Guys wearing pants that dripped below their droopy boxer shorts, giving me a gigantic view of the top of their a*s crack. I mean, wear what you want, but that look is not my favorite.

#7

Image source: StrangersWithAndi, meg and rahul

OMG, the rat tails! A kid in my high school had one that was outrageously long, and it ripped out when he tripped on it.

#8

Image source: loriwilley, Getty Images

Polyester pant suits and leisure suits.

#9

Image source: Justthefacts6969, discosour

Mullet.

#10

Image source: SonicPiano, Roberta Sant’Anna

Socks with lace-trimmed ankle cuffs worn with high heeled pumps. Madonna could barely pull off the look but the 20-something girls at the mall looked like 6 year olds wearing Mommy’s shoes.

#11

Image source: bde75, fotolit

In the early ’90s, it was popular for women to wear a ‘wind suit.’ This was a baggy nylon warm-up style jacket and pants made up of different bright colors.

#12

Image source: SizzleanQueen, Getty Images

Overly tweezed eyebrows. I loved the 90s but so many of my sisters never got their full brows back.

Striking_Meringue328 replied:
I used to have a housemate who’d completely obliterated her eyebrows. It was always so weird seeing her in the morning before she’d drawn them back on.

#13

Short shorts – particularly cut off jeans – on a man.

I have seen stuff that I have had absolutely no business seeing.

Image source: samanthasgramma

#14

Bright sport jackets with wide lapels. I cringe whenever I see a show about the ‘70’s.

Image source: Stock_Block2130

#15

Platform shoes…

Image source: Special_Luck7537

#16

H*roin chic.

gatinjesok replied:
How on earth was that ever okay?

Image source: vodeodeo55

#17

Image source: Jackrabbits4ever, Florbela

Crimped hair.

#18

The preppy style, especially the polo shirts with the collars flipped up.

Image source: Wifflemeyer

#19

(M70). For a very short time, some Men, including myself, wore full-length sweaters. I have a polaroid of me wearing one. Don’t recall the fashion name, but to describe, they were like a cross between a men’s suit coat and a bathrobe. Imagine a guy wearing a suit coat design but it’s a sweater with a quilt blanket texture to it, and came with a robe tie around, like a smoking jacket! Does anyone remember those? It started growing in popularity then soon died off, perhaps the trend lasting for about a year or so. I guess the social message of it was that these guys were laidback cool guys that women could feel comfortable being around—-but not gay?

Image source: Icy-Beat-8895

#20

Image source: Alternative-Dig-2066, EyeEm

Flared, low rise jeans.

brandi_theratgirl replied:
I don’t mind flares. Hate low rise with a passion.

#21

Image source: Medical_Listen_4470, primerstudios

Acid-washed high-rise jeans with a puffy tummy area.

#22

Image source: SiteVivid9331, Ministry of Information Photo Division Photographer

The huge, sometimes starched/sometimes floppy bow-neck blouses that were supposed to be the female equivalent of shirt-and-tie with women’s business suits.

Olivia_Bitsui replied:
Called, unironically, the p***y bow.

#23

Image source: Zestyclose-Beyond780, Annie Mole

Uggs with a mini skirt. The trend I most participated in, guilty as charged.

#24

Neon colored everything.

Image source: stigbugly

#25

Tramp stamps.

Image source: Ok_Sell6520

#26

Super low jeans that only Britney Spears could pull off with the abs and not show butt crack.

Image source: azorianmilk

#27

Image source: robotlasagna, azerbaijan_stockers

Oversized suits with huge shoulders. Oversized shirts where the shoulder seam was on your bicep.

airckarc replied:
I recently found an old shirt I’d used to protect something in a box. It was a Guess shirt I used to wear to clubs. I put it on and it was ridiculously large. And still smelled like cigarettes.

#28

Image source: shouldiknowthat, John Mathew Smith & www.celebrity-photos.com from Laurel Maryland, USA

Dorothy Hamill haircut…on women or men.

2PlasticLobsters replied:
I got that haircut when I was 10 or so. My head was the same shape as a toadstool. So glad when it grew out. But at least I was cured of misguided celebrity emulation at a young age.

#29

I see bodysuits being sold again. I told my 15 year old niece to learn from our mistakes and don’t put a pin in the c****h.

Image source: LimeGreenZombieDog

#30

Men’s perms.

Image source: Spirited-Mess170

#31

Mullets, or the chili bowl cut.

Image source: These-Slip1319

#32

Fake tans and tube tops.

Image source: Dutchie_Boots

#33

Image source: skwirlmeat, anyjazz65

I don’t remember what they called them, gauchos? Wide leg ‘pants’ that come to mid calf. That and what we called capris, which were mid calf too. I see things called capri pants now and they seem like just above the ankle. Those are fine. It’s the ‘clam-digger’ length I hate.

Shoulder pads. I have strong square shoulders. I look like a line backer with shoulder pads. Easy to cut off in fast fashion, but a complete PITA to remove from a high quality jacket. HATE them 😡.

#34

Parachute pants.

Image source: gfghgftfdfgh

#35

Whale tail. Geebus.

If someone already said this, I missed it and will gladly bow out. Still though-UGH.

Image source: AsymptoticArrival