Did you grow up in the ’90s and the early 2000s? Then you remember the absolute horror show of accessories we layered on back in the day. What were we thinking?
From bump-its, to rhinestones on our teeth, to random chains on our pants, these accessory trends defined our pasts — and our pasts is exactly where those trends should stay.
(Not you, skinny sunglasses. You’re back and I respect you.)
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Toe rings.
I’m sorry to those who still wear toe rings, but guys . We cannot bring those back, okay? They’re hard to get on and off, and they get so gross. Say no to toe rings.
Newsboy caps.
Man, these hats sucked. They didn’t look good on anyone and they totally made your head look flat. I do not want to see these again. I’m already having to suffer through the return of bucket hats.
Scarf belts.
Man, remember when we’d wear anything as a belt to avoid wearing an actual belt? I don’t know why we did that. I had a whole box of scarves specifically for this… and for the next item.
Scarf NECKLACES.
WHY DID WE DO THIS. Skinny scarf necklaces were EVERYTHING back in the day. Why were we all so into scarves? They’re not even that great an accessory when worn as they’re mean to be worn!
Bump-its.
I’m so sorry. I had one of these. I used to try and make my hair as tall as possible. Not Snooki tall, mind you, but trust and believe I was trying to get my bangs to reach heaven.
Teeth rhinestones.
I wanted a tooth rhinestone (aka diamante) so badly, you guys. Everyone who was cool had a small rhinestone on one of their incisors. I had frickin’ braces instead. Ugh.
Anyway, looking back… this was a bad idea.
These exact sunglasses.
There really was such a thing as too-big sunglasses, guys. And these were it. The amber tint, the ski-goggle structure, the rhinestone trim… it’s a no from me.
Chains on our pants.
Chains on pants were often paired with a small pouch that you kept absolutely nothing in. Why did we do this? Who’s to say. Leave it in 2001.
This whole situation.
Absolutely not. The hat, the hat shape , the studded everything, the chains glued onto the sunglasses, the tacky necklace… I am horrified. We really did that, huh?
Bandanas.
Ah, yes. The bandana. My fashion staple at 14, the bandana was difficult to keep tied, came in some truly hideous patterns and colors, and made your head very sweaty. Pass.
Just a random necktie.
An Avril Lavigne classic, the necktie necklace was… honestly, it was just weird. I have no idea why it became a thing, or why we as a society were so convinced we had to wear cloth as necklaces.
BELLY CHAINS.
These are also coming back. And listen, I don’t care what you put on your stomach. Show it off. But must we do the belly chains with the tiny butterflies again? Can I not rest?
Bows. Oh my goodness, bows.
As a society, we have progressed past the need for bows. I feel confident in saying that bows are tacky af now, and absolutely won’t make a comeback for years.
However, any child wearing a bow is adorable and gets a pass.
Silly bands.
These things were stunningly stupid. Sure, they were cute when you pulled them out of the package, but once you had them on your arm, that cute rubber band was no longer shaped like an animal. It was a just a blob.
And finally, why did we all do this?
The JNCO jeans were bad enough, but what made them even worse was the fact that we refused to hem them. This lead to us dragging around wet, soggy, dirty pants with us wherever we went. No wonder our mothers were horrified.
