They say if you don’t learn from your past you’re doomed to repeat it, so let’s revisit the worst fashion trends of the 2000s. Some of you may laugh, some of you may cry, and some of you may deny you were a part of these horrific crimes committed against fashion. When these trends were at their peak they embodied beauty and class. Now when we look back all we can think is, "What was I thinking?" Let’s take a blast to the past and review the worst fashion trends of the 2000s.
1 Tramp Stamps
Tramp stamps, in my opinion, are the most iconic, as well as one of the worst fashion trends of the 2000s. The tramp stamp was when a woman would get a tattoo on her lower back. I guess the reason tramp stamps are shamed today is because of their location right above the butt. Apparently it signifies that a woman may be promiscuous if she has a tattoo on her lower back, hence the name TRAMP stamp.
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2 Crocs
Okay, fine... Crocks were totally comfortable but was it really worth it? These "shoes" were a sad mix between clogs and Swiss cheese but no one seemed to mind! Even worse, almost everyone bought a pair. In my opinion, Crocs had two types of customers. There was the loud and proud customer who wore their Crocs everywhere and then the customer who secretly bought a pair to see what all the hype was about, but never wore them outside of the house. Either way, both groups committed a fashion sin by indulging in this trend.
3 Juicy Couture Track Suits
Anyone who had the money to spend a ridiculous amount of it on a velour track suit, from celebrities to everyday girls, were wearing Juicy Couture. Some say the appeal of these track suits was because it symbolized young Hollywood. Others say it was the exclusivity... these weren’t your regular velour track suits that you could pick up from Sears. These were fancy velour track suits that have indulgent quotes sewn on the back like Queen of Stuff. Whatever the appeal was, these brightly coloured track suits were on college campuses all across North America.
4 UGGs
Late night talk show host Jimmy Fallon couldn’t have said it better when he said, "Thank you UGGs, for having the most honest product name." These boots are UGGly. Even worse, 75% of the time these sheepskin boots are worn, it’s in the most atrocious manner. For instance, I’ve seen UGGs worn with miniskirts – were your feet cold but your legs hot? Or even worse, I can’t stand when I see UGGs in semi-formal restaurants. Perhaps it wasn’t the actual boot that was hideous but the occasions and manners in which they were worn that contributed to the demise of UGGs.
5 Tank Tops with Bra Straps
Remember when the uniforms of teenage girls were miniskirts paired with a ribbed, white tank top that exposed brightly coloured bra straps? How could our mothers let us leave the house like that? Had we not heard of strapless bras or double sided costume tape to tame our wild bra straps? Personally, I think the whole showing off your bra straps was a universal scheme by all teenage girls to subtly seduce teenage boys, but in reality, it's just trashy-looking.
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Ironically, the whole bra strap fiasco now seems like a hilarious yet slightly embarrassing time capsule. Back in the day, you couldn't swing a Juicy Couture handbag without hitting a teen flaunting their bright pink straps under a spaghetti-strapped tank. But let's be real, those straps weren't going anywhere, slipping out with every move as if screaming for attention. And let's not even mention the mix-and-match game – where neon green bras met red tanks. Oh, the horrors!
6 Tiny Purses
Ever heard of compromise? Well you better have if you wanted to carry a tiny purse. You literally could only fit 3-5 items in these tiny purses so you had best choose wisely what you wanted to carry with you. It was strange that it was such a trend amongst young woman when we usually need a whole laundry list of items in our purse.
7 Tights as Pants
Tights have been used and abused by young women. Yes, the sheen of Spandex does make our butt look booty-licious but that’s no excuse to wear tights as pants. The scariest part of wearing tights as pants? That awful moment you bent over and the material of your tights would stretch and become transparent exposing your undergarments... or lack thereof.
We’re laughing now, but think about how many trends we indulge in today that will terrify us in five years from now. Take a look at your pictures from the last ten years and try to spot trends you can’t believe you participated in. What do you think were some of the worst trends of the 2000s?
