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The Worst Fashion Trends of Every Decade
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The Worst Fashion Trends of Every Decade

Some things are better left in the past

The Worst Fashion Trends of Every Decade

By Annabelle Fernandez - published

It's easy to romanticize the style of past decades as always inspiring, elegant and magical but in reality, bad fashion has been around since the start of mankind. If you're still having PTSD from the traumatic trends of the early 2000s, take comfort in the fact that every other decade has also faced many questionable sartorial choices. From squeezing into corsets to exercising in leg warmers to accessorizing every outfit with a Von Dutch hat, here's a roundup of the most cringe-worthy fashion trends from the past century.

This article originally appeared on Harper's BAZAAR US.

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Aside from really serving no purpose whatsoever, sweater vests are truly flattering on no one. Photo: Getty
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The Worst Fashion Trends of Every Decade

The jumpsuit isn't for everyone and that's okay. Photo: Getty
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The Worst Fashion Trends of Every Decade

The whole punk rock movement went a little too far at times; let it serve as a general life lesson that we should never pierce our cheeks with office supplies. Photo: Getty
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The Worst Fashion Trends of Every Decade

Is it even humanly possible for someone's calves to get chilly while working out? Please advise. Photo: Getty
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The Worst Fashion Trends of Every Decade

Why? Why, why, why? Photo: Getty
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The Worst Fashion Trends of Every Decade

Colored leggings. Mini skirt layered on top of said leggings. Neon everywhere. The worst colored makeup in the history of makeup. 600 rubber bracelets to weight train your wrists. It all hurts so much. Photo: Getty
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The Worst Fashion Trends of Every Decade

When not even the founder of a fashion trend can manage to pull the look off, that's when you know there's a problem (Sorry, MC, you're still great). Photo: Getty
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The Worst Fashion Trends of Every Decade

Just when you thought the act of sweating couldn't get any more unappealing, this "accessory" became a thing. Photo: Getty
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The Worst Fashion Trends of Every Decade

PUT THE SWEATER ON OR TAKE THE SWEATER OFF. Photo: Getty
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The Worst Fashion Trends of Every Decade

Proving the world doesn't always look better through rose-colored glass. Photo: Getty
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The Worst Fashion Trends of Every Decade

In retrospect, these '90s-favourite maybe weren't so cool after all. Photo: Getty
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The Worst Fashion Trends of Every Decade

I would follow Rachel Green if she jumped off a bridge but this I cannot find the logic in or get behind at all. Photo: Getty
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The Worst Fashion Trends of Every Decade

This was THE most impressive piece of clothing from the decade and in retrospect, we should all be a little sad about that. Photo: Getty
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The Worst Fashion Trends of Every Decade

And arriving at the most painfully terrible fashun decade of them all: the early aughts. Spearheading this time of bad sartorial decisions was the ubiquitous velour tracksuit. Everyone and their mother (literally) had a tracksuit to style with a cami underneath and a logo bag in tow. Bonus points if you had a pair with the word "JUICY" across the butt—super chic. Photo: Getty
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The Worst Fashion Trends of Every Decade

Perfect for showing off your thong or plumber's crack. Photo: Getty
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The Worst Fashion Trends of Every Decade

How could we let this happen to Beyonce? Photo: Getty
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The Worst Fashion Trends of Every Decade

Wow, can you believe that nobody thought to take style inspiration from truckers until the 2000s? From Ed Hardy to Von Dutch to your own DIY-airbrushed hats, there was no shortage of really chic trucker hats to choose from. Photo: Getty
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The Worst Fashion Trends of Every Decade

Okay fine, maybe this trend wasn't so bad after all. Photo: Getty
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The Worst Fashion Trends of Every Decade

Internal organ damage, broken ribs, hours to get dressed—there is such thing as doing too much for fashun and corsets are it. Photo: Getty
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The Worst Fashion Trends of Every Decade

Sure they look chic, but walking in these heavy and constricting floor-length hemlines is no easy task. Imagine wearing a tight, ankle-length pencil skirt and having no choice but to move at a glacial pace: no fun. Photo: Getty
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The Worst Fashion Trends of Every Decade

Unless you're going for the look of an overgrown infant, this hat trend is better left for newborn babies. Photo: Getty
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The Worst Fashion Trends of Every Decade

Props to all the women who managed to stay afloat whilst swimming in these taffeta dresses. Photo; Getty
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The Worst Fashion Trends of Every Decade

Listen, I know the people of the '30s were going through a lot of things but there was no reason to act out by wearing this tragic footwear, now better known as vintage Taylor Swift shoes. Photo: Getty
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The Worst Fashion Trends of Every Decade

Fact: miniature hats flatter very few heads. Photo: Getty
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The Worst Fashion Trends of Every Decade

Elegant? Yes. Practical? No. How is one supposed to indulge in finger food while wearing these? Photo: Getty
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The Worst Fashion Trends of Every Decade

Look, everyone loves poodles but that isn't good enough reason to embroider them onto a skirt. Photo: Getty
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The Worst Fashion Trends of Every Decade

Whoever thought that multi-colored, multi-patterned tights would flatter ANY HUMAN'S legs was seriously mistaken. Photo: Getty
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The Worst Fashion Trends of Every Decade

Let us all be grateful in knowing that the fashion of the future never actually ended up looking like this. These metallic skin-tight pants are nobody's friend. Photo: Getty
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The Worst Fashion Trends of Every Decade

Being an adult is pretty terrible but dressing like a small child is equally terrible and next-level creepy. Photo: Getty
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The Worst Fashion Trends of Every Decade

Very few people can manage to pull off wearing a quilt as a skirt. Photo: Getty
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The Worst Fashion Trends of Every Decade

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Fashion TrendsStyle FilesThrowbackTrendsWorst Fashion Trends
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