20 Awful Fashion Trends We All Loved Growing Up

Fashion has always been a part of my life, weather it was wanting the newest top from Tammy Girl or my beloved Spice Girls trainers (yes, I know amazing right?).
As a kid I always wanted to look "cool" and therefore fell total victim to some of the most stylish hilarious trends which I look back on now and cringe/giggle.
(Saying this maybe they'll come back into fashion one day and we'll be gutted we never kept it all.....maybe....)

Now... I can't of been the only one to wear these hip and groovy pieces as otherwise, well they wouldn't have been what we classed as 'trendy' or 'fashionable' a the time would they? So here they are the 20 hilarious trends that we all must have rocked at some point.

(I was born in 1990, so these are things I rocked wore from probably the age of 8-14 ..aka 1998-2004!)

1. Trouser-Skirts 

I'm not sure where these came from or who decided that they were a thing but really.... trousers + a skirt (attached) = no no no. I definitely had a fair few of these and one that really sticks out in my mind was back with a silver floral pattern over the skirt - I definitely whipped it out for a school disco or two!

2. Slouch Boots

Not as awful as the rest but you MUST of had some.

Holy moly the year I started high school (03-04) if you didn't have a pair or these you and your feet might as well not have existed. These boots were sold out EVERYWHERE where I lived and literally every single female aged between 13-16 owned a pair I'm sure of it. 

Now black was the main choice I'd say, not many people were brave enough to rock the brown.... but I definitely saw a few pink pairs floating around I'm sure of it - those girls were sassy with a capital S!

3. 'Ra-ra' Skirts

Close behind slouch boots (and from that same fashoinable time period) are ra-ra skirts - which funnily enough were the perfect duo back then. Weather you were meeting your friends in town, popping down to the beach or going to a party - a ra-ra skirt was your best friend and yes... any sort of footwear was considered okay with them. 

The amount of colour available was just a dream, I remember LOVING my pastel yellow beauty.

4. The 'I Don't Any Do Sport' Sweatbands

We all went through that "pop-punk" stage - I blame Avril L, Blink 182, Sum41 and all those other bands who had angry but very upbeat and catchy songs!

Sweatbands were just ONE of the stylish monstrosities that we wore on a daily basis.

Made for sportsman and women around the round - we wore these with pride even though the only exercise we were doing was arguing with our parents or running for the bus. I had a really cool checkprint one.... Why why why?

4. Ridiculously Oversized Flared Jeans

Keeping on that Avril  vibe - flared jeans were da bomb. The bigger the better, if you we seen in bootcut you might as well have been wearing skin-tight leggings! I was victim to MANY a pair and lived in them. Tammy Girl was my port of call (for most things at that age) and I had, in my eyes, the coolest black pair with an attached pink chain for extra punk points. The worst thing about this trend - when it rained. Those buggers soaked up water like there was no tomorrow, wet jeans up to your knees anyone?

5. The Chav Jewellery (Hangs head in shame)

To this day I still can't believe how much I was into this.

 The pop-punk "skater" days were so last week and being a "Townie" was totes in. Drawstring bags, nike trainers and of course the GOLD bling. 

Multiple hoops, multipe necklaces at different lengths and knuckles full of rings! 

The doll necklace is one that sticks out in my mind - I begged my Mum for the one from Argos (cringe) and she point-blank refused to buy it for me - that woman had the right idea. Please tell me someone else wanted this? I so so highly influenced by my fellow peers it is shameful!

6. Quiksilver Backpacks

Again not horifically awful but these played a major part in my educational life growing up.

These were THE backpack to have when I was about 12/13 - I spent long and hard convincing my Mum that it was a good idea to splash out on this and that my social life/reputation would be over if I rocked up at school with my books and lunch in anything else. Mine was purple floral and clearly the coolest out of all of my friends (I liked to think).

7. The Half Shoe Flip-Flop

Another high school era trend now. The flip-flop which was a closed shoe at the front. (I'm sorry if I offend anyone who still wears these) - I remember the girls in the years above me at school having them so clearly at the time I knew it was a must-have. 

White were the most popular colour and the amount of people who tried to get away with the black pairs as 'school shoes' was hilarious!

8. Adidas 3-Stripe Everything 

Weather it was the classic trainers or the infamous poppered jogging bottoms - wearing things with 3 stripes instantly made you hip and trendy, duh!
Also trainers and denim skirts were super cool.

9. Gypsy Tops

Britney Spears and the last scenes of Crossroads I blame you for this. 
All I want was a pretty gypsy top with the biggest flared arms like she had - of course I had to settle for New Look and their options. Everyone had one of these 'gypsy'/'peasant' tops - it was the key ingredient to my oufit for my year 8 leavers disco, paired with a denim skirt (of course) and some of those 3 stripe adidas trainers, I was the bee's knee's.

10. Tops With Chinese Writing On

Where did they all come from? They were everywhere.

11. Surfing Board Shorts 
Absolutely no intention of ever going surfing these were purely for fashion purposes only. Animal, Quiksilver, Billabong, shorts down to our knees with some form of surfing reference or Hawaiian flowers on them were totes cool. (Did everyone like these or was it just because I live near a beach?)

12. 'Shag' Bands

These always seem to pop up every few years or so. Thin plastic bands which came in many colour with many terrifying consequences if you broke one. The more up your arm the better and don't forget.... they're great to chew on too!

13. Wide (Half the size of your skirt) Belts 

Big big belts with every outfit. Sat on your hips and holding up absolutely nothing like a belt should, I had lots of them. 

14. Parachute/Octopus Trousers (With Velcro & Without)

A staple wardrobe piece in the early 00s. These were trendy with a capital T. Every store had them and every girlband wannabe with them. Mine were pink and the octopus material things were actually detachable - snazzy huh?!

15. Ties For Multiple Uses
Another point for trend-setting Avril - you go Avril - ties were cool... and for the weirdest reasons! Just wearing a top and jeans today? Why not add a completely random tie as a cool necklace or belt? Perfect!

16. Pedal Pushers 
The funniest name for an item of clothing. knee length - 3/4 jeans/trousers - normally skin-tight. I lived in these for years and years! 

17. 30,000 Bracelets on one wrist
This includes numbers 4 and 12. So many bracelets to choose from, so many styles - but don't worry about choosing - oh no don't be silly - just wear them all, even if they are nearly hitting your elbows it doesn't matter, you want to be able to show everyone the cool and unique styles you have picked up.

18. Inflatable Backpacks
No words needed here. We are all guilty of this one. (Is it bad I kind of think they are a bit cool again?)

19. The Lonely 2 Strands
Hahaha I actually did this... everyday. The slicked back gel drenched hair with 2 tiny strands left out at the front - they don't call me a beauty blogger for nothing! Also remember when everyone just had the two front sections of their hair blonde? Yup, I did that too!

19.5. Talking of hair too..... who remembers BUTTERFLY CLIPS. I wore about 20 a day!

20. Tops That Were Just A Little Bit Too Short

Not a crop top and not a t-shirt we all had those tops that revealed that cheeky bit of midriff/muffin top. 
Britney, Christina, Pink .... and the rest of those female teens/early 20s gods of the time with their washboard abs and perfectt hips are firmly to blame for us thinking it was okay.

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