40 Most Ridiculous Retro Fashion Trends

Patterned tights in the craziest of color combos were all the rage in the 1960s and were frankly ridiculous. Trends are trendy for a reason. Although tons of classics came out of the '60s, these tights were quickly in style and then quickly out of style.

Patchwork, groovy patches on denim jackets, and everything else patch-worthy were another big trend of the ‘60s. It’s one of the hallmarks of hippy fashion, but unless you are patching your clothes to keep them functioning, there really shouldn’t be patches on your clothes.

On the opposite side of the hippy spectrum during the ‘60s was the futuristic fashion. For some reason, with aliens and UFOs being a new fear in people’s minds, people got inspired and assumed the future would be filled with shiny metallic things everywhere, including in clothes. We’re technically living in their future, and it definitely doesn’t look like that at all.

Sweater vests seem like they’ve been universally hated for decades, but believe it or not, they were actually popular in the 1970s. Let's hope these sweater/tank top hybrids never come back in style.

Jumpsuits? Great. Vinyl jumpsuits? Not so much. Vinyl jumpsuits were popular in the 1970s because they looked futuristic, but the future is here, and it looks nothing like those horrifying suits.

It also wasn’t the ‘80s without shoulder pads. Madonna is the most popular fashion icon of the time to wear shoulder pads and make everyone else want to wear them too. Now, however, they are most associated with old ladies and Lady Gaga.

Did you really go to prom in the ‘80s if you didn’t wear a shimmery fabric dress or a dress made entirely of sequins? No, you didn’t. That dress also 100% ate you alive in ruffles and puffs.

Different versions of tracksuits were popular from the '80s until the '00s. While we don’t have a problem with track pants, we do have an issue when you pair them with a matching track jacket. High school football coach, much?

Parachute pants were pants that looked like someone literally turned a parachute into a pair of pants. They were popular in the '80s, and elements of them are popular today, like the drop crotch. We can only hope that the ridiculous colors don’t make a comeback, though. 

We understand that some people might feel patriotic while donning a pair of cargo shorts that look like the American flag, but we think this trend is a bit odd. If you end up spilling beer or getting mud on your clothes, have you disrespected the flag?

Bandanas are cute on dogs, but not so much on people. These fashion accessories were popular in the '80s and '90s, but we do not care for them. There truly is no way to make them look chic.

Everyone had a puffy sleeve dress in the ‘80s and ‘90s, and if you say you didn’t, you’re lying. Everyone who went to a formal event during this time period 1000% wore a puffy sleeve dress. Did they even make anything different at this time?

The only time it is appropriate to wear a bucket hat is if you're going fly fishing. These hats were made popular by rappers in the '80s and '90s, but we're ever so grateful they’ve dropped this trend since. 

The ‘it’ hair accessory of the '80s and '90s was the scrunchie. Celebrities and tween girls alike loved to put their hair up in these voluminous, loud hair ties. It's a shame that this childish trend is coming back in style.

These ridiculously stretchy, one-size-fits-all shirts were one of the worst trends to come out of the '90s. They somehow managed to be unflattering on every body type and made wearers look like a popcorn ceiling come to life.

Roll-on body glitter was all the rage with teenage girls in the '90s. If your skin didn’t sparkle like a Twilight vampire, were you really dressed up at all? We still cannot forget the skin irritation that came with this trend.

Teens and tweens of the '90s were obsessed with mood rings. How else would you know if you were feeling excited/happy/angry unless your trusty mood ring showed that color?!

Fanny packs are now a dead giveaway of a clueless tourist, but everyone wore them in the '90s. They were perfect for carrying keys and gum, but they were also the antithesis of fashionable. A purse is a much better option!

Studded belts were popular in the '70s and made a comeback in the '90s. These belts looked tacky from the get-go, but even more so after some of the studs started falling off.