I Used to Hate This Look But I Wore It Anyway

I've been on this big blue marble a minute, and I've lived through a number of fashion trends, for better or worse. When I was a kid, I didn't care what people wore because, well, I was a kid. But I look back now and think, "What on EARTH were people thinking?"

And that, perhaps, sums of cringe fashion in a nutshell. At the time, we HAD to have it; 20, 30, or 40 years down the line...not so much. As the world turns, we try to keep up, but we're more obsessed about it in our youth. Teen years suck, and one of the reasons is keeping with the Joneses with regards to what is considered cool.

1970s Fashions

There were hip huggers and bell-bottom jeans in the the first half of the 1970s.

Disco Fashions

They gave way to HEAVY polyester and what some us called "slick shirts." Thank you, Disco Era.

Polyester satin
byu/Lauren_sue in70s

1980s Fashions

And then, the 1980s arrived, and, for me, they were riddled with teen angst, at least for the first half of the decade. Those were the high school years, and I was just trying to keep up. First of all, I have no heavy, regretful memories of that time. What I DID enjoy about high school created incredible memories I still enjoy. But when you're not one of the "crowd," you find yourself...wait for it...DONNING THE PREPPY LOOK. Ugh.

@al33.na Bring this back please#80s #80saesthetic #80sfashion #80spreppy #erikmenendez #lylemenedez #monster #80smusic #90sfashion #fyp#foryou #fashion ♬ original sound - ale.enaaaa

The Preppy Look

I absolutely hated it. All that plaid, all those brightly-colored slacks, and those SWEATERS. Oh yes, the alligator on the chest. Hey Izod, the superimposed 'IZ' is way better. But there I was, in my plaid or wearing a polo shirt with the iconic Izod alligator. As for slacks, I couldn't go there with the greens and the blues and the whatevers, so I stuck with khakis. It maintained the trend without totally "wrecking" my psyche.

Thankfully, plaids are more muted in the 2020s. At a glance, you might think they're looking back to that bygone era, but no. And I'm also a big jeans guy. I think denim looks good with anything, whether its dressy, casual, or going to Walmart.

But as a teen, I kept up with everyone else. Did it do what I thought it was going to do? No, but there was something to be said for peace of mind anywhere you could find it.