8 Most Embarrassing Fashion Trends Of All Time

Written by Indrani Karmakar, BA Hons  • 

Did you ever look at a piece of historical clothing and wonder, “What were they even thinking?!” Yes, fashion has altered through the seasons, and in case you were uncomfortable seeing bellbottom jeans and skin-tight crop tops, you should know fashion was weird even when it was created! Through centuries humans have come up with bizarre trends based on necessity, vanity, or a combination of both. Even though we appreciate some silk gowns and beautiful headgears, some fashion trends are beyond questionable. We at Stylecraze make a list of some of the most followed trends in history we are happy to leave behind! Read on to know and cringe at all of them!

1. Bombasting

Bombasting
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Have you ever stuffed paddings under your clothes to look curvier? When we say padded, we are not referring to padded bras. Imagine resorting to wool, cotton sawdust, and horsehair to make specific parts of their bodies appear larger! In ancient times they were used to add a muscular look to legs, arms, and shoulders. The most bizarre fact is, wealthy men used them to make their bellies look bigger! Imagine carrying over six pounds of weight under your clothes just for the looks!

2. Foot Binding

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Imagine going to a shoe store and realizing there is just one shoe size and that too it fits 5-year-olds only! Foot binding was a popular trend in the 10th century where wealthy Chinese women tied their feet up to ensure they wouldn’t grow beyond four inches. As cute as the little shoe looks, the broken toe bones will tell you otherwise. Aren’t we glad for not being born in that century! And, cheers to our big happy feet!

3. Hobble Skirts

Hobble-Skirts
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If you have been complaining about your pencil skirt limitingyour mobility, you should thank your stars hobble skirts aren’t in fashion anymore. It was popularized in the 19th century were the hems of the skirt were narrow below the knee. They were basically encouraged in those days, so women took smaller steps and looked lady-like! Even if you compare it to a mermaid dress, the materials used now are way more stretchy and comfortable.

4. Hoop Skirts

Hoop-Skirts
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Remember the time when you marveled at a Cinderella gown? As beautiful as it looked, the crinoline skirt or hoop skirt has another level of discomfort. The hoops worn under the skirt began as a practical method to keep legs free and protect women from falling! These fashionable skirts quickly gained popularity in the 18th century. Funny thing is, hoop skirts were so large that it was difficult to pass through doors while wearing them!

5. Perfume Cones

Perfume-Cones
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When you view Ancient Egyptian paintings, you may have seen characters with the white and brown cone on top of the head. The cones were believed to be composed of animal fats that were perfumed. These fats would slowly melt and release their scents as the person traveled. If you can imagine a room filled with people who had come after basking in the scorching sun without any deodorant, you’ll probably understand why these cones were popular.

6. Chopines

Chopines
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Heels have been a trend for centuries, but they did not always look like the ones we have now. Chopines initially were used to shield shoes from dirt and mud that sat on the streets but eventually became a fashionable product as they increased people’s height. There were also chopines as high as 20 inches. As uncomfortable and dangerous as it looked, skilled people could even dance in them.

7. No Eyebrows

No-Eyebrows
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Eyebrows have seen the wrath of change in trends more than anything else. Now that we crave for thick bushy eyebrows, it was not always like that. The past has seen trends that called them to maintain no eyebrow look. You may have seen paintings of famous people with very thin or no eyebrows. Imagine a whole era of walking Mona Lisas’!

8. Egyptian Eye Makeup

Egyptian-Eye-Makeup
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Eye makeup is always appreciated, but sometimes it goes over the top. Take Egyptian eye makeup, for example. It uses thick black eyeliner, which paints more than the frame of your eyes. It does look good if you have to attend a party or highlight your eye makeup, but doing it regularly might make your look like an agent using camouflage. Even though Egyptians had scientific reasons to wear khol under their eyes, we are grateful we don’t have such fashion trends in recent times!

So now that the times have changed, we sure are happy we don’t have to go out wearing crochet and fanned sleeves. But maybe a century from now, even mom jeans and crop tops will sound weird! Every era has its own trends, and we should follow trends that we are absolutely comfortable with. So, do you have any favorites fashion statements that you have borrowed from the past? Let us know in the comments below!

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