Fashion trends come and go every year. While some styles are timeless, other trends continue to stick even after they’re over. Just because these styles were popular for a while doesn’t mean that they still look good.
You may be surprised which trends some people are still sporting, from Crocs to baggy hoodies to unnecessarily bringing in flannel. Are you still wearing these outdated styles? Learn the harsh truth about which fashion trends are officially “out.”
Mismatching Patterns Too Much
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On occasion, mismatching patterns can look good. Light grey on dark grey? Classic. But loud patterns–such as leopard print, plaid, polka-dots, or neon colors–shouldn’t be mismatched. At worst, it’s hard to look at, and at best, it’s boring.
It’s no secret that combining patterns doesn’t usually work (unless you’re in a music video). But combining bright shades of the same color can also make you look older. When in doubt, always pair loud colors or patterns with a neutral.
Hot Pink Lipstick
PinterestHot pink lipstick doesn’t look great on everyone. It may have looked classy in the twentieth century, but nowadays, we have so many colors of natural lipsticks. Why go for the most obnoxious color?
There are plenty of beautiful pink lipsticks that pop on different skin colors. Hot pink just blinds people, and it looks more like a costume than a fashion statement. As with most timeless makeup, subtle is better (unless it’s classy red lipstick!).
Sheer Tops
Edward Berthelot/Getty ImagesWhy some stores still sell see-through tops is a mystery. Although sheer tops may seem fun in theory, they’re actually a hassle. You have to pick a shirt or tank top to wear under it, which raises the stress level of putting on a shirt.
Why wear a top if it doesn’t cover anything? Fashion aside, clothes are meant to shelter us from the weather. The same goes for white shirts that end up being see-through. They just don’t look good.
Capris
Christian Vierig/Getty ImagesDespite their popularity, Capri pants don’t look flattering on anyone. Their design is inherently flawed; they’re not pants, but they’re not shorts, which makes them always look like a mistake. Since they cut off above the ankle, they make peoples’ legs look shorter.
Because they’re a fashion Frankenstein, it’s no secret that Capris are notoriously hard to style. To pull them off, people often resort to a baggy shirt, which makes them look older. Just don’t buy Capris. Capeesh?
Crocs. Enough Said
Laura Cavanaugh/FilmMagicDespite being invented in 2002, Crocs’ best year in sales ended up being in 2018. Our question is: why? Crocs are marketed as functional, comfortable shoes, but they’ve also become a meme because of how ugly they are.
Plus, the largest Croc trend happened in the early 2000s, and many people still think about this era when they see the shoe. During their popularity, kids would get their feet stuck in an elevator, meaning that they’re dangerous, too!
Overly-Thin Eyebrows
Twitter/@mayfairastheticsIn the 1990s, thin eyebrows became the rage. Fashionistas in the punk scene would shave off their eyebrows and draw them back on. But these eyebrows don’t look real, and worse, they make you look older.
As we age, our hair thins–including our eyebrows. Thick, bushy eyebrows are back in style, probably because they represent youth. So don’t go overboard with the tweezers, and trust that your natural eyebrow shape is best suited to frame your face.
Applying Too Much Contour
Unsplash/@candice_picardThere’s a fine line between highlighting your facial features and covering them with too much contour. When contouring is over-done, people can notice it instantly. Although Kim Kardashian and YouTubers may have popularized contouring, it does not look appropriate (or even fashionable) on everyday people.
In short, the “too much makeup” appearance is outdated. It may make you look older or as if you’re struggling to find makeup that matches your skin tone. If you want to contour, do so lightly.
Tying A Flannel Around Your Waist
Twitter/@UniqloUSAThe 2010s seemed filled with revived ’90s trends, one of which is tying flannel shirts around the waist. These usually provided an accent for neutral skin-tight outfits of black workout pants and a nude shirt. But they don’t flatter the hips at all.
Flannel can look nice, but tying it around the waist just for fashion isn’t necessary. It widens the hips and changes a figure from natural to clunky. Either wear the flannel or don’t.
Poofy Teased Hair
Melodie Jeng/Getty ImagesDid people tease their hair in the ’70s and ’80s? You bet they did! Back then, big hair became a symbol of alternative punk culture. But nowadays, the hairstyle only reminds people of the ’80s. At best, teasing your hair may result in a ’90s do–which is still old!
Teasing and backcombing can also damage your hair because it can rip up your cuticle cells. It’s a recipe for ripping out your hair. Stick to soft, naturally-styled hair.
“Old Lady” Handbags
Han Myung-Gu/WireImageThe style of a purse can age a person. Although vintage handbags can complement a look, “old lady” bags often appear stiff and boring. If your handbag is relatively small, rectangular, and a single color like beige or black, it’s probably an “old lady” purse.
Modern handbags look more loose and fun. They may have some creative patchwork or fun accent colors to make them look more youthful. Meanwhile, a boxy, dull purse may make you seem 20 years older.
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Foundation That’s Too Thick
Oliver Coward/Barcroft Media via Getty ImagesAlthough thick foundation can cover any blemish and spot, it’s also noticeably overdone. The caky, full-covered foundation dates back to the ’90s when pale skin paired with mauve lipstick. It looks overdone–literally.
Nowadays, natural is always better. Thin foundations match your natural skin tone better and draw less attention. If you can see freckles or moles through your foundation, you’re in the clear. But unless you’re going on the red carpet or TV, skip the thick foundation.
Smoky Eye That’s Only Black
Andrew Ross/Getty ImagesBack in the days of Avril Lavigne, punk rockers wore a smoky eye that was only black with all-around black eyeliner. Even Avril has moved on from the all-black smoky eye! The look has “early 2000s edgy teenager” plastered all over it.
Nowadays, people pair their smokey eyes with another color. It could be a bright color on top of the smokey eye or a lighter, sparkly shade in the middle. Either way, it looks much more elegant than all black.
Overly Baggy Jeans
Pinterest/JNCOAnother trend that started and ended in the ’90s: baggy jeans, usually JNCO jeans. Wide, rectangular jeans don’t compliment anyone’s body type. They transform people into a tent. Even back then, they just looked silly.
Today, most jeans–even the wider styles–still show off some natural leg shape. If you look more like a robot than a human wearing pants, that’s a hard “no.” There’s a style of jeans for everyone, but none of them are JNCO.
Juicy Couture Anything
Donato Sardella/WireImageRemember when celebrities wore Juicy Couture tracksuits on the daily? Yeah, we do too. The nearly universal fashion trend has disappeared since the early 2000s, and today, they only sell on a discount. Even when one New York fashion director tried to bring them back on the runway, people weren’t having it.
The velvety sweatpants and sweatshirts just scream “outdated.” The sparkly stripes and bedazzled words on the butt just don’t look great in the 2020s. Although they’re comfy (arguably), they’re a fashion “no.”
Patterned Tights
Pinterest/Boya ArsilaA relic of the 1960s, patterned tights, are slowly coming back into the public eye with celebrities like Kate Middleton wearing them. Multi-colored tights are a clothing item that looks good in theory, but it doesn’t work for everyday life.
Patterned tights are notoriously hard to style. You’d need a neutral dress, and even then, multi-colored tights may look gaudy. Elaborate black lace tights can look good; yellow, red, and blue tights will probably blind anyone who walks by.
Metallic Clothing
Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty ImagesThe “futuristic” fashion of the 1960s resulted in skin-tight silver clothes. Believe it or not, metallic clothes reappeared on the 2013 runway, and it didn’t look much better. Even if it’s not skin-tight, it still looks “bleh.”
The material of metallic clothing just seems so…synthetic. It never curves or wrinkles in the right way, and the reflective surface only distracts from peoples’ natural body shape. You can’t subtly style this clothing, either; it has to dominate the entire look.
Skin-Toned Pantyhose
Twitter/@EssexeeLegsNude tights can look great as long as they match your skin tone. If you wear tan hose that are a shade or two darker than your skin tone, you may look like a lot older than you actually are. It’s one of those fashion trends that’s reserved for grandmas.
Black, multi-colored, and sheer tights are always in style. When in doubt, you can never go wrong with bare legs.
Incredibly Bulky Necklaces
Unsplash/@photosbychaloWhen heading to a fancy restaurant, a statement necklace can round out the look. But bulky, clunky jewelry doesn’t look great outside of royalty or a nice dinner party. It just looks unsophisticated and old.
You can’t go wrong with a smaller, subtler necklace. The jewelry compliments the look, but it doesn’t overtake it. In the same vein, don’t layer too many necklaces, either. That’s a ’70s style that shouldn’t come back in any era.
Glitter, Glitter Everywhere
Unsplash/@mar28marGlitter on your clothes, your eyes, your face–sounds fun, right? It may have been fun when you were younger, but on adults, the glitter tends to be overkill. Going glitter may seem like you’re trying too hard.
Here’s how you know if you’re overdoing the glitter: if an entire article of clothing, from your shirt to your pants, is glittery, you’ve crossed the line. If glitter sprinkles most of your eyes or face, that’s out of fashion.
Shutter Shades
Flickr/m01229Decades ago, Kanye West popularized shutter shades for seemingly no reason. But the glasses were also in style during the ’80s, and before that, in the 1950s. Originally, they were called Venetian blinders, because you can’t see anything while wearing these glasses.
To start: are they glasses? Hardly. Shutter shades are bars over your eyes, which don’t help your eyesight in any way. They don’t look cool, either. They’re awkward all around and should never be sold again.
Shapeless Clothing
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The shapeless, baggy dresses of the 1920s have no place in the 2020s. Wearing an over-sized shirt or skirt does nothing to flatter the figure. Inside of hiding less desirable features, shapeless clothing turns you into a blob.
No matter your body shape, a little style goes a long way. Over-sized clothes can make you seem older, larger, and plain lazy. Keep large shirts and dresses as pajamas, but don’t wear them as a fashion statement.
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