Popularity is a finicky thing. One day, a trend is at the top of the world, but the next, it’s nothing more than a fleeting memory.
Some popular trends carry on, but most get lost in the sands of time, only remembered during brief trips down memory lane. There’s a reason these past trends are no longer popular.
Past Trends We Might Want to Forget
While scrolling through the popular R/askreddit community, I stumbled upon a thread asking users to open the door to these long-forgotten memories and list some hugely popular trends in days gone by.
The responses range from trends we all cringe remembering to historical trends long forgotten.
Discover the forgotten trends of bygone eras!
Farmville
Remember when Facebook built its user base by offering a silly farm game?
Farmville was all the rage. Users invited everyone they knew to Facebook to get sweet farm rewards and share their harvests.
Looking back, people can’t believe they wasted so much time on it.
I” still have FB friends I made through Farmville (and Wrestler Unstoppable), but I hit a pretty abrupt wall with it when it started to feel more like a chore than a fun time waster,” shared one user. “Sometimes FB memories will show me a real gem about a friend needing a tree or something, and I wonder what I was doing with my life.”
Mustaches
For a brief period, the mustache reigned supreme.
“I’ll never forget the time I genuinely wore a pair of moustache-patterned scarves and leggings as a child, thinking it was peak fashion,” replied one user.
Others said the trend started with Ron Swanson, but it quickly took on a life of its own. People got mustache tattoos, hosted mustache parties, and wore mustache clothing.
Although some users want to bring the mustache back, others said they hope to forget that phase of their lives.
Swing
Swing music made a spirited comeback in the 90s but quickly disappeared, never to be heard again. Bands like Cherry Poppen Daddies and Squirrel Nut Zippers took the stage with their horns and fun, and everyone relived the thirties with the fun dance style.
One user said the upbeat swing music was an overcorrection to the preceding grunge phase, a depressive era filled with dank colors and melodramatic tunes.
Others said they still love swing and hope it becomes popular again.
Tae Bo
Tae Bo saved workout tapes for a short while. After the 80s VHS craze with Richard Simmons, workout tapes were on the way out until Tae Bo came onto the scene.
For a short while, middle schools and living rooms nationwide were filled with Billy Blanks teaching folks accessible martial arts.
I haven’t heard anyone talk about Tae Bo outside of threads about long-forgotten trends in decades.
Pogs
Who knew that small cardboard circles would be so popular? Pogs were a popular toy in the 90s, and everyone got in on the action. Brands, cartoons, and personalities created collectible Pogs that are now worth no more than the cardboard they’re printed on.
“I LOVED those damn things in elementary, circa 1993. My school banned them because they were a form of “gambling,” said one user. Another said they still love their pogs.
I remember when every store sold Pogs, but even then, I didn’t understand the hype. It’s a past trend I’m glad disappeared.
Spiked Hair and Frosted Tips
Spiked hair with frosty tips was the epitome of cool in the late nineties/early 2000s. Kids would dye the tips of their hair blonde, then use gel to spike their hair, resulting in blonde tips above the darker natural color.
The trend rose to fame with pop-punk bands and skater culture, but soon, teenagers all around the country copied the style.
Some Redditors disagreed on the cringe factor, admitting they still spike their hair and love the look.
Wallet Chains
Skaters needed a way to keep their wallets with them while performing crazy tricks on the board. At least that’s my best idea of where the wallet chain trend originated.
In the late 90s/early 2000s, everyone had their wallets in their back pockets, attached to a long chain that looped around to the front.
Mullets and Shoulder Pads
Many look back on eighties fashion and cringe. What were people thinking with the mullets, acid wash, shoulder pads, and neon?
Most of the fashion experiments of the eighties are long retired, but some of us worry they’re making a comeback.
Gender Reveal Parties
You’d think something as innocent as a baby’s gender reveal would be safe and sweet. Unfortunately, a smoke bomb used at a 2020 gender reveal party caused a massive forest fire in Southern California. The fire lasted longer than two months and covered more than 22,000 acres.
Unfortunately, this is more of an embarrassing modern trend than a past trend, but we hope it becomes a forgotten trend real soon.
Saggy Pants
I hate to admit it, but I participated in some cringeworthy trends too. I remember being that junior high school kid with ugly, sagging pants.
Everyone was doing it, but at least I never let my pants hang so low that you could see my underwear. Usually, only the boys did that.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk used to be the trendy god. People worshipped him as an inspirational mind and the man who would bring us into the future. Then he bought Twitter and couldn’t keep his mouth closed, showing everyone who he really is.
Though some people still adore him, most wish he’d go away.
Layering
Although one Redditor insisted that wearing tank tops under your t-shirt to create a layered effect is cringe, others insisted it’s still in style.
The consensus is that when done for comfort and unnoticeably, it’s perfectly fine, but when done to show off multiple colored shirts, it’s totally cringe.
Some admitted they still do it, though.
The Lowest Rise Jeans
Is the trend of low-cut jeans that don’t cover your rear end coming to a close? One Redditor said they look back at jeans that left little to the imagination and cringe.
Unfortunately, kids these days may not have gotten the memo. We all still see teenagers walking around with exposed undergarments. One day, those kids will look back and cringe, too.
Past Trends of Our Ancestors
Modern humans don’t have a monopoly on cringe trends.
Although nobody currently alive still engages in these past trends (at least we hope not!), It’s nice to know we aren’t alone in doing ridiculous things for the sake of fashion and popularity.
Fashionable Radiation Poisoning
In the early 1900s, radium was all the rage. Not only did people believe it was safe, but the common sentiment was that radium was good for you!
“When people thought radium was good for you, there was a huge trend to put it in EVERYTHING,” comments a Redditor, “face creams. Water crocks. Toothpaste. Hair products. Makeup. Chocolate. Toys. Nightlights. Watches. Spas. Impotence treatments. SUPPOSITORIES.”
Now, we’re well aware of the dangers, but many people have suffered the horrors of radiation poisoning because of this trend.
X-Ray Parties
On the subject of radiation, I’m beginning to think that people in the early 1900s were desperate for a large dose.
X-ray machines aren’t toys; each scan exposes the receiver to radiation. Licensed professionals handle these machines to avoid unnecessary injuries.
“People would get together X-Ray themselves and each other, exposing themselves to [a] huge amount of radiation,” laments a Reddit user.
Cod Pieces
In the Middle Ages, men had a special piece of clothing to emphasize their…members. I’m so glad we don’t do this anymore.
Medicinal Mummies
We like to poke fun at some of the alternative remedies on the market today, but can you believe there was a time when people ate mummies for the supposed health benefits?
A history-buff Redditor breaks it down: “Europeans were dosing themselves with mumiya starting in the 12th century. The Victorians definitely kicked it up a few notches, though; instead of just eating mummies to cure what ailed them, they also made paint out of them and hosted parties to unwrap them.”
Foot Binding
Foot binding is one of the most horrific past trends we can think of. In China, they would break and bind young girls’ feet in efforts to make them “dainty” and “feminine.” The idea was that high-class women shouldn’t have to work or be on their feet, so they didn’t need to stand.
Thankfully, this trend died out long ago, but that doesn’t mean we don’t cringe when we read about the gruesome details.
What are Your Favorite Forgotten Trends?
I look back on most of these past trends and cringe, though I must admit I still love Swing music, layered clothes, and Pop Punk.
Which forgotten trends do you want to see make a comeback? Which weird historical trends should we add to the list?
Let us know in the comments!