'We all had graphic tees with stick figures that said sarcastic things': 35+ Cringe moments from childhood that people wish they could forget forever

Author image for Remy Millisky
Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Jan 6, 2024 11:00 AM EST

It's hard to tell what's a fad and what fashion will last forever. In the moment, you think that those neon fishnet fingerless gloves are the coolest things you've ever laid your eyes on. Or maybe you fell for the trend of chunky highlights, which were supposed to make you look like a celeb. Instead, many of us left the salon with skunk stripes in our hair, or very obvious highlights that weren't complementary. 

Even if you look back on these memories with immense cringe, I think it's still nice to partake in the current fashion trends. In your photos, you can look back and pinpoint that exact decade of your life by the sunglasses or jeans you and your friends are wearing. You've got to keep the phrase, "…Which was the style at the time!" in your back pocket. Sure, it was Grandpa Simpson who said that, in reference to having an onion on his belt. But I still think the advice stands. 

Check out these great tidbits of fashion history down below. And then, read this tale of one employee who tried to help out at work, only to be instructed to do something that would cost the company millions of dollars. 

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  • 01
    tufy
    via ian dooley on Unsplash
  • 02
    What trend did you follow as a kid that makes you cringe now?
    via u/[deleted]
  • 03
    erbewhi I used Bath & Body Works roll on glitter religiously (Cucumber Melon obviously). But I used so much of it that instead of having a little sparkle under my eyes, my skin was tinted green and caked with glitter.
    via u/erbewhi
  • 04
    Pyrrhape I used to wear those black button down shirts with fire at the bottom, like the kind Guy Fieri wears. I don't know if it was an actual trend or not but it still makes me cringe.
    via u/Pyrrhape
  • 05
    DaydreamerFly shirts Happy Bunny "It's all about me. Deal with it" "I'll be nicer when you're smarter" Especially annoying since I was the most shy and passive person in my school probably
    via u/DaydreamerFly
  • 06
    supertired69 Wearing skirts over jeans :-(
    via u/supertired69
  • 07
    Calista24 being the only kid in my class to take care of a tamagotchi
    via u/Calista24
  • 08
    + [deleted] In 8th grade to sophomore year the emo and scene queen phase was huge. I was that wannabe emo girl who had to shop at kohl's.
    via u/ [deleted]
  • 09
    ✪ [deleted] Bowl cuts
    via u/
  • 10
    Ellsworth_Chewie Nothing said suave like a popped collar on a Ralph Lauren polo shirt.
    via u/Ellsworth_Chewie
  • 11
    Arkayb33 I had a long belt that hung down over my crotch like an elephant trunk. Also wore gym shorts under my jeans "for pick up games" even though I only ever played 3v3 with my friends on the weekend lol
    via u/Arkayb33
  • 12
    mrschestnyspurplehat. i bought into the classic 90s trends that immediately come to mind. the butterfly clips, frosted lips and eyes, platform shoes... all very spice girls. i am having to relive it because my 12 year old is now into the same things. except instead of pulling back strands of hair with butterfly clips, she's clipping them haphazardly throughout her entire mane. i cannot wait for the trend to die!
    via u/mrschestnyspurplehat
  • 13
    Dayoldpancakes Early 2000's when wearing two belts was a thing for a bit. Neither in the belt loops, totally nonfunctional.
    via u/Dayoldpancakes
  • 14
    chelseabelsey Studded belts. Studded belts everywhere.
    via u/chelseabelsey
  • 15
    CFL-74 perms and Sun- in that I put in my red hair that made it a crazy orange color. Ugh.
    via u/CFL-74
  • 16
    abruno37 As a male, I did sun- in, and then just peroxide on my short dark brown hair. Turned out way better than when I got professional highlights and everyone called me Patches for a semester
    via u/abruno37
  • 17
    lurch350z Late 90s when everything had stripes on the side. Shirts, jeans... Yeah that and the ball chain necklace.
    via u/lurch350z
  • 18
    4 [deleted] For me, JNCOs. I wanted a chain wallet, but my mom wouldn't let me have one. I now understand why.
    via u/ [deleted]
  • 19
    zutaraforever. crackle nail polish
    via u/zutaraforever
  • 20
    ardiharhar Long emo bangs.
    via u/ardiharhar
  • 21
    deuteranopia Tight-rolling jeans. Slap bracelets. Hypercolor shirts.
    via u/deuteranopia
  • 22
    overlyattachedbf I honest-to-god had a mullet and I wore cut-off tank tops.
    via u/overlyattachedbf
  • 23
    latewla Brightly colored plaid Bermuda shorts. The 2000s were a strange time
    via u/latewla
  • 24
    + [deleted] I remember the movie you got served came out. I watched it once and thought it was cool and would say "you got served" to people. makes me cringe but smile at how much a dork I am.
    via u/[deleted]
  • 25
    freedomink When I was like 13 I wore Jean shorts, a black band t shirt, torn up suit jacket, an old knotted mustard yellow tie and Chuck taylors. One day a girl I liked said that I must be a huge Avril lavine fan and I almost died from embarrassment.
    via u/freedomink
  • 26
    Shadia_Demon Making Original Sonic Characters. So many pictures to delete.
    via u/Shadia_Demon
  • 27
    Mint Tea_and_Trees. Neon fishnet fingerless gloves. Mom told me I'd be embarrassed about in the future. Mom was right.
    via u/Mint Tea_and_Trees
  • 28
    PhreedomPhighter You guys remember in the early-mid 2000s when we all had graphic tees with stick figures that said sarcastic things? Yeah. I was hoping you guys forgot.
    via u/PhreedomPhighter
  • 29
    sergiomack The Naruto bandana.
    via u/sergiomack
  • 30
    Original Papaya Buying and trading Silly Bandz. There was an elementary school black market for literal rubber bands.
    via u/Original Papaya
  • 31
    I followed the emo trend. I didn't think mascara got my eyelashes thick and black enough so I used black nail polish. With all the polish that pooled into my eyes I'm surprised I'm not blind. 624 Share ↓ [deleted] dear god what the
    via r/AskReddit
  • 32
    JMartheCat The thing where you would keep one sleeve long and the other one rolled up.
    via u/JMartheCat
  • 33
    Speedmaster88 Baggy clothes, buying everything L size when I should've been wearing S
    via u/Speedmaster88
  • 34
    greatestoasis I wore one of those black plastic chokers every day of 7th grade.
    via u/greatestoasis
  • 35
    [deleted] The emo/scene trend of the early 2000s. I was in high school, I'm black (female), and wearing band t-shirts, going to tiny, packed concerts, jumping around in the "mosh pit" and meeting band members made me feel unique. I even met Brendon Urie when he was a baby-faced 18 year old on their first big tour with Fall Out Boy and felt really cool talking about it after they blew up.
    via u/[deleted]
  • 36
    I remember taking "emo" pictures of myself with my flip phone and putting them on Myspace. I even titled them "emo pics of me."
    via u/[deleted]
  • 37
    5Pearlescent Thinking that hating popular things made me cool.
    via u/5Pearlescent
  • 38
    Not really a trend but for about 2-3 years in middle school I wore a fox tail cause I thought it made me soooo unique. Now I see that it was just really weird.
    via r/AskReddit
  • 39
    pumpkinqueen25 When I was young all the girls wore those aeropostale clothes and I felt like I had to have them, but now realizing they're all ugly and sized weird.
    via u/pumpkinqueen25
  • 40
    Germanweirdo Being mean to the slightly annoying kid just trying to fit in. :/
    via u/Germanweirdo
  • 41
    REDSHIMI I use to take photos at terribly high angles of myself and edit them so that the exposure was so high you could only see my emo eye makeup and then put a really cringy text font on it with something like "death is sweet release". Yikes.
    via u/REDSHIMI
  • 42
    Spelare_en Osiris shoes.... smh
    via u/Spelare_en
  • 43
    [deleted] Way too many. 1. Over sized t-shirts, with jeans tucked in at the front with the back hanging out. 2. tight shirt, Jean shorts, under over sized jogging pants - making sure you see the top of the jeans, and Tims 3. Suspenders.... 4. Bubbles in my hair (child hair clips) in highschool 5. Gelled down to my forehead baby hair...
    via u/[deleted]
  • 44
    6. Brightly coloured clothing. 7. Changing my shoelaces to brightly coloured ones that matched my outfit 8. HUGLEY over sized earrings - some saying "baby girl" in the middle of them 9. Then I had a phase of emo bangs. And here we are today. As normal, as I can hope to be.
    via u/[deleted]
  • 45
    slartibartjars Tucking the bottom of my Adidas trackies into my Adidas socks.
    via u/slartibartjars
  • 46
    grabmyrooster. I wore a j fedora for over a year. People had no clue what my hair looked like because I never took that off. When I took it off one day in English to scratch my head, my teacher stopped mid- sentence and just said "I've never seen your hair before....you have such gorgeous curly hair that any of these girls in here would kill for and you cover it with that hat??" and honestly that was a turning point. Literally taking off tha fedora for the last time really helped me out of my ed
    via u/grabmyrooster
  • 47
    [deleted] Ugg's with shorts. Those cheap old navy flip flops. Flat ironing the out of my hair every morning in high school
    via u/[deleted]
  • 48
    + [deleted] Chunky blonde highlights, along with chunky foam sandals, bright colored layered tank tops, and super low cut jeans.
    via u/[deleted]
  • 49
    Ivana_Dragmire being that 'depressed edgy kid who hated everything and everyone' There is nothing more embarassing than remembering how studpid you really were when trying to look 'cool'
    via u/Ivana_Dragmire
  • 50
    satanssockpuppet When I was in 4th grade you were an absolute nobody if you didn't have a "Happy Days" or "Welcome Back Kotter" lunch box.
    via u/satanssockpuppet
  • 51
    80_firebird In the 7th grade I had a disco phase. I had bell- bottoms, polyester shirts, the whole bit. This was in 2000.
    via u/80_firebird
  • 52
    Bangbangsmashsmash. Posters from teen magazines all over my walls... ugh! So cringeworthy
    via u/Bangbangsmashsmash

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