Flashback to the early 2000’s: for most, an uncomfortable, embarrassing time (if you were alive, that is). We should be lucky we live in a world where it’s considered fashionable to wear sweats and a baggy sweater, because this wasn’t always the case.

1990’s and 2000’s

Faux leather/pleather/latex leggings and pants

They stuck to legs as they got pulled on, and they were impossible to take off. It was a lot like trying to put on jeans with wet legs. They made legs sweat when it was hot outside and then they’d be freezing when it was colder outside – there was literally no comfortable way to wear these. Chances are, if you ever had the chance to sport one of these babies, you had to get two sizes above your normal so you could get them past your knees without ripping some skin. Leather leggings and pants were, no doubt, an iconic, painful fashion trend that will always be a fashion staple.

Super skinny jeans

Every time you saw your family they’d usually say something like “Wow, can you breathe?” or “That looks like paint, ha ha!” Like yes, Aunt Marie, I get it, I have skinny jeans on, but I look good. Leave me alone, I’m stylish. “How do you get those on?” Well, it takes a lot of practice and aerobics, but it’s worth it, okay? Get away from me with your bootcuts.

Low rise jeans (or anything low waisted, for that matter)

If you remember this, you definitely remember the terror of everything hanging out and undies showing. It was terrifying. I still find some of these relics in my drawers from when I was a kid, and I don’t know why or how I did it. There’s literally nothing good about low risers, and we’re blessed that we don’t have to be a part of this mess today. (And now we get to see Aunt Marie at the yearly family get together wearing her low rise jeans. Who really won Aunt Marie??? Glad I’m not in 2007 anymore.)

Chokers

Chokers are coming back but they were most popular back in the 90’s grunge days. Are they cute? To some, yes. Are they uncomfortable? Absolutely. There’s nothing comfy about a little plastic wire snug around your neck. Sure, you can breathe and all, but that doesn’t take away the fact that the choker leaves you scratching your neck every time move your head. They’re coming back in recent years, but it takes a true fashion lover to wear them – and fashion lovers generally know that beauty means pain, so it’s okay, right?

I don’t want to leave out the more “historic” items, either.

Corsets

Most people would agree that breathing is a good thing. As well as digestion, and most of our internal organs not being squished together. Corsets were worn by most women in the sixteenth century, and didn’t lose popularity for several centuries afterwards. If one doesn’t already know, corsets are health hazards and don’t have any positives – besides making one’s figure skinnier (the desirable ‘hourglass’ shape) and more straight backed. Today, it would be really odd to see someone casually wearing a corset.

Hoop skirts

Not only were hoop skirts big, heavy, and expensive, but they were deadly as well. Hoop skirts, made out of steel wires and heavily absorbent materials, sometimes meant sure death for things that would be considered extremely unlikely things to die from in modern days. Women would get caught in burning buildings,due to their hoop skirts getting caught in doorways; women would drown under the immense weight of their hoop skirts dragging them underwater; some women were even subject to knocking over candles and other flammable objects, lighting themselves or their houses on fire, just because of the sheer size of their bosom. Ladies, we’re lucky we will most likely never have to deal with something like this in our lifetime unless we’re dressing up for Halloween.

People of today are lucky we have the trends we have. We get to breathe like we want, we don’t die by our hoop skirts, and most of all, we all get to be ourselves. Take a moment to thank fashion designers that are keeping us comfortable yet stylish.