Trends; the best way to track pop culture throughout different decades. Look at what you’re wearing, the posters in your room, and the song you’re playing in the background. They’re all trends, all a unique way to show the world your identity. The trends we see today are vital in understanding our culture and will be remembered, but they can age terribly. Here are some trends that I hope to never see come back.

Fedoras: 

I am no stranger to fedoras. When I was in middle school, I thought fedoras were the coolest thing ever. One day, after begging for hours, my dad finally took me to Marshall’s so that I could pick out a fedora. After wearing it around for days, my siblings decided it would be funny to hide it from me, and fighting in attempts to get it back from them, I ripped it. I was heartbroken, but looking back, they did me a huge favor. Fedoras were very popular, from being worn by celebrities to music stars, but it just doesn’t hold up well today. This chunky indented hat is not only uncomfortable but also plain ugly.

Crocs:

I know this is going to rub a lot of people the wrong way, but crocs will never look stylish. They are comfortable, and good shoes to slip on if you’re in an “I am running off of three hours of sleep and cannot be bothered to care” mood, but that’s about it. However, I think athletes should have a pass. For most athletes, having a shoe that is comfortable outweighs how nice it might look. But if you’re not an athlete or someone who genuinely doesn’t care about fashionable shoes, you should be ashamed of this look.

Cinnamon Challenge:

Why did anyone do this? I remember looking at Glozell Green’s YouTube video (which has 57 million views) and asking myself one thing: why? The Cinnamon Challenge consists of eating a spoonful of cinnamon, which results in choking because it dries out the mouth and throat. This was undoubtedly an all-time low for trends.

Oversized Baggy Clothes:

The early 2000s have a lot of explaining to do. The oversized baggy shirt with loose jeans is one the worst combos known to man. Now, going a size up for a looser fit is fine, and it looks great. But going four sizes up in shirts with jeans that have the circumference of a kiddie pool is in no way a good outfit. This trend has no one else to thank but Soulja Boy himself, but even he would tell you that he had no idea what he was doing.

Dad Shoes: 

This pains me to say because I am an avid lover of Doc Martens and New Balances, but in ten years they will have aged like milk. The walking blocks are too big for their own good, with them being hard to walk in and also uncomfortable. On most occasions, I see them paired with dresses (because why wouldn’t we?) that just leave the impression on me that we’re tossing up ideas in a bag and choosing whatever crazy combinations we can get. And although Doc Martens will forever have my heart, I know that time is not on their side.

Trends are unique to us. When given the trends and cultural significance in a certain era, you can learn a lot about how society was at that point in time. If we were to copy what the last generation did, we would lose our own identity and erase our culture. Although most trends don’t carry over well through time, you never know what will stick and what won’t. We have no choice but to keep experimenting by making crazy fashion statements or embarking on unnecessary challenges. So long as humans are here, we are bound to create a horrible trend that will make all of us cringe and laugh at in the years to come.