Men’s shoulder pads

Shoulder pads became a powerful statement in women’s fashion in the 1980s and the look successfully stuck around for about a decade. The same cannot be said of the attempt to make men’s shoulder pads a thing. Though they were marketed as a way to make men look and feel more imposing and authoritative, the idea never resonated with their core market: the men themselves.

Clear plastic clothing

See-through clothing is a trend that has been attempted several times, both on runways and by high-street fashion brands. From trousers to coats to shoes, the world has seen every iteration of this fad, but it seems like people just don’t want to be wearing clear plastic clothing. It makes the wearer sweat a lot, feels uncomfortable next to the skin, and makes any clothing worn underneath it look cheaper than it otherwise would.

Heeled flip-flops

Flip flops are the ultimate shoe for the beach and people have been wearing them for years. However, designers have tried to reimagine the flip-flop several times, including by trying to introduce the heeled flip-flop. While some people did wear these for a few months, the trend burned out pretty quickly. Owing to the structure of a flip-flop, the heeled version was particularly uncomfortable and not well thought out. Definitely a flop!

Light up clothing

While sneakers that light up with each step are as popular amongst children as they always have been, they are not the only kind of light-up clothing out there. Fashion designers initially tried to incorporate LED lights into clothing to create futuristic, sci-fi looks, but the masses didn’t take to it. Maintaining LED clothes is inconvenient and having lights in your clothing makes them way less comfortable to wear.

Popcorn shirts

Designers in the 90s experimented with fabric and texture a lot, and this led to the invention of the extra-ruched popcorn shirt, which was covered in a pattern of puffy little bumps. While their stretchiness meant they were at least comfortable to wear, the texture of these shirts was simply not flattering and did not make any outfit look good. It’s no wonder this trend didn’t pop off.

Dresses over pants

Dresses and pants: the two items of clothing that seemed mutually exclusive until brave designers and fashion-forward folks of the late 90s and early 2000s decided to combine them. The dress-over-pants look was iconic at the time and could be found on several red carpets, but people never wanted to add it to their day-to-day wardrobe. Ultimately, the general public wisely decided to keep pants and dresses separate.

Detachable collars

Back in the Victorian era, detachable collars were pretty popular due to their practicality and lack of expense. Centuries later, in the early 2010s, fashion brands tried to bring detachable collars back. The most common example was the Peter Pan collar, which was a mainstay of twee fashion. While some folks wore them while they were trending, detachable collars did not last the test of time.

Deep v-neck t-shirts

V-neck t-shirts are still a staple of many people’s closets and should by no means be considered an automatic fashion failure. However, for a couple of summers, designers did attempt to deepen the neckline of these t-shirts to expose even more of the chest. This trend was targeted at men who just did not seem to get on board with it, and so it petered out.

Belly chains

In the 90s and early 2000s, crop tops were all the rage, and so belly button piercings were a super popular way for people to show off some bling. Those who didn’t or couldn’t have a belly button piercing would instead wear belly chains, which were decorative chains worn around the torso. While these had a moment of prominence, no one wanted them to stick around for long, in part because they were designed to only work for the very slim.

Skinny scarves

Let’s be frank: the whole point of a scarf is to keep your neck warm. While big decorative scarves are both very beautiful and ultra-functional, the same cannot be said of their skinny siblings. Skinny scarves not only served absolutely no function, but they were also widely disliked from the beginning, despite celebrities trying their hardest to make the trend happen.