As I begin my sophomore year of college, I don't feel as though enough time has passed for that to be true. Contrary to popular belief, 2007 was not, in fact, three years ago, Tumblr and Twitter aren't exactly "new" social media platforms anymore, and kids born in the 2000's are a couple of years away from adulthood. If you're still skeptical about how much time has passed, it's time we take a look back at some of the fashion staples that used to haunt exist in our closets and on our peers when we were children. Note: This is in no particular order.
1. Fitted Polo Shirts
How can you tell a picture was taken before 2009? The abundance of polo shirts on young girls. I grew up in what is arguably the only most preppy area of Chicago, but we've got to draw a line somewhere. Now, polo shirts evoke images of work and school uniforms.
2. Headbands with ribbons
Headband scarfs were a staple during the boho-chic era that spanned 2006-2008. While grown-ups usually achieved this look by literally tying a scarf around ponytailed hair, I remember this trend got so out of hand, children's clothing stores began selling structured headbands with ribbons attached to get the same effect. How else are you going to tell everyone that you're a 12-year-old who shops exclusively at Claire's and Limited Too?
3. Cap-sleeved tees
I bet you forgot these existed (usually with some logo printed on the front). Is it a tank top? Is it a baseball tee? Such an odd shoulder length...
4. Wearing pajama pants in public
I never understood this one, and quite frankly, I don't want to. Affluent teens wearing expensive North Face coats and Ugg boots with pajama bottoms in public were seen everywhere in the mid-2000s. The same girls who did this in 2006 probably grew up to start the Lululemon leggings as pants trend that I partake in daily.
5. Apple Bottom Jeans
There's a whole song about this one. Everyone had a pair, well, except for me. I was a second-grader when these were poppin'.
6. Baby Phat Earrings
If you weren't rocking the Apple Bottoms, you had Baby Phat hanging around your closet. Once again, I was not old enough to partake in the trend, but trust me when I say I was observing these style faux-pas.
7. Flannel + Skinny Jeans
I can't tell if this trend is making a resurgence, or if some of y'all are still holding on to 2009 a little too tightly. This was the aesthetic for middle school and was featured on the most popular WeHeartIt.com posts. Bonus points for knock-off Doc Martens. If you were going to post a photo of yourself in this outfit, it was required that you add Instagram's Earlybird filter for the full effect.
8. Bright Skinny Jeans
If you didn't conform to the above aesthetic during middle school, you definitely found your swag niche here. Bonus points for a checkered pair of Vans or Belt. You also probably found yourself listening to LMFAO, Cali Swag District, and New Boyz while practicing the 'Spongebob', 'Shuffle' and the 'Jerk'. #Swag #Rawr
9. "Clever" Graphic Tees
Some were "hand drawn" single-panel comics ("Rawr Means I Love You In Dinosaur"), some said cheeky things like "I'll Try Being Nicer If You Try Being Smarter", but a lot were simple yet strong phrases in a very large block font. Shout out to Kendall Jenner for combining this with trend #8.
10. Knee-High Converse
I could make a whole list of Disney Channel trends that influenced our fashion sense, but this one really sticks out in my mind. I had just finished 7th grade when Shake It Up (featuring the woke™ Zendaya Coleman and "Bah-leh-lah Throne") premiered on Disney. I personally didn't like the show and didn't think it did Chicago justice, but I do remember how many girls went out and bought knee-high converse.
11. God-awful Babydoll Shirts
I can't believe we dressed like this.
