Sometimes, there are things that we have to have. Other times, there are things that we think we have to have but will ultimately end up regretting years later. Why I felt the urgent need to wear rubber bands shaped like animals on my wrist, I have no idea. It seemed like every summer I went back to sleep-away camp there was a new thing that everyone wore as if it had become the camp dress code. Here's a list of fads that comprised my childhood:
1. Sugar Lips tank tops
If you didn't layer your Sugar Lips tank tops, did you even go to camp? Girls used to have stacks of these bad boys, one for every color of the rainbow. It didn't matter what the occasion was--you could wear them to play sports, to dinner, or to a social matched with your newest pair of Abercrombie shorts. I even recall seeing someone pull one all the way past their hips for a make-your-own bandage dress. Even if the exteme tightness of Sugar Lips bothered you, you wore that neon green one until it started to pill.
2. Hair feathers
Hair feathers didn't last very long, but when they were around everyone had to have one. They came in all sorts of colors and widths, and it was the 10/10 hardest thing to keep in your pony tail. At first, the feather would be silky, but soon after many days of sweating and showering it would start to fray and become unmanageable. I only ever had one, a brown one, but some girls who were a little more ~wild~ would get three or four at a time in various colors. Safe to say it's probably a good thing this fad was left in 2011.
3. Silly Bandz
This fad consumed my life in 6th grade. They were the most fun to trade and there was always a specific one that I couldn't find, no matter which pack I bought. The packs were always themed--beach, food, jungle animals. My friends and I would sit around the lunch table and dump out our plastic bags of Silly Bandz, ready to trade. I'm not sure how many I had in my collection, but I really don't want to know how much money was spent on these things.
4. Butter sweatshirts
I was a little late to catch onto this trend, probably because they're pretty pricey, but Butter sweatshirts definitely had their time. They are super soft (hence the name) and covered in patches and bedazzled designs. I think every girl in every bunk at camp owned at least one. To be honest, I don't really regret buying into this fad because the sweatshirts were so comfortable. I might even wear one today, just with the sparkles toned down.
5. Juicy Couture tracksuit
The Juicy tracksuit à la Paris Hilton, or in this case, J Lo. Whether you wore just the sweatshirt, just the sweatpants, or both, almost everyone is guilty of having a piece of this set in their closet. I don't know why girls thought a completely velour, monochromatic outfit was fashionable, but they did. I remember begging my mom for the zip-up I got at the Juicy Couture store and wearing it almost every single day of 7th grade. I wouldn't wear a neon pink tracksuit, but I do miss my black sweatshirt.
6. Soffe shorts
Soffe shorts have long since been replaced by their more luxurious counterparts Lululemon and Nike, but they were extremely popular during my childhood. For every Sugar Lips tank, I had Soffe shorts. Despite how unflattering they were, Soffes were comfortable and easy to match with anything. If you didn't have a certain color, your friend would. Soffes were a staple for a while but haven't been worn in years, besides by some of my friends who still wear them to bed.
