The world of fashion could be crazy and questionable at times. From the sky-high chopines to toxic arsenic dresses or the hobble skirts and beyond, in this article, we dive into the bizarre choices that have made fashion history.
Chopines
Imagine platform shoes, but make them extreme. Chopines were Venetian footwear. These platforms could reach up to 20 inches high, making walking a precarious balancing act. These sky-high shoes were a status symbol for wealthy women. They often required servants to help them navigate their daily lives.
Arsenic Dresses In The 18th And 19th Centuries
Arsenic tints on the dresses gained popularity in the Victorian age. Some women felt nauseous in the heavy-chemical dresses but still followed the trend. Some even had blindness and skin reactions due to the dye.
In due course of time, these dresses became less known. However, they were still worn on special occasions.
Lotus Shoes
Chinese girls wore these shoes to maintain tiny feet. It was undoubtedly one of the dumbest and most peculiar fashion trends in history. This was officially banned in the early 1900s. Although some say it is still practiced secretly in parts of China.
Corsets In 1870s
Women had been wearing corsets for almost 400 years. They were often worn as status symbols, even if they distorted their ribs. It was common for women in the 1870s to wear corset gowns. In 1910, slender and straight figures were ideal. This is when the painful corsets became more popular.
Hobble Skirts In 1910s
Walking in these hobble skirts was a challenging task for the women. The heavy floor-length hemlines were a mishap of the fashion industry. They looked ridiculous and simply impractical to function in.
Most of the time, the skirts caused unnecessary twisting of the ankles. This is the primary reason for hobble skirts being very uncomfortable.
Macaroni
In the 18th century, young men had an obsession with French fashion. It ranged from sporting elaborate wigs, frilled shirts, and brightly colored clothing. Flamboyant appearance and eccentric behavior made them a butt of ridicule.
Crinoline
Picture a giant, bell-shaped cage made of steel hoops. That’s essentially what a crinoline was. The petticoat was designed to create an impossibly wide skirt silhouette. While impressive to look at, crinolines were cumbersome and dangerous. They easily caught fire and made sitting down almost impossible.
Lampshade dresses of 1949
Decorative clothing flourished during the 1940s. The lampshade dresses were over-the-top gowns.
They wore plain black dresses that looked like grandmother’s outfits. Their silhouette made it very difficult even to sit or walk freely.
Poke bonnets
These wide-brimmed straw hats had a distinctive protrusion over the face. This resembled a long nose or beak. While initially intended to protect wearers from the sun, poke bonnets became increasingly elaborate. These adorned feathers, ribbons, and even small birds.
Powdered wigs
Both men and women embraced the powdered wig craze, sporting elaborate hairstyles made from natural hair (often purchased from the poor) and dusted with white powder. While intended to create an air of sophistication and hygiene, these wigs were often itchy, smelly, and infested with lice.
Culottes of 1960s
The pant-skirt hybrid goes in and out of style now and then. However, these gained extreme popularity in the 60s. They also became recognized as “playsuits” for adults. Today’s fashion experts consider culottes the worst identity-challenged item in history.
Acid Wash Jeans Of The 1960s
Chlorine and pumice stones washed the jeans. These gained popularity in the 1960s and gained popularity in the 1980s. These acid-washed jeans fall under the category of ironic fashion. They were dumb, as acid kills denim fabric’s durable and sustainable nature. Thus defeating the whole purpose of the fabric.
Leisure Polyester Suits Of The 1970s
This casual suit option consisted of a shirt-like jacket and matching trousers. These suits were made of polyester fabric. We don’t know how, but the polyester suits had a way of making the slender guys look fat. Plus, the fabric was outrageous.
Safety Pin Face Jewelry Of The 1970s
Back then, people committed to self-expression by wearing these fashion accessories. The trend gained popularity during the punk subculture. However, it died quickly in the upcoming years. Safety pins pierced the face. Thus, they were unhygienic and caused trauma by damaging the tissues.
Bowler Hats Of The 19th Century
The bowler hats have varying degrees of significance, especially in British culture. They were commonly associated with financial workers and businessmen. However, as dressing became less formal, these hats no longer fit.
Leg Warmers In The Early 80s
Leg warmers were common to ballet classes and costume parties in the 80s. Later, aerobics instructors, dancers, and teenage girls started to use them as part of daily fashion. However, over the years, this has been one of the dumbest fashion trends.
Sagging Pants Of 1990s
Surprisingly, this fashion trend originated in US prisons. Prohibition of belts in prison became a significant reason for designing the pants. Soon enough, these pants became quite the rage in the fashion industry thanks to hip-hop artists. These low-slung baggy pants were unappealing and distasteful.
Toe shoe 2000s
In the 2000s, Vibram introduced five-finger shoes. These helped in interacting in a natural way in the outdoors. However, Vibram faced a health claim lawsuit for coming up with these shoes.
MicroMini Bags Of 2017
If not to carry anything, these micromini bags were good enough as accessories. Almost all celebrities carried one of these, from red carpets to fashion shows, while we kept arguing about their functionality. Some couldn’t even hold a card or mobile and keys.