- 6/30/2025
Remember those cringe-worthy '90s trends you thought were gone forever? They're making an unwelcome comeback! From fashion fails to dangerous beauty standards, we're counting down the regrettable fads that should have stayed in the past. Direct flash photography, wallet chains, rattails - some things were cool then and definitely aren't cool now!
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00:00Heinous hairstyles, antiquated technology, dangerous beauty trends.
00:05Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're looking back at some of the most absurd 90s gimmicks
00:09that are actually experiencing a resurgence today.
00:12What if I told you baggy jeans are coming back?
00:14Hell no.
00:15These are back in?
00:16I used to have one like this.
00:18We endured these so that you wouldn't have to,
00:20yet here we are with our picks for the craziest fads that should have stayed in their decade.
00:25It was on my feet and I'm just like, they were cute to begin with,
00:28and now they're slowly becoming uncomfortable.
00:32Number 10.
00:33Direct Flash Photography
00:35Remember being blasted with a flash from such close proximity
00:38that it felt like your retinas had been scorched by a solar eclipse?
00:42Say cheese!
00:45Direct Flash Photography is so distinctly 90s.
00:49When done right, this process of creating high contrast images can be quite striking,
00:53though most 90s kids running around with Kodaks
00:55were not exactly carrying light meters or adjusting their shutter speed.
00:59It's a Kodak moment.
01:01Typically, direct flash just leaves the subject overexposed
01:05and hides the background in darkness.
01:07In fact, smartphones have been leaning away from the use of flash,
01:11packaging digital optimization as a feature known as night mode.
01:14And night mode comes on automatically when it's dark enough
01:18to brighten photos and reduce noise.
01:20But even if the tech behemoths are signaling that flash is pretty trash,
01:24we've come full circle to blinding ourselves and seeing orbs once again.
01:28The style is particularly popular among Gen Z,
01:31who yearn for the developed film look that Instagram filters just can't recreate.
01:36It's even crept into modern wedding packages.
01:39Have you noticed wedding photographers are using flash
01:41to get an edgy editorial look to their images?
01:43And we haven't even touched on the plastic waste
01:50associated with the return of disposable cameras
01:52used to achieve this goofy snapshot.
01:54The Snap-It subscription box,
01:56a service that sends you a single-use camera with flash
01:59every month for $29.
02:01Number 9.
02:02Collectible Marketplaces
02:03The Beanie Baby craze of the 90s was insane.
02:07At the height of America's rising prosperity in the 90s,
02:11The frenzy over a new toy mirrors the stock market.
02:17There won't beanie babies.
02:18Collectibles have been a thing forever,
02:20but the birth of eBay in 95 turned the hobby into a bloodbath.
02:24Buy today and it's on its way.
02:26Other users say you will feel okay.
02:28That's on eBay.
02:30These online auction spaces boomed as the internet grew,
02:34and many quickly realized the potential to flip sales
02:37on items that were both rare and sought after.
02:39Today, the second-hand marketplace is still going strong,
02:43even recently sponsoring the Met Gala.
02:45The accessories, everything is off of eBay.
02:48Well, I'm wearing Courage and eBay.
02:49eBay is killing it today.
02:50I was just about to say eBay.
02:53Yeah, yeah, yeah.
02:53Obviously, there's no shortage of trendy plushies in high demand.
02:57Pop Mart's La Boo Boo Monster collection
02:59has taken the world by storm.
03:01Since they have to be purchased as a blind box,
03:10you won't know what's in your mystery crate
03:12until you've spent the cash.
03:14This addictive scheme has sent traffic to sites like eBay,
03:17where collectors shell out upwards of $300
03:19for limited La Boo Boo sets that were already unboxed.
03:22The dolls, which are usually listed for $22,
03:25are now in some cases fetching hundreds of dollars on resale sites.
03:29Supporting scalpers is never a good time,
03:32so just make sure that if you're going to cave,
03:33you're not accidentally purchasing a faux La Foo Foo.
03:37Something feels off about this, right?
03:39Like, the face...
03:41Why is the feet spinning?
03:43Why is the feet spinning?
03:45Number 8. CDs
03:46While storing music in the cloud is undeniably convenient,
03:50the recent explosion in physical media actually makes a lot of sense.
03:54Vinyl records, which are experiencing the biggest revival,
03:57often come in colorful variants with posters and signed prints,
04:00they scratch that audiophile itch.
04:02Although unraveling tape is a major downside to cassettes,
04:06they still have an undeniably warm sound.
04:09So this leaves us with CDs,
04:11which saw their biggest boom in the 90s.
04:13This is Super Hits of the 90s.
04:18Remember, these four CDs are not available in any store.
04:21Order Super Hits of the 90s now
04:23and get over four hours of the latest and greatest 90s hits.
04:26Now, seriously ask yourself,
04:28is there really a unique function for CDs today?
04:32They don't sound as good as vinyl,
04:33and they're more expensive than cassettes.
04:36There's nothing particularly interesting about their packaging,
04:38plus they aren't exactly portable.
04:40Lord help us should the Discman make a return.
04:42Your ears will tell you,
04:43it's not only what you play,
04:45it's what you play it on.
04:48So if you're going to collect physical releases
04:50of your favorite albums,
04:52it becomes harder to justify the storage space required for CDs.
04:55There's a reason production has slowed down lately,
04:58and with vinyl sales doubling that of CDs two years in a row,
05:02record labels should take note
05:03that forcing the comeback simply isn't worthwhile.
05:06CDs are back, baby!
05:10Although, full disclosure,
05:12making someone a Spotify playlist
05:13just doesn't hit the same
05:14as burning them a mixtape you jacked off of LimeWire.
05:25Granted, who even has a CD port
05:27to play it in nowadays anyway?
05:29Number 7.
05:30Wallet Chains
05:31These bad boys had a place in so many 90s subcultures.
05:35Rave,
05:36hip-hop,
05:36mall goth.
05:37Outside of a belt,
05:39there aren't many ways to accessorize pants,
05:41so the wallet chain was eventually co-opted as a fashion statement.
05:45They were once used to help tradesmen secure their wallets to their clothing,
05:48which prevented loss and offered easy access,
05:51like the modern lanyard.
05:52Though by the 90s,
05:54wallet chains functioned more as a sign of rebellion,
05:56eliciting a rugged DIY aesthetic.
05:59The heavier and gaudier the chain, the better.
06:02They typically weren't even attached to a wallet.
06:04Regular wallet chain going on how it normally would for me.
06:07And I'm going to connect that to the part that comes off.
06:09So even if this comes undone,
06:11it's still attached.
06:12Today's diamond-encrusted luxury wallet chains
06:14speak to a maximalist over-accessorization trend,
06:17particularly with rings and necklaces.
06:19I make an accent on my point finger
06:21by putting as much as possible rings on it.
06:24So the wallet chain has effectively lost its purpose once again.
06:28But through every iteration,
06:30these things have always been bulky,
06:32in the way, and prone to getting snagged on things.
06:40Really, they've sort of morphed into a beacon of trying to look cool.
06:43And that's not exactly the vibe most people want to give off.
06:46Are you wearing a wallet chain?
06:49You look like a barista!
06:51So, can we stop trying to reinvent the wheel
06:54and just cut the chain already?
06:58While animal print was first revived in the 70s,
07:02it would be the 90s that saw the greatest interest
07:04in snakeskin patterns.
07:06This slick, scaly design was everywhere,
07:09from pants to jackets, bags to boots.
07:11I can make myself a cute little pair of snakeskin boots.
07:15Cut off the rattle and make yourself a new keychain.
07:172025 is the year of the snake,
07:20and so is the re-emergence of snakeskin fashion.
07:23Dressing glam is all about making a statement,
07:25so I think snakeskin is a perfect print to grab some attention.
07:28Although it looks bold,
07:30there have always been concerns
07:31about turning a peeled animal into a pretty shoe.
07:34The wide-scale movement against furs
07:36is also inclusive to snakeskin.
07:38That is disgusting, just for a bag.
07:41No thanks.
07:41While many designers opt for a faux hide,
07:44high-end retailers are still using real animal parts.
07:47This is one of those trends we feel compelled to resist
07:50for ethical reasons.
07:51The farming, trading, and environmental impact
07:54associated with the production of these garments
07:56has sparked backlash from animal rights activists globally.
07:59We're simply asking Hermé
08:01to please stop selling exotic skins.
08:03Besides, the pieces are often extremely delicate
08:05and require a lot of upkeep to maintain their eye-catching luster.
08:09So, these accessories can quickly lose their investment.
08:13This Florida-made purse, $400.
08:15This pair of boots, more than $1,200.
08:18Number 5. Rat tails.
08:20Can you name a hairstyle worse than the rat tail?
08:24No, seriously.
08:25It's like a demented second cousin to the mullet.
08:27And while there are some cases where mullets can actually be pretty cool,
08:31we simply can't say the same for rat tails.
08:34Even the name makes us itch.
08:36This offshoot to the short-on-top, shaggy-in-the-back look
08:39just doesn't look good on anybody.
08:41To be honest, it wasn't a great look on it.
08:44Giving the appearance that a rodent might have burrowed
08:47in the back of your head isn't entirely sexy.
08:50No poofing, curling, or braiding of the vermin's tail is flattering either.
08:54The hairstyle blew up in the late 80s.
08:57But even by the tail end of the 90s,
08:59people had realized how unappealing it was.
09:01So why is it back today?
09:03The Wall Street Journal is unfortunately suggesting
09:06we're heading towards a rat tail renaissance.
09:09Although punk style is experiencing a revival,
09:11the push toward non-conforming hairdos
09:13has been the main driver behind its return.
09:16Walk around any major city today,
09:18looking at you, Williamsburg,
09:19and you'll see a number of hipsters
09:21rocking wildly asymmetrical cuts
09:23that some might consider so bad they're good.
09:25But even the rat tail falls short of that.
09:28So while we're here for self-expression,
09:30we simply could not show up for the rat tail.
09:33Sorry.
09:34Besides, we can't help but think of this creep.
09:39Hello, Angel.
09:40Safe to say, The Weeknd is living proof
09:43that the rat tail should have not only died in the 90s,
09:45but possibly never even been conceived in the first place.
09:48His niece getting in on the fun, braiding it, guys.
09:52Now, I talked to Kelly Johnson.
09:53He said the team keeps brainstorming ways
09:55of how to chop that thing off of him.
09:57Number four, platform shoes.
09:59If Naomi Campbell is falling over in these shoes,
10:02you know they're cursed.
10:03I did put too much weight on the front.
10:08No, on my heel.
10:09On the back.
10:09On the heel.
10:10And I should have done,
10:11I should have walked more with the heel,
10:13the tiptoe on my tippy toe a bit more.
10:15Fashion designer Vivian Westwood
10:17reintroduced these high-heeled,
10:18thick-soled pumps in the early 90s.
10:20By the later part of the decade,
10:22the Spice Girls made them totally pop again.
10:25Shoes say everything about a person, you think.
10:27You've got the wild.
10:28Big, bad, and heavy.
10:31You've got the posh shoes.
10:32Naked.
10:33And then you've got these ones
10:34that have been sprayed with car spray.
10:36While they do kind of look badass,
10:38there's a long list of reasons
10:39why they actually suck in practice.
10:42Platform shoes awkwardly alter the way you walk,
10:44strain your legs,
10:46hurt your feet,
10:47and cause ankle injuries.
10:49Still want a pair?
10:50Until you literally break your foot.
10:52While wearing her platform boots one day,
10:54Luxie Little Dyke tripped in her garage.
10:56Like my foot just kind of did the whole rolling thing.
10:59Yeah, I won't be wearing those anymore.
11:01The saying goes that beauty is pain,
11:03but just trust us,
11:04there's nothing beautiful about a foot full of blisters.
11:07You would have thought that people would realize
11:09the suffering was just not worth the hype.
11:11But platforms are back.
11:13Even in a new form,
11:15the platform sandal.
11:17It has a really nice thick athletic sole,
11:19so it just adds a lot of comfort.
11:21Thanks to designers like Prada,
11:23who recently featured platform shoes
11:24in their 2025 spring summer collection,
11:27it seems these hunkachunkas are here to stay.
11:29Although we are in an era of statement footwear,
11:32we'll see how long it takes today's trend chasers
11:34to understand why these fell off in the first place.
11:37They're just heavy.
11:38My ankle is just like sore.
11:40Wow, I have so much more respect for the Spice Girls now.
11:43I didn't like to think about that.
11:45Number three, baggy jeans.
11:47Every cool kid in the 90s was rocking ultra baggy jeans.
11:50There was the acid wash look,
11:52flared cuffs,
11:53parachute akin Jenkos,
11:54but super low rise jeans were by far the hottest commodity.
11:58All the pop stars were showing off their belly button rings
12:01and chain belts,
12:02as their jeans clung to their hips
12:04and pooled at their feet.
12:09However,
12:10if you weren't Christina or Brittany,
12:12low rise jeans were completely impractical.
12:15Buy low rise jeans with caution
12:17and maybe a razor.
12:22If it was raining out
12:23or you were an active kid,
12:25chances are the bottoms of your baggy jeans
12:26were soaked and torn up.
12:28Plus,
12:29stepping on your own pants
12:30was both a great way to trip
12:32and pull them off your waist.
12:33So,
12:34if you were balancing anything in your arms,
12:37God help you.
12:40High waist jeans dominated in recent decades,
12:43but the pandemic lockdown ushered in a style known as Comfy Core.
12:47With everyone aiming to feel relaxed at home,
12:49slouchy clothing was firmly back in vogue.
12:51Usually just sweatpants,
12:53maybe some hoodies,
12:54sweatshirts,
12:55cardigans,
12:56as comfy as possible.
12:58Dressing up these baggy jeans
12:59can sometimes offer a laid back aura,
13:01but we can't shake the feeling
13:03that it also looks like we're kids
13:05trying on our parents' oversized clothes.
13:07These are just like the one busy bone wears
13:09in Bone Thugs-N-Harmony.
13:13We're here for dress pants,
13:14not pant dresses.
13:15Number two,
13:18pencil-thin eyebrows.
13:20Plucking,
13:21tweezing,
13:21pruning.
13:22Raise your hand
13:23if you have permanently damaged your eyebrows
13:25while trying to achieve
13:27the pencil-thin look of the 90s.
13:31These dramatic arched brows achieved a defined look,
13:35but most of us were prone to over-plucking.
13:37Brow-plucking a pain?
13:40Keep your tweezers in the freezer.
13:42They'll numb as they pluck,
13:43so it will hurt less.
13:45Stars like Jennifer Aniston and Gwen Stefani
13:47made it look oh-so-good.
13:49Granted,
13:49they had a team of stylists
13:51carefully primping them to perfection.
13:53Today,
13:54models like Bella Hadid and Julia Fox
13:56have caused many to raise a brow
13:58at their slender facial framing.
13:59Hi, Vogue.
14:00This is Bella,
14:01and I'm gonna show you my favorite routines,
14:03how to go from day to night.
14:05Although soap brows have become popular, too,
14:07the pencil-thin shaping
14:08has proven to be quite enduring.
14:11Fortunately,
14:11many are picking up on beauty tricks
14:13like the use of makeup
14:14to bolster the illusion of skinny brows.
14:16I'm gonna show you how to recreate
14:18that perfect skinny 90s brow,
14:20but without the commitment
14:21of over-plucking your eyebrows.
14:23We're still so terrified
14:25to think that this desire
14:26to strip one's eyebrows down to the bone
14:28is gonna cause hair loss
14:29and follicle damage for a new generation.
14:31I kind of pull my brow back
14:33so it's somewhat taut,
14:34and I just start going.
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14:53Number 1.
14:54Heroin Chic
14:55By far the most dangerous entry on our list,
14:58the heroin chic look
14:59is a beauty standard
15:00popularized by 90s models like Kate Moss.
15:03Images projected in fashion photos
15:05in the last few years
15:06have made heroin addiction
15:08seem glamorous and sexy and cool.
15:11The runway-ready aesthetic
15:12is defined by overly malnourished bodies,
15:14dark eye makeup, and pale skin.
15:16This sickly style
15:17was prominently featured in campaigns
15:19by companies as big as Calvin Klein.
15:22The only one.
15:25CK1.
15:27A fragrance for a man or a woman
15:30from Calvin Klein.
15:32In accordance with the trend,
15:33eating disorders in young people
15:35also increased sharply during the 90s.
15:37A turning point came
15:38when photographer David Sorrenti,
15:40who was deeply associated with the movement,
15:42died of drug-related complications.
15:44She was always on the edge
15:46of something dangerous.
15:47A slow shift toward body positivity
15:49and embracing bigger bodies
15:50took over in the decades that followed.
15:52I woke up in this
15:54in my skin
15:57But recently,
16:00weight loss fads like Ozempic Summer
16:02have actually reversed the progress.
16:04The safety of the popular drug Ozempic
16:06is headed for a Philadelphia federal court.
16:08Claims the manufacturers
16:09failed to adequately warn
16:11about the risk of gastroparesis.
16:13My stomach was paralyzed.
16:14In addition,
16:15cosmetic surgeries
16:16such as buccal fat removal
16:17offer a gaunt look
16:18that typically appears
16:19more skeletal than anything.
16:21The stark reminder
16:22that skinny never went out of fashion
16:24is blatant
16:25in the re-emergence of heroin chic.
16:27According to a 2024 study,
16:2996% of models
16:31in major runway shows
16:32around the world
16:33were a size 0 to 4.
16:35In a world
16:35where body image issues
16:36are forever present,
16:38nobody can benefit
16:39from heroin chic.
16:40Just kind of lost
16:41like a lot of weight from that.
16:43And then when I went
16:44into my agency
16:45and I took digitals,
16:47I got all these options.
16:49It was when I was like
16:50the sickest I've ever been.
16:52It's clear that
16:53some of these bizarre trends
16:54are far more problematic
16:56than others.
16:56So which 90s trends
16:58do you think
16:58should stay in the 90s?
16:59Leave a comment below.
17:00freshest I've ever been in the 90s?
17:16You
17:17you
17:17you
17:17you
17:18you
17:18you
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