It Was Acceptable in the ’90s (So Why Not Now?)

Due to the fact that ’90s fashion is alive and well these days, Jezebel recently posted about the decade’s other trends that they don’t ever want to see resuscitated. At the end of the article, however, they ask readers to offer up the things we want to see back in action. So, as a child who grew up living and breathing every trend that evolved out of that time period, I would like to present my personal list of items, for both fashion and sentimental value, that I want to see reborn. Here they are, in no particular order:

Slap Bracelets

These were cool to play with in elementary school because you could hit your friends with them but it wouldn’t actually hurt. However, due to some malfunction with the design, since they’re just metal strips inside, some stupid kids (you know, the ones who always end up ruining it for everybody) somehow cut them arms and so slap bracelets henceforth got banned from school. Clearly, not everyone can handle a new fashion trend, which has been proven time and time again. But as for the potential these have to suddenly slice open an important artery, I think it’s important to have a little danger in your life sometimes. Keeps things exciting.

Friendship Bracelets

I remember having an entire box full of every color thread known to man, and I would spend hours painstakingly making one of these for each one of my friends. That, after all, was what defined a middle school friendship– the ability to spend hours sitting around doing something stupid. These also served as a public announcement of who was most popular– as in, who had a couple, and whose arm was covered up to his or her elbow? That was me– the one who couldn’t see my entire forearm. OK, no it wasn’t. And for that, I hated myself. Wait, why do I want these to come back again?

T-Shirt Clips

These were kind of genius. It basically made any top one-size-fits-all– which came in handy for me, because my mother insisted on buying all my clothes 3 sizes larger so I could grow into it. So, what do you do when you have a shirt that’s just way too big for your 12-year-old body? Slap a t-shirt clip on it! It’s kind of like giving your shirt a side ponytail, which we also know was all the rage at the time. I guess this was more a trend born of the ’80s, but I definitely rocked it in the ’90s, so I’m still claiming it for the decade.

Mini Backpacks

I had a little shiny vinyl plaid one (a la Cher Horowitz in Clueless), and that made me feel like the coolest girl in the fifth grade. I’ve actually been trying to bring these back for the past year, though. I got a patchwork black leather one and then studded the two front pockets– and while I’ve gotten a handful of compliments, somehow the trend is just not sticking as much as I’d hoped. Come on guys, only together can we bring the little black backpack back!

Pacifier Necklaces

These started out as cute to pair with a babydoll dress, and then somehow evolved into being a staple of the rave scene (which I still don’t really get). I’ll admit I wasn’t even that crazy about them back in the day, even though I had a couple just to go with the flow of the times. But I’m willing to give them another spin if it means that stupid girls like Paris Hilton, who fall prey to any mediocre trend that comes along, would then be inspired to STFU.

Scrunchies

As we all know, Carrie Bradshaw says that no self-respecting woman would ever wear a scrunchie in public. But anyone who would ever take Carrie’s fashion advice to heart is not a self-respecting woman either. She was like a walking FAIL sign. Err, but then again, I have no way to really defend these either. I just know you can use a scrunchie to display your emphatic sense of patriotism, which I certainly did during the sixth grade musical. Maybe now they can make ones with Obama on it.

Perler Bead Jewelry

These were awesome because you could pretty much make any design in the world and then turn it into a necklace. I ended up burning most of mine by being overzealous with the iron, though. Poor Hello Kitty. She always ended up looking more like Two-Face. I honestly haven’t really touched an iron since then, but I feel like I can handle it this time. Housewife skills be damned. Next stop, the toy aisle at Target!