Fashion is cyclical and trends come and go, but sometimes there are standout fads that make you wonder – what were they thinking?! From eyebrow-raising silhouettes to outrageous accessories, let’s take a look back at some of the weirdest style trends over the decades. Get ready for a wild fashion flashback!
Foot Binding in Ancient China
For nearly 1,000 years in ancient China, small feet were considered a sign of elite status and feminine beauty. The desirable look was achieved through foot binding – tightly wrapping young girls’ feet to stunt growth. It was an extremely painful process that often led to mobility issues and lasting deformities.
The Bare Bosom Look of the 1400s
Long before the free the nipple movement, there was a brief period in the 15th century when showing off your chest was in vogue. Extremely low cut gowns for women with fully visible breasts were seen as high style. However, the daring look was limited to nobility and only lasted a few decades.
The revealing style arose because aristocratic ladies almost never breastfed their own children. Instead, Tudor noblewomen would employ wet nurses to feed their babies. This allowed the women to maintain perky, youthful busts instead of having their breasts affected by nursing.
Exposing this area in low-cut bodices became a way for upper class Tudor ladies to show off their privileged lifestyle.
Codpieces in the Middle Ages
In the Middle Ages, aristocratic men wore codpieces as the height of manly fashion. These were carved, padded pouches that accentuated the genital area under their hose. Codpieces became increasingly oversized and ornate over time. Some were shaped like fruits or animals and elaborately decorated to show off wealth.
Tudor Ruffs in the 1500s
One of the silliest fashions came from the Tudor period in the 1500s – the excessive ruff collar. Ruffs were huge, starched circular collars that framed the face. They grew increasingly exaggerated, often requiring maids to help support their weight.
Ruffs became so large, they obstructed peripheral vision, made it hard to move the neck, and caused chin rests to develop. While silly looking today, the cartoonish ruffs demonstrated wealth and status in Tudor times before collapsing under their own impracticality. Ruff wearing trendsetters took flaunting fashion to hilarious heights.
Blackened Teeth in Elizabethan Era
During Queen Elizabeth I‘s reign in England, black teeth were considered attractive. Nobles would coat their teeth in a lead and egg mixture or use other toxic darkening methods to blacken teeth as a status symbol.
The sugar and sweets Elizabethans consumed also turned their teeth dark. Queen Elizabeth even dumped rancid honey on her gums to achieve the rotted smile that was fashionable in her court. Talk about taking sweets to an extreme!
Arsenic Complexion Craze in Victorian Times
In the 1800s, pale skin was in vogue. To achieve the desired alabaster look, women would ingest arsenic and lead. The poisons caused the skin to lighten, at the cost of illness and even death. Fashionably ghostly skin came with very dangerous consequences during this hazardous beauty trend.
Hoop Skirt Cages in the Mid-1800s
Hoop skirts reached an extreme size by the 1850s, supported by cages of whalebone or steel. The wide circular silhouette required huge hoops that could measure up to six feet across.
While deemed elegant, the immense dresses made mobility difficult. Hoop skirts posed hazards like getting stuck in doorways, knocking things over, and exposed legs when gusts of wind blew them up. However, women endured the cage-like garments as the era’s most lavish fashion statement.
Hobble Skirts in the Early 1900s
One of the most restrictive fashions was the hobble skirt, popular in the early 20th century. These narrow ankle-length skirts significantly constricted women’s movements with their tight fit.
Women wearing hobble skirts had to take mincing, tiny steps or even hop to walk. Stairs and public transit posed challenges in the binding garment. However, the silly, debilitating look was deemed elegant and modern at the time before wider skirts returned to fashion.
Foot Fetish Shoes in the Early 1900s
Shoe designer Salvatore Ferragamo gained fame creating erotic footwear in the early 20th century. He introduced platform sandals and heels shaped to emphasize arches, toes, and the ball of the foot. This foot fetish fashion appealed to those with unique sensibilities during a buttoned-up time period.
The Oversized Hats of the 1960s
Big, bold hats defined the fashionable woman’s look in the 1960s. Enormous wide brims, tall crowns, and heavy decoration were hallmarks of the memorable mod style hats.
Popular looks included giant disc hats, towering turbans, and floppy straw sun hats. Hairstyles were specifically styled to accommodate these statement hats. While eye-catching, the huge headwear posed challenges in doorways and crowded spaces. However, ’60s ladies were willing to put up with the inconvenience to make heads turn. To be honest, I kind of like this trend and I’ll be ordering one of these crazy hats soon 🙂
