‘90s fashion: cringe looks we all rocked

Choker chains, platform shoes, mood rings – ah, the '90s. Take a walk down memory lane and remember all the cringe clothes we spent our money on, thinking they were super fashionable. A lot of these trends have even made a comeback recently, and we seriously don't understand why ...

Walking in these was the hardest thing, but we didn't let that stop us from strutting our stuff (well, trying to).

Also, we can't deny we loved the power trip it gave us when we towered over people in our chunky shoes. Only thing was, sometimes it was more like a literal trip, right over our own feet.

For some reason, we really wanted to embrace our inner animals and look like we were wearing collars in the 90s.

Remember when choker chains became trendy again, around 2016? That was a TBT and a half!

We still can't believe this actually happened. I mean ... just ... no. The denim is blinding us.

Sometimes double denim can't be helped, even today, but Britney and Justin's iconic look at the turn of the century was a step too far.

Another trend that came back for adults, but never really went away for kids. Let's leave it to the kids, shall we? They look MUCH cuter on small feet.

Women have proved they can wear suits and tuxedos just as well as men lately, but back in the '90s it was all about the waistcoat, without the rest of the outfit.

It doesn't quite have the same effect ...

It was super fashionable to get your shoulders and back out for people to see (even better if you had a tattoo there).

It made wearing a normal bra a no-go, but then again, going bra-less was also a hot trend.

They're called mum jeans for a reason, so technically, mums made these fashionable.

Back in the day, you either hand the high-rise mum jean or the super low-rise, almost see your pubes jean. There was no in between.

These are back on the scene, too! Remember using them to tie your hair in a super tight high ponytail?

It seems to be trendier to just wear them on your wrist like a bracelet nowadays. Kind of defeats the point, don't you think?

Considering the number of people who wore yin yang jewellery, the world wasn't exactly as peaceful and content in the '90s as it should've been.

Yes, satin feels nice when you stroke it and we loved to stroke ourselves while wearing it, but an entire outfit made from satin? That's just not okay.

Wouldn't it be nice to see everything through rose-tinted glasses? Well, that's what the world looked like to a lot of people in the '90s thanks to their coloured lenses.

It was like constantly seeing life through an Instagram filter.

Tartan, or plaid, is the unisex print and pattern we still love today. It just never gets old. You might not pair a tartan skirt with knee-high socks and a matchy matchy tartan top anymore, though.

Ooh, someone's feeling aggy today ...

The myth that these rings could tell your mood depending on what colour they were was what we all lived for. Everyone had one and, if they didn't, they wanted one.

Thanks to the likes of Kim Kardashian, trousers that cut off at the top of your calf have made a comeback in the Instagram influencer world.

Been there, done that.

SO shiny. It would've made you stand out if it weren't for everyone else wearing it, too. You just ended up getting lost in a sea of metallic mayhem.

Could anyone actually pull this trend off?

Why oh why did we think it was acceptable to wear a sarong anywhere but the beach?! The lead singer of REM was even know to rock out wearing one on stage.

Pair with a crop top and you've got a strong '90s look.

Okay, we admit it, they ARE pretty comfortable. And they're the pregnant woman's go to. But, they're a massive pain to undo when you need a pee.

Did you one-strap it, or two?

These were not the friends of women with thick and curly hair – you needed like at least 10 to hold anything in place. Some of them were tiny!

It didn't do many people any favours, but you can bet we still kept slathering it on and thinking we looked amazing. Anyone else remember using Rimell's famous shade, Heather Shimmer?

Still, it's a bit better than the blue and black lipstick trends that came about later on.

A top that's like a tube. For your boobs. What an invention.

It kept just enough covered up but let you get your midriff and shoulders out – the ideal combo for the '90s.

Admit it, how many hours did you spend making your own tie-dye t-shirts? They were rad, fun and totally psychedelic.

Another unisex print we loved!

Ha, as if we'd manage to fit everything we need for us and our kids in one of those these days. Thank god iPhones hadn't been invented yet, they would just about fit in there with a pack of tissues.

Thanks to Gwen Stefani going through a phase of just loving to appropriate other cultures, not only did bindis become trendy but a lot of East-Asian inspired clothes did, too.

You may have spotted a lot of flared trousers about nowadays, but remember they were also all the rage when we were younger?

The flared trouser and flip-flop combo is hard to beat.

Ah, it's that midriff poking out again ... Great when you put it on first thing in the morning, not so great after you've eaten a hearty bowl of pasta and bloated so far out you can't see your feet anymore.

They were cute, sweet and soft, but also looked a lot like you were wearing a nightie. The obsession with satin didn't help.

Like just about everything, they never looked as good on us as they did on the likes of Kate Moss.

If you've got it, flaunt it! But why was '90s fashion so anti-normal bras? Definitely would've had to go commando on top to avoid seeing the bra strap at the back of this slinky number.

In your hair, in your eyebrows, in your eyeshadow, up your nose – the sprinkle of glitter you put on to sparkle was more like a shower and it ended up EVERYWHERE.