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Glamour: The Best and Worst Fashion Trends (Ever!)

by StyleList Staff (Subscribe to StyleList Staff's posts)
Posted Mar 1st 2010 at 4:26PM  
8 Comments
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It was pretty hard to sort through the good ('20s flapper skirts), bad (backless shirts) and ugly (polyester jumpsuits-eek!), but someone had to do it.

From the ancient toga to today's LBD, we've rounded up the best and worst trends of all time. Pencils, please.

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The Best and Worst Fashion Trends (Ever!)
Glamour magazine presents the best of the best and the worst of the worst in fashion over the years.
Film Magic
Phil Walter, Getty Images

Glamour: The Best and Worst Fashion Trends (Ever!)

Best: Grecian draping

From ancient Roman times to pretty much every runway show since designer Madeleine Vionnet perfected the look in the 1920s, women who want to look beautiful and strong (you, me and celebs!) keep coming back to this universally flattering look.

Katie Holmes, 2008

Glamour: The Best and Worst Fashion Trends (Ever!)

Worst: Corsets

Corsets constricted the woman's body so tightly that even breathing was difficult-some 16th-century models of this undergarment were actually made of iron (ouch!). And we won't even get into the effects on the internal organs. No thank you!

Corset advertisement, 1905

Glamour: The Best and Worst Fashion Trends (Ever!)

Best: Leggings

They make summer-to-fall wardrobe transition a breeze, cover up unshaved legs, let you sport super-short skirts without winding up a fashion DON'T, and best of all, they're about the most comfortable accessory ever invented for the modern woman. We think-and hope-they're here to stay.

Chloë Sevigny, 2007

Glamour: The Best and Worst Fashion Trends (Ever!)

Worst: Cage crinolines

These silhouette-wideners make women walking fire hazards, and just try navigating everyday life at the center of a 3 - 5 foot radius. Not exactly date-friendly material.

Woman in crinoline dress, 1860

Glamour: The Best and Worst Fashion Trends (Ever!)

Best: Miniskirts

When British designer Mary Quant popularized the miniskirt in 1960s London, women (and we're pretty sure all the men, too) rallied around this young and fresh design. And who doesn't love to get a little sunshine and fresh breeze on her gams?

The British Society for the Protection of Mini Skirts stages protest outside House of Dior, September 1966

Glamour: The Best and Worst Fashion Trends (Ever!)

Worst: Sci-fi dresses

As cool as all those Fifth Element extras looked, chances are the real-life attempt might make you look more like an out-of-touch space cadet. Plus, we don't even want to think about what sitting in metal feels like.

Paco Rabanne's metal minidress, 1968

Glamour: The Best and Worst Fashion Trends (Ever!)

Best: The LBD

It's simple: Whenever you can echo Audrey Hepburn in 60 seconds-or however long it takes you to zip up and slip on heels-do it.

Audrey Hepburn, 1961

Glamour: The Best and Worst Fashion Trends (Ever!)

Worst: Overalls

As much as we love the idea of easy one-piece dressing, we don't love the idea of looking like Old MacDonald. Enough said.

Cast of The Waltons, 1975

Glamour: The Best and Worst Fashion Trends (Ever!)

Best: Little jackets

Whether it's a smart blazer for work or a model-off-duty-inspired motorcycle style at night, there's nothing that instantly pulls together an outfit like the perfect thrown-on jacket.

Sienna Miller, 2009

Glamour: The Best and Worst Fashion Trends (Ever!)

Worst: Bare midriffs

Unless you're a headlining pop star (performing onstage), this is too flashy of a move for most situations.

Britney Spears, 2008

Glamour: The Best and Worst Fashion Trends (Ever!)

Read All Comments
Filed under: Fashion, How to Wear
Tags: fashion trends, Fashion Trends Through the Decades, FashionTrends, FashionTrendsThroughTheDecades, Glamour magazine, GlamourMagazine, trends
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READER COMMENTS

(8)Add A Comment

Linda, 3-03-2010, 12:47AM

2 stars vote downvote upReport
Linda

These so called fashion writers on the web never cease to amaze me. The so called "leisure suit" is a misnomer.. It's not a leisure suit at all. Obviously they are too young to even know what a 70's leisure suit was. oh well... maybe someday they will buy a clue.

Reply »

Lynnia, 3-03-2010, 1:09AM

2 stars vote downvote upReport
Lynnia

I'm suprised 'Crocs' didn't make it to the worst list.
I don't really think it's fair though, to include things from the 1800's I think anything before 1920 should be ruled out.

Reply »

Bill Cooney, 3-03-2010, 1:22AM

2 stars vote downvote upReport
Bill Cooney

Madame Gres did the most beautiful draped Grecian dress.

Reply »

LadyBean, 3-09-2010, 4:00PM

2 stars vote downvote upReport
LadyBean

So uh.... WHO are these people, that their personal, biased opinions of what is good and bad is solid and should dictate my life? It's so humiliating for all of those out there who are so enslaved by these fashion dictates, that you herald every latest trend as the best ever when it's new, yet funny how as soon as it is deemed bad you reject it as such. Style is is about how one wears any clothing. What works for them, makes them look good, makes them feel good; not about pleasing other people. Telling people what is right to wear and wrong to wera boils down to telling people how they personally think everyone should dress, according to their own current opinions. Selfish much? I didn't know we are required to wear uniforms in life, every person dressed the same like clones.
Part of the beauty of fashion history is seeing how fashions have changed. If fashions have never evolved, and they always do for one reason or another, do you think what is la mode now would be whatever it is?
Personally, I think much more attention to detail, craftsmanship, and superiority was applied to fashion before the mid twentieth century. Are a pair of cheap blue jeans, fat hairy boots, and a hoody really making a strong statement about the quality modern fashion? I mean, other than it has become incredibly poor quality and falls apart in two days, vulgar, highly impersonal, and evidence of a lazy society?

Reply »

Wendy, 3-05-2010, 12:42AM

2.5 stars vote downvote upReport
Wendy

I agree with most of what this list says. I must speak up for one item, however, as that item of clothing directly affected my survival as a child and I am grateful. While I would not wear overalls as a fashion item, my Dad, God bless him, worked for the Southern Pacific Railroad as a yard switchman. He wore overalls every day of his working life, with long-johns, flannel shirts, and down parkas in the snowy winter, and short-sleeved white T's in the summer, along with big and heavy leather boots. I honor the clothing that he wore, as he labored to keep a roof and food for our family. I would never denigrate his memory by slamming what he wore to work. We have become too arrogantly "elitist" in our society right now, condemning blue-collar work as unworthy and somehow just not as equal. Well, I beg your pardon, honest work is honest work. City dwellers could not live there without the help of thousands of humble blue collar workers toiling on farms, railroads, busses, construction jobs, etc. I love fashion but I honor all work. Actually, my Dad's overalls were very well made, with interesting grommets that fastened the straps and multiple pockets for all his tools. I loved the roughness of the denim and the humble look of them. Remember not every one likes the high and mighty. I am a writer and am doing research on blue collar clothing. Surprisingly, many hipsters love "workingman's" clothing, myself included. I love haute couture as well, but good and well-made clothes are of all types.

Reply »

Stu, 3-03-2010, 3:51AM

2 stars vote downvote upReport
Stu

This is a really well written, touching statement.

»

gregt567, 3-03-2010, 5:27AM

2 stars vote downvote upReport
gregt567

I agreee

Reply »

Kevin, 3-03-2010, 9:19AM

2 stars vote downvote upReport
Kevin

I am not making this up.

The worst women's fashion trend of all time was the "Pfffft", which came out in the early Seventies. This was an inflatable stomach worn under regular clothing and designed to make the wearer look pregnant. The theory was that a woman wearing this would receive the normal courtesies extended to a pregnant woman without enduring any of the discomfort.

Surprisingly to no one, it didn't catch on.

Reply »

 
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