Time to take a short memory trip back to the era of cringe and side fringe.
1. The Clique Books
2. Uggs (and fake uggs)
You either had Uggs, or you had something similar. I got called out once for not having the real Uggs. Pretty pathetic, but at the time I was mortified.
The best part about this fashion trend? Everyone was constantly tucking their jeans into their boots. The real struggle was when your jeans weren't tight enough, and they bunched up at the top. I'm glad this trend has died and Uggs have become a comfort, lazy day shoe... their true, and rightful place in the fashion world.
3. AIM
The embarrassing screennames. The away messages full of lyrics ("Airplanes" anyone?). Waiting for your crush to log on. Fighting with your parents for time on the computer because we all still had dial-up internet. The inevitable drama.
My friend once got in a fight with a girl in our class because she had the same lyrics in her away message. Apparently that was a deadly AIM sin.
4. Super awkward school dances
I'm not sure which was more awkward, asking people to the dances or actually going with them. It was all about the sacred slow dances back then.
5. Being forced to take gym class
Some people loved it, but I was never one of those people. Being a girl in gym class meant rolling up and tucking in various parts of the uniform to try and look cooler. We never looked cooler. And I'll never forget the semester my teacher failed me in volleyball because I couldn't serve the ball over the net.
6. Learning how to shave
A true right of passage in middle school.
7. An uncomfortable amount of black eyeliner
I wore black eyeliner on my waterline religiously. Every girl seemed to be obsessed with this makeup trend. Fortunately, it's died out quite a bit since then. Putting on eyeliner is great, but tamer colors in moderation is definitely the way to go.
8. Straightening your hair to unflattering precision… and using water to calm flyaways throughout the day.
Why. Did. We. Do. This???
9. Side bangs
Honestly, not the worst if they were cut and styled correctly. This definitely seeped into my high school days as well.
10. That limeade lip gloss from Bath & Body Works that every girl seemed to have for some reason.
I don't know why I vividly remember this, but I do.
11. Those soft chocolate chip cookies that everyone ate at lunch.
And people would stand there and feel up each pack of cookies to see which ones were softest.
12. Silly bandz
This was actually an early high school thing for me, but it kind of fits in with the era.
13. American Idol
I have war flashbacks to the year Jordin Sparks went up against some guy named Blake who beatboxed sometimes. Everyone was really into that season, and had super strong opinions on who the winner should be.
14. No One by Alicia Keys, Bleeding Love by Leonia Lewis, and Apologize by Timbaland feat. OneRepublic
You definitely had your first slow dance to one of these songs.
15. Razor flip phones
16. Shirts that said Hollister, Abercrombie, and Aeropostale
... because everyone HAD to know you shopped there.
