Most people who lived through the 2000s and were old enough to remember it would prefer to annihilate that period from their memories. It’s not that it was a bad time to live, it’s that 2000s fashion is notorious for being pretty unsightly. So, what better way to face our fears and transcend our past selves than courageously tackle our horrible fashion choices?

Hair Gel

Gettyimages / ZenShui/Laurence Mouton / PhotoAlto Agency RF Collections

Oh man, are we glad this trend is almost over and done with. Sure there may be a few people here and there that still stuck (get it) to their hair-gelling ways, but most people have grown out of that phase. This is a good thing for our coolness factor as a society and our actual hair: there are so many obvious downsides to styling your hair with gel from the perspective of your hair’s health.

Emo Hairstyles

Gettyimages / Dominick / Photodisc

Okay, hear us out for a second: these weren’t so bad. Sure, they look funny. Everything about the emo and gothic fast-fashion trend was characterized by a certain naive edginess (a set of words that definitely sound a bit paradoxical), but we’ll be damned if that wasn’t the best time of our lives. Please, somebody, take us back. We want to be there with our emo friends listening to My Chemical Romance and living a completely carefree life through the lens of our own renouncing of happiness. Please!

Bandana Hairstyles

Gettyimages /
Srdjan Rakicevic / EyeEm

Oh, this is that Donkey Kong Country hairstyle, that Jack Sparrow Pirates of the Caribbean hairstyle, that American Badass Undertaker cruising on a motorcycle type hairstyle. We’ve got to admit that the bandana wasn’t too bad. Maybe we’re just a little bit too nostalgic, but it had a certain quality to it that other hats just can’t achieve. Actually, on second thought, maybe that quality was its cheapness.