Random Dumbest Fashion Trends in History (17 items)

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  (#7) Panniers

  Panniers (from the French word "panier," meaning "basket") were popular in the 17th and 18th centuries. The boxed petticoat expanded the width of skirts and dresses, and stood out on either side of the waistline. Panniers varied in size and were made of whalebone, wood, metal, and sometimes reeds. Extremely large panniers were worn mostly on special occasions and reflected the wearer’s social status. Servants wore smaller hoops. Two noblewomen, however, couldn’t walk through an entrance at the same time or sit on a couch together. The device was also uncomfortable, limiting movement and activity. 

  The expansive pannier sparked ridicule. A satirical article in The Gentleman’s Magazine, written in 1750, portrayed women as being sick of the burden of the style. "We pass along, as it were, balancing between two scales. Every person we meet, every post we pass, and every corner we turn, incumber [sic] our way, and obstruct our progress. We fit in a chair hid up to our very ears on either side, like a swan with her head between her lifted wings. The whole side of a coach is hardly capacious enough for one of us," a passage read.
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  (#1) Lotus Shoes

  Lotus shoes were worn by Chinese girls with bound feet. For centuries, families repeatedly broke and folded the feet of their young daughters to create the tiny feet that epitomized femininity. The foot was bound with long ribbons to prevent growth. If the toes withered and fell off, even better. The process usually took between two to three years, and the girl’s feet were bound for the rest of her life.

  Women with bound feet wore Lotus shoes, cone or sheath-shaped footwear that resembled a lotus bud. The shoes were made of silk or cotton and were usually ornate, embroidered with flowers, animals, and other traditional patterns. 

  There were many attempts to ban foot binding throughout history. It was officially outlawed in 1912, though the practice was still carried out in secret in some areas of China for years after.
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  (#5) Crakowes

  Also known as the poulaine, this super long shoe reigned supreme with men across Europe in the late 14th century. The shoes were named after Krákow, Poland because they were introduced to England by Polish nobles. Once the shoes were seen at court, they became all the rage - even though the shoes were six to twenty-four inches long. But they were a quick indicator of social status: the longer the shoe, the higher the wearer's station.

  Chains were sometimes strung from the toe of the crakow to the knee to allow the wearer to walk. Sometimes the toes were stuffed with material for the same reason. They were considered ridiculous, vain, and dangerous by many conservatives and church leaders, who called them "devil's fingers."
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  (#2) Arsenic Dresses

  Bottle-green dresses were all the rage in the Victorian era, and they had price tags to match. To achieve this lovely shade of green, the fabric was dyed using large amounts of arsenic. Some women suffered nausea, impaired vision, and skin reactions to the dye. But the dresses were only worn on special occasions, limiting exposure to the arsenic in the fabric. 

  The garment makers were the real sufferers - many died to bring this trend to the fashionable set.
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  (#10) Macaroni

  In the 1760s, aristocratic British men donned large wigs with a small hat or feather at the top. The young men who took up this fashion trend reportedly brought it back from their "Grand Tour" across Continental Europe in which they intended to "deepen cultural knowledge." The style is, in fact, named after the Italian pasta dish, signifying sophistication and worldliness. 

  In the popular rhyme, "Yankee Doodle," the British would sing:

  Yankee Doodle went to town
  A-riding on a pony,
  Stuck a feather in his cap
  And called it macaroni.

  The lyrics were meant to satirize the idea that any commoner could stick a feather in his hair and consider himself as valuable as "macaroni." Regardless of the rhyme, however, the style became a trend, and lived on well into following decade.
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  (#12) Chopines

  In the 16th century, noble ladies were mad for the extreme platform shoes known as chopines. They were made mostly from wood or cork covered in leather, brocade, or jewel-embroidered velvet. These shoes were worn as a sign of one’s social status, with higher shoes meaning a higher standing.

  Chopines made the wearer wobbly on their feet. Women would sometimes require assistance to venture out in their extra tall shoes.

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