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11 Trends From The ‘90s That Made You Feel So Cool

You were all that and a bag of chips.

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Trends from the '90s that made you feel so cool.
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Let's just go ahead and get this out there now: Back in the '90s, we all thought we were cool. Possibly because we were particularly susceptible to advertisements for all the things you thought made you so cool in the '90s. I mean, come on, who among us didn't fall hook-line-and-sinker for those Trapper Keeper commercials? You just knew your life would be a teenage dream if you could get your hands on the fads, fashions, and trends that TV made look so dreamy.

And believe me — I know a thing or two about thinking you were cool in the '90s. I felt like the queen of the world walking around in my old gray corduroy flares with a Jerry Garcia patch sewn on the butt. True story. Bless my friends for not bursting my little bubble! But the moral of this story is that I thought I was cool. So despite the fact that some of the very things I thought made me so hip are now slightly comical or downright embarrassing to look back on, all that really matters is how they made me feel in the moment.

Having said that, there's nothing wrong with looking back and having a little light-hearted laugh at the things we thought made us uber-cool in the '90s.

1

Mastering Devil Sticks

But, like... why did we like these again? I used to waste time practicing with these puppies, just so I could stroll into school looking cool with a set in hand. Luckily, you can still find some being sold online if you want to brush up on your skills.

2

The Perfect AOL Profile

It might take days. Maybe even weeks. But once you found the ideal combination of witty and mysterious for your AOL profile, you felt like you could rule the universe. Plus, curating the perfect away message got us ready for perfecting our Instagram bios.

3

A Rice Necklace

'Cause what says cool more than a grain of rice with your name inscribed so small it is basically illegible in a vial with water? These were *the* necklace you’d match with your jelly earrings from Claire’s to put together the funkiest jewelry look.

4

Having a Cell Phone

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OK, so, to be fair, most of us '90s kids didn't get our first cell phones until the early '00s — and the bricks and flip phones we adored then are considered dinosaurs now. But back in the day, we thought they were all so cool they'd never go extinct and TBH they were so durable that I sort of miss them.

5

Wearing Your Overalls with One Strap Undone

Jeremy Moeller/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

Sacrifice number one million made for fashion in the '90s: Always running the risk that the pranksters in your class would jerk on your unhooked strap and send you head over heels (and not in a good way). This might be one of the few looks that still holds up flawlessly.

6

'90s Slang

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If you don't think '90s slang was the bomb dot com, you can talk to the hand. Our lingo back then was all that and a bag of chips. You got it dude?

Read as: The slang is the ‘90s was the only way we communicated, much to the annoyance of our parents.

7

Hard Rock Cafe Memorabilia

Patrick ESCUDERO/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images

We rocked those t-shirts and guitar pins as if everyone didn't know that we went there with our parents in the first place. And can we get a little commotion for those burgers?

8

Butterfly Clips

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They say everything is fine in moderation. Well, whoever "they" are didn't manage to get that memo to our '90s selves because it was truly the more butterfly clips the merrier — the colorful hair accessories were the finishing touch on any outfit.

9

Pockets Hanging Out of Our Jean Cut-Offs

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I may or may not remember wearing these while dancing to "Whoomp There It Is!" in my driveway and while some cut off shorts are still on the market, people tend to go for longer lengths during the summer seasons these days.

10

Getting a Page

Jacques M. Chenet/The Image Bank Unreleased/Getty Images

Especially if it was "143" or a secret code from your bestie that you could decode with ease. Before texting, paging was the way only the coolest of pals would stay in touch.

11

Matching Your Boyfriend/Girlfriend

The idea of coordinating with our significant others for anything other than prom might seem silly now, but it couldn't have been that bad if Brad Pitt and Gwyneth Paltrow were doing it. So no, Travis and Kourt did not do it first.

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