Still Preoccupied With 1985

A Look Back At The Fashions And Pop-Culture Trends That Have Shaped The Past 22 Years

By: Sarah Kopman-Fried

Posted: 5/6/07

1985 - The year of the video game. Nintendo launches its first gaming system and "Super Mario Brothers" comes out. The VH1 channel also begins broadcasting and is enormously successful. This was also the year that the mullet reached its peak as a popular haircut.

1986 - By far the biggest fad of this year was Koosh balls, those fuzzy rubber balls that were a huge hit with kids and teenagers. The Bangles' song "Walk Like an Egyptian" was a huge hit, as was the FOX television network, which debuted this year. Striped stockings were a favorite, as were teased hair and press-on fingernails.

1987 - This year featured debuts by some very famous men. The "Where's Waldo" series first appeared and Fabio's career really took off. And, of course, let's not forget "Dirty Dancing," the biggest blockbuster of the year featuring Patrick Swayze. Members Only jackets became fashionable, as did tube skirts.

1988 - The biggest trend in music this year was CDs, which were finally becoming more convenient to use. Hypercolor shirts (the shirts changed color depending on the temperature) were also a big hit, along with "Tetris" and "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles." Ribbon barettes and mohawks were very trendy.

1989 - The year the Berlin Wall fell featured an influx of toys for all ages. Slap bracelets became ubiquitous. Sega Genesis and the Nintendo Gameboy became must-have items and an animated series known as "The Simpsons" debuted.

1990 - Lisa Frank accessories and Super Soaker water guns were the must-have items this year. Ponytails for men were in style, as were fanny packs.

1991 - With the fall of communism, America turned to a new source of attention: pogs. Starter jackets and Zubaz pants also came into style. Grunge music became extremely popular, especially bands like Nirvana and Pearl Jam.

1992 - "Bohemian Rhapsody," Queen's hit song from the 1970s, surged back into popularity this year from its appearance in the hit movie "Wayne's World." Urban clothing brands like JNCO and FUBU became trendy, as did Michael Jordan and Chicago Bulls apparel.

1993 - With the advent of the Internet, chat rooms started to become popular this year. "Beavis and Butthead" also debuted and was an enormously popular marketing success. Magic Eye pictures and Nickelodeon's Floam were must-have items and the "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon" game was invented.

1994 - The most quoted movie around was "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective." On TV, "Friends" debuted, spawning the extremely popular Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) Shag Haircut. Girls also went gaga over the Wonderbra, while, for boys, Tommy Hilfiger became enormously stylish.

1995 - Crop tops became a huge craze this year, as did Sketchers shoes and Baby Doll fashion. Blue M&Ms and "Sailor Moon" debuted, while in theaters, "Toy Story" was a huge commercial success. The Sony Playstation game console was also released and would go on to become the world's most popular game system. Dial-up internet finally became mainstream this year.

1996 - If ever there was a year for trends, 1996 was it. The "Macarena" was released and Beanie Babies became the hottest collector's item around. Tickle Me Elmo was a must-have toy and the Pokemon series debuted.

1997 - The Spice Girls, Backstreet Boys and NSYNC dominated the music scene in 1997. J.K. Rowling's "Harry Potter" series debuted to critical acclaim and the Tamagotchi was a necessity for all girls under 12. "Titanic" dominated theaters. The debut of "South Park" was greeted by both criticism and much popularity.

1998 - The Monica Lewinsky scandal and its accompanying jokes dominated this year. Viagra and "Blame it on El Nino" jokes were also a source of humor. Teenagers began wearing blinking pacifiers in dance clubs and skating rinks. Furby became a must-have toy.
1999 - A huge year for electronics. The Y2K crisis took shape and a host of enormously popular television shows premiered including, "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" "The Sopranos," and "Family Guy." Britney Spears and Ricky Martin also burst onto the music scene. Short sleeve hoodies were fashionable, and Abercrombie & Fitch emerged as a popular teen clothing store.

2000 - The year of the "Thong Song." The "Cha-Cha Slide" and "Who Let the Dogs Out" were also released this year. Gel pens and Razor scooters were must-haves in 2000 and Napster became popular.

2001 - Capri-pants and low-rise jeans came back into style as did the "bed head" hairstyle. "Bootylicious" and "Lady Marmalade" dominated the music scene. Apple released the first iPod music player.

2002 - Reality television shows like "American Idol" and "The Bachelor" become huge hits. Heelys (the sneakers with wheels) become popular, as do downloadable ring tones.

2003 - 50 Cent, Beyonce and Outkast dominated the music scene this year. Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code" sat atop the bestseller list for months. Boho-chic and Ugg boots came into style for girls and boy started wearing pink. The class of 2007 comes to UConn.

2004 - Lance Armstrong's Livestrong bracelet became both a sign of fashion and goodwill. Google became the world's most popular search engine. "Napoleon Dynamite" and "Mean Girls" dominate the movie scene, and "designer dogs" like labradoodles and puggles become fashionable.

2005 - Kanye West's "Gold Digger" becomes the biggest music hit of the year. The "Numa Numa" craze begins, while sudokus and bluetooth headsets become popular.

2006 - Skinny jeans and oversized handbags make a comeback. Justin Timberlake's "Sexy Back" is a huge hit. Crocs become a popular form of footwear.

2007 - UConn class of 2007 graduates!