List of fads and fashions

A fad, also known as a craze, refers to a fashion that becomes popular in a culture relatively quickly, but loses popularity dramatically. Some fads may come back if another generation finds out about it and gets interested in it. For example Dayglo paint and clothing was a fad in Europe and the USA the late 1970s. Then Dayglo accessories and clothes (such as cycling shorts and Dayglo socks) had a come back in 1984–1989. It is arguable that a fad that remains popular for a significant amount of time typically loses its significance in current popular culture as it evolves and becomes accepted into a society's everyday culture (e.g., television, Internet, Music, Video Games, dances, etc...)

2000s fads and trends


For full list see (2000s fads and trends)


 * America (The Book) by Jon Stewart
 * Anti-French movement during and around the time of the invasion of Iraq (Freedom Fries,"Freedom Toast", boycotting french wine + other products, etc.)
 * Beyblades
 * Billy Bass
 * Bop It!
 * Botox
 * Bratz Dolls – 2001
 * CGI-animated movies about animal adventures (The Wild, Shark Tale, Finding Nemo, Madagascar, Over The Hedge).
 * Cha Cha Slide dance
 * Charity Wristbands
 * Chuck Norris facts
 * Converse shoes
 * Crazy Frog
 * Dance Dance Revolution
 * Easy Button (Staples)
 * Emo (slang)
 * Flags on cars, and flag stickers on cars, after 9-11.
 * Energy drinks (Red Bull, Tab, Gatorade, Powerade, etc.)
 * Gel pens
 * "Halo Parties"
 * Harry Potter
 * Heelys
 * He's Not That Into You(book)
 * Internet cafe
 * Internet cartoons (JibJab, Internet Meme, Homestarrunner, Happy Tree Friends)
 * Internet Lingo (examples: BRB, AFK, TTYL)
 * Lord of the Rings (the books have actually existed since the 1950s)
 * Lost
 * Livestrong wristband
 * MySpace
 * Napoleon Dynamite phrases
 * Nextel commercial featuring the "Push It" song, became popular over the internet in 2005.
 * Neopets*
 * Nintendogs
 * Paintball
 * Patriotic shirts; spawned from the aftermath of the September 11th terror attacks
 * Pink clothing for men
 * Podcasts
 * Poker
 * Ponchos for girls – 2003
 * Razor scooters
 * Reality Television programming
 * Ridge Racer Kaz Hirai in the Sony Press Conference of E3 2006.
 * Sheepskin BootsUggs
 * Sidekick (cellphone)
 * Spinner (wheel)
 * SpongeBob SquarePants
 * Sudoku
 * SUV's; became pop culture status symbols in late 90's; popular with celebrities and professional athletes, especially luxury SUV's such as the Lincoln Navigator, Cadillac Escalade and Hummer H2.
 * Thong panties; became the de rigeur underwear for college-age girls after the popular "Thong Song" by Sisqo. The low-rise jeans craze coupled with the growing propensity of thongs made exposed underwear straps part of women's fashion.
 * Tivo
 * "That's Hot", a line made popular by Paris Hilton on her reality TV show, Simple Life.
 * Tooth Whitening
 * Texting
 * Trucker Hats
 * Upturned collars
 * Vanilla Coke - 2002
 * Vehicle Customization
 * "Wassup"; from the Budweiser ads
 * William Hung from American Idol
 * XM Satellite Radio


 * Yu-Gi-Oh!
 * Starbucks
 * Wikipedia
 * Atkins diet
 * 1980's retro movement
 * Internet Phenomenons(Numa Numa Video, Star Wars Kid, Ellen Feiss Apple Ad)
 * Real estate boom
 * Web 2.0
 * Hot Topic
 * Vintage Logo T-shirts
 * "Indie" music movement on the internet, started by sites like Myspace
 * Online virtual worlds like "Second Life"
 * Small screen media explosion

1990s fads and trends


For full list of fads see (1990s fads and trends)


 * "All your base are belong to us" – late 1990s to early 2000s
 * Baggy jeans
 * Baywatch Slow-Mo Run
 * Barney
 * Beanie babies
 * Beavis & Butthead
 * Beepers
 * Carmen Sandiego
 * Chat Rooms
 * Chicken Soup for the Soul book
 * Crystal Pepsi / Pepsi Clear
 * David Hasselhoff
 * Digimon – 1998
 * Dragon Ball Z
 * Dolphin-safe tuna
 * Fanny pack
 * Furby
 * Grunge Music
 * Heroin chic
 * Hypercolor, continued from the 1980s
 * Lambada dance
 * Laser pointers; late 1990s
 * Macarena – 1996
 * Mentos commercials
 * Mortal Kombat
 * One-length haircut in Japan (hair worn straight down, cut to a straight line across the shoulders or back, and not layered)
 * Pacifiers for teens
 * Pogs
 * Pokémon
 * Power Rangers
 * Rachel haircut
 * Rave culture
 * R. L. Stine books, Goosebumps and Fear Street
 * Rollerblades
 * Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon
 * Ska music
 * Soccer moms
 * South Park
 * Sunny Delight
 * Tae-Bo
 * Tamagotchi
 * Tickle Me Elmo
 * Twin Peaks
 * "Whatever" & "Talk to the hand"
 * Where's Waldo puzzles and books
 * Wallet chains
 * Wonderbra
 * Y2K bug
 * Yo-yo &mdash; 1930s, but returned in the 1990s

1980s fads and trends



 * Acid wash jeans
 * Afrocentric clothing
 * Aviator glasses
 * Baby On Board car window stickers
 * Bandana worn as a headband
 * BETA
 * Big Johnson T-shirts
 * Biker hats
 * Black & White striped shirts
 * Bleach blonde hair
 * Bola Ties
 * Bow headbands
 * Break dancing
 * Broomstick skirt
 * Cabbage Patch dolls
 * Calculator wristwatches
 * The California Raisins
 * Care Bears
 * Chia Pets
 * Chic jeans
 * Choose Your Own Adventure books
 * Colecovision
 * Color Me Beautiful
 * Converse sneakers
 * Cut-off shirts
 * The De Lorean
 * Designer jeans
 * Designer shoelaces
 * Doc Martens
 * Donkey Kong
 * Erasable pens
 * Fade haircut
 * Fashion plates
 * Flowers in the Attic
 * Freezy Freakies
 * French braids
 * Friendship bracelets
 * Game & Watch
 * Garfield
 * Garbage Pail Kids
 * Ghostbusters
 * G.I. Joe dolls and action figures
 * Gitano clothing
 * Glo Worm
 * Hair Crimping
 * Hair metal
 * Hair teasing
 * Hypercolor shirts
 * Intellivision
 * Imitation car phones: popular in Japan
 * Iron-on decals
 * Jane Fonda workout videos
 * Jenga
 * Jheri curl
 * Jolt Cola
 * Keds sneakers
 * Keytar
 * Kid Sister
 * Leather jackets, pants, and boots
 * Leg warmers 1982 – 1989
 * The Legend of Zelda
 * Pogo Balls
 * Lycra fashion
 * Max Headroom
 * Madballs
 * Members Only jackets
 * Miami Vice clothing & accessories
 * Michael Jackson clothing
 * Micro Machines
 * Midriffs
 * Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!
 * Monchichis
 * Monster trucks
 * Mud wrestling
 * The Mullet
 * My Buddy
 * My Little Pony
 * The neo-hippie movement
 * New Romantic attire (Primarily in England)
 * New Wave fashions
 * The Noid
 * Obsession by Calvin Klein
 * Ocean Pacific
 * Pac-Man
 * Parachute pants
 * Penny Racers
 * Post-it notes
 * Pound Puppies
 * Preppie fashion
 * Press on fingernails
 * Prince clothing
 * Punk fashions/the mohawk
 * Rat tail
 * Reebok
 * Ribbon barettes
 * Ripped jeans
 * Rubik's Cube
 * Satin jackets
 * Ski goggles
 * Slap bracelets
 * Shell suits – UK (especially Merseyside and North of England) and Europe
 * Simon
 * Smurfs
 * Snuggles the Bear
 * Sour Patch Kids
 * Spiked hair
 * Stirrup pants
 * Strawberry Shortcake
 * Swatch Watches
 * Striped stockings
 * Teddy Ruxpin
 * Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
 * Telephone Party Lines
 * The Clapper
 * Transformers
 * Trapper Keeper
 * Tube skirts
 * Valley Girls
 * Wacky Wall Walker
 * The wave
 * Where's the beef? from the Wendy's commercials – 1984
 * Where's Waldo
 * Women's work suits
 * Yuppies

Other fads and trends

 * Atari – 1970s
 * Beanies – 1950s
 * CB radio – 1970s
 * Clackers– 1970s
 * Coonskin caps – 1950s
 * Disco – 1970s
 * Doughboy lamps – 1920s
 * Drive-in theaters – 1960s
 * Droodles – 1950s
 * Fifteen puzzle – 1870s
 * Flagpole sitting – 1920s
 * Goldfish swallowing – 1930s
 * Hula hoop – 1950s
 * Lava lamps – 1960s
 * Loose socks – in Japan
 * Mood ring – 1970s
 * Pet rocks – 1970s
 * Puka shell necklaces – 1970s
 * Roller disco – 1970s
 * Skateboards – 1960s – 1990s
 * Tie-dye – 1960s
 * The Twist – 1960s

Winter

 * Academy Awards (around late February or early March)

Summer

 * Water slides

Fall

 * Haunted houses