Trends come and go through the decades, but some things are ugly forever.

I am never getting on board with jeans under dresses—sorry Y2K fashion. Regardless of my opinions, there are some items of clothing that haven’t caught on at all or have fallen below the “fashionable” line very quickly after their peak. I would go as far as to say that many of these items ended up being labeled “dorky” or “ugly.”

 In all truth, I agree with a lot of these sentiments; don’t ask me how Asics is still in business. However, some of these items that were previously labeled as “uncool” have come back with a bang stronger than the resurgence of well-loved trends. 

I’m a huge fan.

Watching people in recent times style classically unfashionable items is probably one of my favorite forms of modern style. It gives credence to the theory that it’s not as much what you wear, but rather, how you wear it. 

One of the most popular “ugly” trends hitting the streets right now is New Balance shoes—little me might disagree that the running shoes I picked out in fifth grade aren’t the cutest, but for the older demographic, they were seen as sort of a downgrade from the popular Nikes. However, nowadays, their soft and less clear-cut edges can fit multiple aesthetics. Their selections have improved as well, and I actually love the rare sightings of in-style New Balances.

Another item that has risen from the garbage is the famous (or infamous) fanny pack. While to some, these bags are the epitome of bad accessories and represent vacation dads, fanny packs have crawled out of the grave. The stigma around these bags is slightly unreasonable—their practicality is second to none. While there is a surplus of eye-bleeding colors, many fanny packs are now being made in neutral colors, making them a valuable asset to any outfit.

A third item that also may have come from a family member’s closet had it not returned in style is the trend of maxi skirts. Several years ago, I would have told you that these cannot look proper on anyone under the age of 60 unless they wanted to look like they went to a strict private school. However, with more modern tops, shoes, and jackets, maxi skirts create a natural and flowing look that catches the eye.

The final, now in-style category isn’t a single item, but rather, an entire genre of clothing: the “prairie” style. This includes frilly dresses that bring back patterns from the past such as plaid and colonial-type stripes. While it teeters on the edge of outdated when not properly styled, these can be incredibly cute when paired with fashionable boots.

I’m quite critical when it comes to articles of clothing, particularly those that tend to walk the line between fashionable and weird. Despite this, the resurgence of what was then ugly and now the peak of modern style has been more than impressive.