Top 10 Cringiest Things From The 80s

If clothes are meant to make a statement, the message with these shirts seemed to be, “Hey, check out how ridiculous I look.” For some reason, people in the 80s decided that shirts with bright colors, covered in all sorts of shapes, were the height of fashion. But these shirts looked more like they belonged in a modern art museum than on anyone’s body. If you’re going to an 80s theme party, a geometric patterned shirt will help you to look the part. Otherwise, it’ll probably just make you look like a total square.

It’s hard to believe that there was a time when it wasn’t the norm to have your own computer. In the 80s, the popularity (and sales) of home computers started taking off, showing that owning a computer wasn’t just for geeks. For instance, you could play some low-quality video games, write papers, and...okay, there wasn’t much more than that. The processing speeds were ludicrously slow, and the clunky designs were anything but attractive. It was all very impressive and exciting at the time, but like most technology, they soon showed their age.

When we think of soft drinks, we think of Coca-Cola. But in the early 80s, rival Pepsi started to attract more customers in supermarkets, and Coke was losing ground. The soda giant developed a new formula for their famous cola, calling it "New Coke." This sweeter take on the beverage arrived with plenty of fanfare and marketing. But it didn't take long for the backlash to start. Less than three months after New Coke's debut, the company announced the return of "Coca-Cola Classic." Some theorized that the new formula was simply a ploy to drive sales when the old formula returned. Coke may have stumbled a bit, but they ultimately came out on top.

A wristwatch is a great way to look fashionable while also keeping track of the time. But a clock on a chain is a bit much. Rapper and Public Enemy hype man Flavor Flav popularized this trend, though we didn’t exactly see many others using timepieces as necklaces. In a 1994 interview with MTV, the rapper said he started with stopwatches and escalated to clocks. He also said that wearing the clocks represent the value of time in our lives. It became his signature look that he still rocks today.

Remember what we said about wristwatches being fashionable? Well, that’s not always the case. During the rise of digital watches, Swatches were meant to make analog wristwatches cool again. This Swiss line of watches came in an array of colors, and it became trendy to wear multiple, different-colored watches at the same time. And what’s cooler than that? We just wanted to stand out, and Swatch ads made us feel like we'd be treated like absolute royalty with these watches. Ultimately though, we just ended up looking like total dorks. But, hey, at least it helped with our punctuality, right?

If you grew up in the 80s, or even the 90s, you probably remember buying and renting movies on VHS. But do you remember Betamax? Before VHS became the home video format of choice, it was in a rivalry with Sony. Betamax was actually launched first in 1975, and its picture quality was arguably superior. But it had some drawbacks, like its more expensive VCRs and reduced recording space. This allowed VHS to get the upper hand. VHS soon took the lead and rendered Beta obsolete. Maybe they should’ve called it “Alphamax?”

The big hair of the 80s didn’t get that way by pure luck. We had to use plenty of product - such as Aqua Net hairspray - to reach maximum poufy potential. But while we hoped to look like pop icons and rock stars, our expectations didn’t quite meet reality. With the amount of spray used, it was all but impossible to notice anything but our hair. And did we mention its strong scent? Private and public restrooms alike reeked of Aqua Net. Bigger may have not actually been better, but it was the dominant style for a time.

In the business world, what you wear can impact how you’re perceived and what opportunities are available for you. So, working women in the 80s started wearing suits with shoulder pads as a way of saying they're just as capable as any man. Influential figures like Margaret Thatcher and "Dynasty" star Joan Collins exuded strength and confidence while rocking shoulder pads. But big shoulders eventually started to look goofy rather than inspiring and became another fashion footnote of the 80s. However, shoulder pads have made a comeback among fashionistas in the late 2010s and early 2020s.

Drug addiction is an extremely complicated issue that we may never fully understand. But we do know that it can't just be stopped with a three-word slogan. The "Just Say No" campaign, coined and popularized by First Lady Nancy Reagan, simplified this complex matter, ignoring the many reasons people turn to substances. While it did create further awareness of drug dependency, there's no evidence to indicate that it actually made a marked difference in overall drug use. It also may have furthered the idea of addiction as a moral issue rather than a health one. The intentions may have been good, but the results were lacking.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Acid-Washed Jeans
We Were Obsessed with Bleaching Our Denim

Pastel Shirts & Ties with Suits
We All Wanted to be Sonny Crockett

Fax Machines
Before Email, This Was a Miracle

In 1986, the U.S. Surgeon General reported on the dangers of secondhand smoke. And the major health risks of tobacco were well-known before the 80s. But despite all this, indoor smoking in public places was still allowed. It wasn’t just restaurants with separate smoking sections. You could find people smoking in the office, at grocery stores, and even on planes. The tobacco industry knew of these dangers and did their best to suppress them and avoid further regulations. Health advocates won out, and laws about indoor smoking have since become much stricter.