10 Fashion Choices Made Entirely From Peer Pressure
Here's a look at trends people wore just because everyone else was doing it.
- Chris Graciano
- 3 min read
Fashion isn’t always about personal taste; it’s also about fitting in. Many styles that took over schools, malls, and parties weren’t necessarily loved but followed out of social pressure. Here are 10 fashion choices people wore simply because they didn’t want to be the odd one out.
1. Skinny Jeans
Yarden on Unsplash
For nearly a decade, skinny jeans ruled closets and crushed comfort. Even those who preferred breathing room felt obligated to squeeze in, since baggier jeans were labeled outdated. The trend became so dominant that alternatives barely existed in stores.
2. Popped Collars
David P Brown on Flickr
Nothing said “trying too hard” like the infamous flipped collar trend. It started as a preppy status symbol but quickly became a peer-pressure uniform among teens and college kids. Keeping your collar down made you seem out of sync with the crowd. Ironically, those trying to look cool just ended up blending in.
3. UGG Boots
Rettinghaus on Wikimedia Commons
These soft, bulky boots weren’t built for every season, yet people wore them year-round to stay relevant. Even in warm weather, teens rocked them with denim shorts just to match the popular crowd. They were cozy, yes, but more of a social requirement than a fashion choice.
4. Silly Bandz
Lauren Coolman on Wikimedia Commons
Kids didn’t just wear one or two; they stacked dozens until their wrists looked like rainbow rubber forests. The shapes and colors were fun, but it was less about style and more about status. The more you had, the cooler you were. By the end, people barely knew why they were wearing them — only that everyone else did.
5. Abercrombie & Fitch Tees
雨晴 張 on Flickr
These shirts weren’t about design; they were about the logo. Owning one meant you belonged to the right crowd, even if the shirt itself was overpriced and itchy. Teens treated the moose emblem like a badge of belonging. It wasn’t fashion, it was conformity with a cotton tag.
6. Sagging Pants
Tom Evil on Wikimedia Commons
What started as a statement in hip-hop culture turned into a nationwide trend. Guys wore jeans low enough to require constant adjustment, all to look part of the in-group. The discomfort didn’t matter when fitting in did. Those who resisted often faced teasing or exclusion.
7. Shutter Shades
Alekjds on Wikimedia Commons
They looked amazing in music videos but were useless anywhere else. You couldn’t see properly, they pinched your temples, and yet, everyone wanted a pair. The peer pressure was strong, if you didn’t have them at parties, you weren’t “fun.”
8. Livestrong Bracelets
Sherool on Wikimedia Commons
Initially created for a great cause, these yellow rubber bands became a social uniform. People wore them not just to support cancer awareness but because everyone else was doing it. If you didn’t have one, you stood out in the worst way.
9. Puka Shell Necklaces
Victoria M on Pexels
For a while, these necklaces were the ultimate symbol of laid-back cool. The irony? Most people wearing them lived nowhere near the beach. They were less about surf culture and more about peer imitation. Every teen wanted that “chill” aesthetic, even if it came from the mall.
10. Crop Tops (for guys in the ’80s)
shstrng on Wikimedia Commons
Back in the ’80s, male crop tops were seen as athletic and bold. But truthfully, many guys wore them just to fit in with their teammates or gym buddies. It was less about liking the style and more about proving confidence.