There is one thing that separates the children of the ‘90s and those of the 2000s. And, it isn’t whether or not they remember the inside of the Millenium Dome (I obviously do). While statement earrings may be the toast of 2017, anyone who attended secondary school in the early Noughties can tell you this trend will be short-lived in comparison to our dedication to arm accessories back then. Bracelets weren’t just fashion accessories, they defined us, and we wore them stacked high up the arm. Yeah, looking back it seems like we were missing the point with some of them (LiveStrong bands) but that didn’t stop us buying them in 17 different colours and then wearing them all at once.
1. Prayer Beads
Wayyy before mindfulness was trendy we were collecting power beads. Instantly recognisable by their elemental aesthetical and dubious (urban) legend that they contain some sort of vague magical healing power.
2. Friendship Bracelets
We may have said we made these at a sleepover but it’s more likely we purchased them on the sly from Claire’s Accessories.
3. Slap/Snap Bracelets
Ouch, I can still feel the pain of skin getting caught in these cruel torture toys. Though they were marketed as something for kids they had high fashion credentials – Dior even made their own – though the kids at my school preferred them neon, plain and with a snap that left a mark.
4. LiveStrong Bracelets
Probably the most pervasive bracelet of all, the LiveStrong rubber band started as a charitable concept but quickly got gobbled up by anyone keen to make a buck. Originally, it was associated with Lance Armstrong’s cancer research organisation but as soon as the world noticed it was socially unacceptable not to be wearing one, fashion brands started making their own bands covered with catchy nonsensical phrases.
5. Tattoo Bracelets
It’s actually laughable that we thought we were falling anyone with these stretchy plastic fake-tatt bands. If you were really into Sporty Spice’s inking’s you probably wore them pushed up on your bicep or attempted to (before breaking it) stretch it over your head to make it into a choker.
6. Sex Bracelets
Otherwise known as silly bandz, these were ubiquitous on the playground. Rumour had it that each headache-inducing bright shade signified a different sex act, or so the boys that tried to snap and cash them in said. This lewd underbelly didn’t stop us wearing them in a rainbow of shades (unless you were emo and then you only wore them in black or red, of course).
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.