20 Style Phases We All Go Through As Teenagers
Every fashion phase felt like a life-or-death declaration of who we were, even if that identity changed every few months.
Looking back, it’s equal parts cringe and charm.
But those chaotic years? Absolutely unforgettable.
Grab your metaphorical time machine—we’re diving headfirst into the rollercoaster of teen fashion choices that shaped us (or at least gave our parents something to worry about).
1. The Grunge Phase
Flannel shirts? Check. Ripped jeans? Double check.
A deep conviction that showering was optional? Oh, you bet.
The grunge phase was our teenage love letter to rebellion—wrapped in plaid and sprinkled with angst.
Inspired by 90s alt-rock icons, we roamed the halls like moody philosophers with guitar solos in our souls.
This was the era where your clothes said, “I have deep thoughts and possibly a secret band.”
2. The Preppy Phase
Suddenly, everything smelled like fresh laundry and ambition.
Pastel polos, headbands and loafers marched into our wardrobes like they owned the place—and honestly, they kind of did.
The preppy phase was our short-lived fantasy of becoming legacy Ivy Leaguers who vacationed on sailboats.
We tied sweaters around our shoulders like we were in a J.Crew catalog and treated khakis like sacred fabric.
.If your outfit didn’t look like it could attend a charity brunch, were you even trying?
3. The Emo Phase
Ah, the emo phase—where every outfit came with a soundtrack and a side of emotional turmoil.
Black skinny jeans were our armor, and band tees were basically mood boards.
We painted on eyeliner like our feelings depended on it, and styled our bangs to cover the part of us that felt too much (which, let’s be honest, was all of us).
This wasn’t just a fashion moment.
It was a poetic era of dramatic stares, meaningful lyrics and MySpace profile songs.
4. The Skater Phase
This was the phase where gravity became our biggest enemy—and baggy jeans our closest allies.
You didn’t have to own a skateboard to be in your skater era, but it definitely helped your street cred (even if you only knew how to ollie… kind of).
Graphic tees were your armor and scuffed Vans were a badge of honor.
Most of us just ended up with bruised knees and epic playlists.
5. The Goth Phase
Everything turned black—our clothes, our nails our worldview.
We weren’t sad, we were deep.
The goth phase was like stepping into a vampire novel, except instead of blood, we drank iced coffee and quoted Edgar Allan Poe.
Lace, velvet, leather and more chokers than medically recommended made up our daily fits.
Bonus points if you could walk in platform boots without twisting an ankle or accidentally summoning a ghost.
6. The Hip-Hop Phase
We turned up the bass and turned down the belt loops.
Baggy jeans, snapbacks and hoodies several sizes too big made us feel like we ran the streets—even if we never left the cul-de-sac.
This was the phase where every hallway was a runway and every classroom doorframe was your imaginary music video entrance.
Swagger was a mindset and if you didn’t have at least one pair of pristine sneakers, you were simply not in the club.
7. The Sporty Phase
Whether you were on a team or just owned a team hoodie, this phase made you look like you could run a mile at any given moment (even though you absolutely wouldn’t).
Tracksuits were our unofficial uniforms, and ponytails sat higher than our expectations.
This was athleisure before it had a fancy name—just vibes, gym bags, and that one kid who always wore basketball shorts, even in December.
8. The Vintage Phase
We became walking time capsules.
One trip to the thrift store and suddenly we were channeling the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s like we’d lived through all of them.
We paired polka dots with shoulder pads and called it “creative expression.”
Half the fun was telling everyone our outfit cost three bucks and still looked cooler than anything from the mall.
If your jeans weren’t high-waisted enough to function as a strapless top, were they even vintage?
9. The Bohemian Phase
We floated into the boho phase wearing maxi dresses, flower crowns, and the vague belief that we could play acoustic guitar if we really wanted to.
We adorned ourselves in tassels, beads, and enough fringe to start a curtain business.
Everything smelled like patchouli and freedom.
Deep down, we just wanted to look like we belonged at a music festival—even if the only music we listened to was whatever played in Forever 21.
10. The Kawaii Phase
Pastels, plush toys, and pigtails galore—this was the era of cuteness overload.
We embraced cartoon characters as fashion icons and proudly wore outfits that could double as candy packaging.
Kawaii was about wide-eyed innocence and bubblegum dreams, even if we were still secretly failing algebra.
You hadn’t fully committed until you had at least one accessory shaped like food with a face on it.
11. The Punk Phase
Safety pins? Functional. Mohawks? Inspirational.
The punk phase wasn’t just style—it was our teenage version of flipping the bird to authority.
We raided our closets (and our parents’ toolboxes) to create looks that could scare off substitute teachers.
It wasn’t about looking pretty; it was about looking like you might start a garage band or a revolution—or both.
12. The Glam Phase
Cue the glitter cannon.
The glam phase was our sparkliest chapter—sequins, rhinestones, metallics and lashes long enough to cause a breeze when you blinked.
Every outing was a red carpet moment, even if it was just math class.
We didn’t just wear sparkle, we became it.
And if anyone said it was “too much,” we’d just toss our faux fur over our shoulder and sashay away.
13. The Hipster Phase
We discovered irony and wore it like a second skin.
Beanies in summer? Absolutely. Typewriter necklaces? A must.
We developed strong opinions about coffee, vinyl records, and mustaches (ironic ones only, please).
Everything was thrifted, vintage, or obscure—and the more people hadn’t heard of it, the better.
We were walking Pinterest boards before it was cool.
Wait, is it cool now?
14. The Geek Chic Phase
Somewhere along the way, being a nerd got cool—and we were ready.
Oversized glasses, suspenders, fandom tees and the triumphant return of the backpack made this look a classroom classic.
We wore our favorite franchises on our sleeves, literally. Harry Potter? Star Wars? Minecraft?
If it had a fanbase, we had a wardrobe.
Geek was the new glam—and we loved every pixel of it.
15. The Minimalist Phase
Ah yes, the moment when we discovered that less really could be more—mostly because we ran out of closet space.
We swapped patterns for neutrals, chaos for clean lines and realized black-on-black could look incredibly intentional.
This was our fashion detox phase, where one sleek jacket replaced 17 loud shirts and suddenly we felt… organized.
Like we’d finally figured life out (spoiler: we hadn’t).
16. The Retro Futurism Phase
Imagine if a disco ball and a robot had a fashion baby—that was this phase.
Neon, holographic materials, space buns and outfits that looked like we time-traveled from a 1980s vision of 2099.
It was all about blending nostalgia with sci-fi vibes and boy, did we commit.
We didn’t just wear clothes—we beamed down in them.
17. The Artsy Phase
Everything became a canvas.
We wore berets without painting a single thing and mixed prints like we had a degree in creative chaos.
This phase screamed “I took one art class and now I understand life.”
We experimented with DIY clothing, wore our hobbies (and hot glue burns) on our sleeves and somehow always carried a sketchbook—even if it only had one unfinished eye in it.
18. The Normcore Phase
Nothing said “look at me not trying” like normcore.
White tees, straight jeans, sneakers that whispered “dad energy.”
This phase was about fitting in so hard that it somehow stood out.
We rejected fashion fads by embracing the most average clothes imaginable—and that was the whole point.
It was low-key brilliance disguised as basic.
19. The Techwear Phase
Like dressing for the apocalypse—but make it fashion.
Waterproof hoodies, tactical vests, more pockets than you had things to carry.
This phase was all about functionality with a futuristic twist.
We looked like we were heading to a coding bootcamp on Mars—and honestly, we kind of loved it.
Bonus: we were always prepared for sudden rain or spontaneous ninja moves.
20. The Cottagecore Phase
And finally, we escaped modern life—through aesthetic, if not geography.
We dressed like we lived in a countryside fairytale, baking sourdough and reading poetry in meadows (even if it was just a picnic in the park with store-bought muffins).
Cottagecore was a cozy fantasy of simpler times, where floral prints reigned and every dress begged for a sun-dappled twirl.