40 Nostalgic Photos That Will Take ’80s And ’90s Kids Right Back

The music. The toys. The video games. The superstars. Was everything better back in the day? We know we sometimes long for the days when we only had to worry about getting home fast enough to watch our favorite cartoons on TV after school. Life felt a lot more straightforward. And while it may seem as if the 1990s and even the early 2000s were another lifetime ago, these vintage photos will bring the memories rushing back to you. 

Long hair with a central part

In the '90s, a center-parting the hairstyle for young women. None of that side-parting business, thank you. And did anyone rock this look better than the Spice Girls? Whether you were reaching for the blond dye to really call attention to that parting like Ginger Spice, or you were more into Victoria Beckham’s sleek, center-parted bob, this hairstyle was iconic.

Colored train tracks

And by train tracks, we, of course, mean dental braces. Even if they caused you serious pain each time you took a trip to the dentist to get them tightened, it was all made instantly better when you got to choose the color of your new bands. And to anyone who made the mistake of choosing fluorescent green back in the day: we feel your pain. 

Mood rings

Sometimes all anyone wants is to wear a nifty ring that changes color if your crush walks past you and smiles. These “mood rings” became a big deal in the '90s, as they were supposed to give mystical insight into the feelings of their wearers... In reality, though, half the time the liquid crystal within would just get jammed between red pride and purple power, leaving an ugly brown color. Which usually meant angst.

The “Rachel” cut

Few hairstyles are as synonymous with the '90s as “The Rachel.” Worn by Jennifer Aniston as Rachel Green in the decade-conquering sitcom Friends, the highlighted, layered, and bouncy shoulder-length style was imitated by women all over the world. Yet even Aniston admitted that she struggled to recreate the salon-quality style when left to her own devices.