CRAZY COUTURE

Would you be able to walk on 20-inch-tall platform shoes?

Image: Birmingham Museums Trust

Do you meticulously plan your outfits? Or are you the seize-the-first-thing-you-find type, prioritizing comfort over glamor? Whatever your style strategy, there's no denying the fundamental role that clothing plays in our daily lives.

From ancient times to the present day, fashion has been an integral part of human expression. Yet, in the ever-evolving world of style, some trends stand out for their, let's say, rarity.

Even if you think you've seen it all, you won't believe these 10 crazy fashion trends that reigned at different times in history.

Image: Tomas Robertson

Loose sleeves can be a problem. They may get in the way while you use your keyboard, or worse, dive into your soup while trying to get dinner. If you find this unbearable, imagine wearing a coat with sleeves that reach all the way to the floor. These garments existed, and they were called bliauts.

In the 12th and 13th centuries, people wore these thin coats with snug waists. Notably, the sleeves started narrow and widened from the elbow, eventually reaching the ground.

Of course, this attire wasn't just a fashion choice; it also spoke about social status. The extensive sleeves were a luxury enjoyed by those exempt from manual labor.

Image: Kalon

Do you think today's high heels are a pain? If so, maybe you're not ready for the wild world of chopines. These footwear, popular from the 15th to 17th centuries, were platform shoes that could reach an incredible 20 inches in height! Yes, you read it right; they were practically stilts.

But why? Well, these platforms served a practical purpose: to protect clothing from the water and mud that filled the streets at the time.

But they were not just about practicality; they were also a proclamation: The higher the platforms, the higher the social status of the wearer.

Image: Europeana

Have you ever spotted those cone-shaped collars on dogs trying to keep their paws off a wound? Those have a nickname; they're called "Elizabethan collars." It's not because dogs suddenly developed a taste for fashion. There's another reason behind the name.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the days of Queen Elizabeth I of England, upper-class people wore these large neck ruffs every single day. These things actually looked like something out of a vet's office.

Made of linen, neck ruffs were very popular in Europe at the time. If you've ever caught a period movie, you've likely seen them stealing the scene. It seems that discomfort was a symbol of abundance.

Image: Cristina Gottardi

Before minimalism swept in, bringing simple, lightweight clothing to give our bodies a break, fashion was very different. Exaggeration was the key.

And it wasn't just about clothes and shoes; hair also played a starring role. In the 18th century, huge white or gray wigs stole the spotlight. And, in case you hadn't already guessed, they were made of human or animal hair.

The taller and bulkier the wig, the more elevated its owner's social situation. Marge Simpson would have been a sensation back then.

Sure, our computers and cell phones might give our backs a hard time, but the neck issues these 18th-century people faced would've been on a whole other level.

Image: Johnny Briggs

Would you believe us if we told you that, some centuries ago, hat-making was a risky job? Crafting hats is not a simple task; it takes talent. But in the 18th and 19th centuries, this job reached a new level of difficulty, as it involved the use of mercury!

Mercury played a central role in treating fur, the primary material used to craft the felt hats of that era.

As these hats gained popularity, so did the unfortunate rise of mercury poisoning, giving birth to the "mad hatter" phenomenon. Both hatters and the gentlemen who sported these accessories were unwittingly taking this bizarre risk.

Image: Birmingham Museums Trust

Have you ever wondered what it'd be like to wear metal clothing? Sounds futuristic, right? Well, you might be surprised to know that in the mid-19th century, women wore a sort of metal structure beneath their dresses.

These garments, known as crinolines, were originally made of horsehair and cotton, but they changed their composition over the years. Eventually, they became these metal frames called steel cage crinolines.

That's right, women of the time adopted these heavy metal hoops, not only burdening themselves with extra weight but also sacrificing comfort along the way.

Image: Mark Stoop

If you thought petticoats made of metal hoops were a bit much, just wait, because the 19th century has more to offer!

Towards the end of that century, a fashion craze emerged that was as wild as it was controversial: wearing tiny live lizards as accessories.

Although it sounds like a joke, it was a real (and cruel) fad. Women would casually attach these reptiles to their clothes, and the little animals would stroll around, holding onto the fabric as part of the outfit. This peculiar trend had discomfort written all over it!

Image: Olga Thelavart

Fashion is as fluid as a river, constantly changing. Since the 20th century, this characteristic has become even more dynamic, giving rise to some trends that didn't last long decades or centuries but were more like quick stylistic experiments of a few months.

That is the case of paper dresses, which had their moment of popularity during the 1960s. Driven by the avant-garde spirit and the search for novelty, these dresses were accessible to everyone, which marks a difference from the elitist fashions we have seen so far.

In addition, they were disposable, a sharp contrast to today's fashion scene, where it's all about recycling and giving new life to the old.

Image: Ricardo Gomez Angel

Oh, the fashion choices of the 90s and early 2000s. We thought we were rocking it, but a glance at the red carpet of that time is enough to understand how wrong we were.

The turn-of-the-century look revolutionized style in the Western hemisphere, with pop and hip-hop music beating everywhere. This type of music brought with it a rather peculiar style.

Sagging jeans were worn mostly by rappers and other male urban artists. These pants weren't just oversized; they were colossal, hanging so low they'd purposefully reveal the wearer's underwear.

While many argue it was a protest against the rigid norms of fashion, let's be real: they weren't exactly easy on the eyes.

Image: Rune Enstad

Just a couple of years ago, fashion pulled another unexpected twist. Hair took the spotlight. However, this time, it was all about facial hair.

Eyebrows play a crucial role in shaping your look. That's why, since around 2010, many women and men have adopted the habit of letting their eyebrows grow, meticulously combing and grooming them.

Fast forward to 2020, and this eyebrow trend took a sharp turn. Suddenly, it was in vogue to bleach the eyebrows, resulting in an unnatural look.

This trend had already been around during the extravagant 90s but recently returned as a friendly reminder that not every style comeback is a hit.

Weird nature

10 animals that shouldn’t exist (but do anyway)

Image: Rachael Mbaika

Nature doesn’t always play by the rules. Some animals seem like evolutionary jokes, while others look like science experiments gone rogue. Whether it's their appearance, behavior, or biology, these 10 creatures will have you questioning reality—but every single one is real. Let’s meet them together!

Image: Michael Jerrard

The platypus looks like someone smashed together a duck, beaver, and otter—and then added venom, for good measure. Native to Australia, it's one of only five monotremes, mammals that lay eggs.

Males have venomous spurs on their hind legs, capable of delivering excruciating pain. And when it hunts underwater, it closes its eyes, ears, and nostrils, relying entirely on electroreception to sense the tiny electric fields of its prey.

Image: Mattias Banguese

These weird-looking guys never grow up—literally. Unlike other types of salamanders, the axolotl retains its larval features throughout life, a trait known as neoteny.

They can regrow limbs, spinal cords, parts of their heart, and even sections of their brain. Found only in lakes near Mexico City, it's critically endangered in the wild but common in labs due to its regenerative abilities.

Image: Claus Giering

These tiny crustaceans pack a punch so fast it boils the water around them, creating shockwaves and cavitation bubbles. Their strikes can hit speeds of about 50 mph, with accelerations rivaling a speeding bullet.

They also have some of the most complex eyes in the animal kingdom, capable of seeing polarized light and 12 color channels (for comparison, humans only have 3).

Image: Dasha Urvachova

Native to the Eurasian steppes, the saiga’s oversized, drooping nose looks cartoonish but serves real functions: it filters dust and regulates temperature.

Once widespread, the species is now critically endangered due to poaching and disease outbreaks that can wipe out huge populations in weeks.

Image: Lara Lone

These hairless rodents—close cousins of more familiar, fur-covered mole species (pictured)—live in underground colonies with a social structure similar to bees. They're nearly immune to cancer, insensitive to pain, and can survive 18 minutes without oxygen.

Their cells have unique mechanisms for DNA repair and protein stability, making them a valuable subject in medical research, especially for aging and disease resistance.

Image: Clement Meers

This lemur species from Madagascar uses its grotesquely long middle finger to tap on wood and fish out insects—like a skeletal woodpecker.

Locals have traditionally feared them as omens of death. Sadly, this superstition contributes to its declining population, alongside habitat loss.

Image: Albert Canite

This jellyfish can revert its cells to an earlier stage of life, effectively resetting its aging process. It doesn’t die of old age—it just starts over.

It's not truly immortal—injuries and predation can still kill it—but its ability to cheat aging is unique in the animal kingdom.

Image: Joe Lemm

This six-inch-long, velvety creature looks like it was designed by a plush toy company. Found mainly in Argentina, it burrows underground and is rarely spotted in the wild.

Its pink armor acts as both protection and a way to regulate body temperature. Despite its cuteness, very little is known due to its elusive, nocturnal behavior.

Image: Wai Siew

This deep-sea shark can shoot its jaw forward at about 10 feet per second, snatching prey with lightning speed. Its long, flat snout houses special sensors to detect electric fields.

With translucent skin and a prehistoric look, it’s sometimes called a "living fossil." It’s rarely seen alive due to its deep-sea habitat.

Image: Tim Morgan

With its comically large nose, the male proboscis monkey looks absurd—but females apparently find it attractive. The nose also amplifies vocalizations to assert dominance.

Native to Borneo, it’s a strong swimmer with webbed feet but is threatened by habitat loss and hunting.