React to These Fashion Choices and We'll Guess Your Age

By: Emily Maggrett

6 Min Quiz

Image: Stefano Oppo/Cultura/Getty Images

About This Quiz

When you're getting dressed in the morning, do you reach for high-rise button fly jeans, drop-crotch velvet pants or a sensible pair of black slacks? Are you partial to over-sized blouses or crop tops? Do you treat your feet to platform Crocs, or are you slipping your toes into sandal booties, Dad sneakers or loafers?

The answers to these questions will depend a lot on your age. Those who lived through the '70s find chalky blue eye shadow much more acceptable than the Gen Z kids do. On the other hand, if you're a millennial who suffered through cute guys wearing unflattering bucket hats in the '90s, you're probably not as excited as younger people are for this accessory's unexpected comeback.

In this quiz, we're testing how closely your age is related to your fashion taste by asking you about the tackiest trends of the '70s, '80s, '90s, 2000s and 2010s. We want to know how you feel about face tattoos, purple hair, Tevas, muttonchops and more. If you give us your honest reactions to styles like these, we'll be able to guess your age with perfect accuracy. Don't think we can do it? Prove us wrong by taking this quiz!

You're meeting your boyfriend's mom for the first time. She shows up to lunch wearing linen pants with a white button-down shirt that has the collar popped. What does this tell you about her personality?

She seems scary, like Miranda Priestly from "The Devil Wears Prada."

She seems cool, like Miranda Priestly from "The Devil Wears Prada."
She seems sensible. Linen pants are fashionable yet comfortable.

I want to be her best friend! It sounds like she's stylish and confident.

One of the most irritating trends of the 2000s was the non-functional headband. Given no other information besides the fact that she always wore one, would you be roommates with a lady who refused to let that trend die?

Of course. Only a judgmental person would say no.

Maybe. Sounds like she's holding onto the past. People like that can be bad roommates.
Yes. I actually wish that trend would come back too so maybe we're destined to be BFFs!

Yes, but only because all I care about is whether she's neat, clean and can pay the rent.

A man wearing an Ed Hardy shirt asks you on a date. He's OK-looking and seems normal; the only information you have about him comes from this fashion choice. Do you say yes or no?

No. How could he possibly be cool?

No. Those shirts are the official uniform of creeps.
Yes. Maybe he's a good guy! Right now, it's impossible to tell.

Yes. I actually like those shirts a lot.

In 2018, fanny packs were rebranded as "waist bags" and their sales took off! If your boss wore one to work on Monday, what would you do?

High-five them for their good taste

Ask them where they got it
Snicker about it behind their back

Point and laugh

Today, you want to look fashion-forward, so you decide to punctuate your favorite outfit with a trendy accessory. Which one of these would you choose?

A choker

Dad sneakers
A wide brim hat

Giant wraparound sunglasses

A guy who cultivates that "I haven't shaved in three days" look interviews for a job at your company. Do you hire him?

Sure. He sounds attractive.

Maybe. How's he dressed?
My choice would depend on his resume and how qualified he was for the position.

No. Shave before your interview, you jerk.

Let's say you're a divorced man, just starting to date again. Your friends set you up with a nice woman they know. She shows up to your date wearing a tiny, saucy vest. What's your immediate impression of her?

I wonder why she's wearing a vest. Is she cool or crazy?

I assume she's either ahead of her time or stuck in her 2000s fashion choices.
I think it's quirky but would focus on getting to know her rather than obsessing about her vest.

I'd ask her if she were a roadie for Fleetwood Mac.

In the 1980s and 1990s, hip musicians like David Byrne and Lyle Lovett made bolo ties cool. However, in your opinion, can mortal men pull these off?

I bet Harry Styles could pull a bolo off.

Guys like Adam Levine can pull them off, but they're definitely a tricky accessory.
Mortal men should steer clear of bolos unless they're actual cowboys.

In my opinion, bolos didn't even work for David Byrne or Lyle Lovett.

Back in the day, low-rise pants made muffin tops a daily danger for millions of women. Nonetheless, if you were given a choice between having to wear tight high-rise pants or tight low-rise pants for the rest of your life, which style would you choose?

Tight high-rise pants. I look amazing in them!

Tight high-rise pants. The high, tight waist hurts but it holds in my waist in a flattering way.
Tight low-rise pants. High-rise jeans aren't flattering on me.

Tight low-rise pants. High-rise pants are too hard to sit down in.

You're home for Christmas and planning a winter walk through town, where you suspect you might run into your ex. Since it's so cold, your mom suggests you put on a down vest. Do you?

No. I don't want my ex to see me looking nerdy.

Yes. Down vests are cute.
Maybe. How does it look with the rest of my outfit?

Absolutely not. I want to look successful and mature, not like a little kid.

Are culottes sleek and fun or an evil invention that flatters no one?

They're so great on tall people!

They can look incredibly good, but they have to be styled right.
They're a truly wicked invention.

Culottes are trash.

If you were trying to look prim and proper, which one of these 2000s-era shoes would you put on?

Formal clogs

Patent leather flats
Metallic kitten heels

White Keds

At a shoe store, you try on some high heels made from clear plastic. Everyone says they look great on you. Do you buy them?

Yes, if I can afford them!

Sure. They might be fun for parties.
No. Where the heck would I wear them?

No way! That style is way too Vegas for me.

Your fiancé wants to wear a purple tux with a wide-collar shirt at your wedding. What do you tell him?

"No, hon."

"Let's try on a few options before settling on that choice."
"If you choose that outfit, this wedding is cancelled."

"What the heck, why not?"

You're going camping and must choose a tacky 1990s "sports" shoe to wear the entire time. Which one will you pick?

Brown leather huaraches

Tevas
Timberland boots

Adidas slides

If you were retirement age, how often would you wear a velour tracksuit around the house?

Rarely. Instead, I'd dress up in a suit or dress every day.

Sometimes. A tracksuit is great for working out in.
Frequently. I can't wait to get old, so I can stop wearing uncomfortable clothes.

I would wear a tracksuit at all times, both inside and outside the house. The comfort would be worth it!

You've met the man of your dreams. He's handsome, wealthy, kind and funny. But in the facial hair department, he's sporting a "chin strap" beard, which he refuses to shave off. Do you stay with him?

No. That's an EPIC deal-breaker.

I'd stay with him for several months while trying to convince him to shave it. But if he didn't agree, I'd leave.
I think I could live with that. After all, he sounds like a terrific guy.

Of course I'd stay with him! Rich handsome nice guys don't grow on trees!

Imagine you're a male. A time machine transports you to the 1970s, where you're encouraged to grow a pair of muttonchops. Would you, or would you embrace an edgier style?

I'd get a punk haircut instead.

I'd try the muttonchops since they're what everyone else is wearing.
I'd stay clean-shaven. Muttonchops are creepy.

I'd just grow a full beard. Those were hot in the '70s too!

How old is too old for a woman to wear knee-high socks?

19

24
32

15

A fortune teller informs you that blouses with cold shoulder cut-outs and puffy, ruffly sleeves will be in fashion for the next 50 years, becoming the only kind of shirt that the majority of women wear. Are you happy or sad about this?

Happy. Love those shirts!

Mildly pleased. Those shirts are fun but might get tired after a while.
Annoyed. Have you ever tried to do the dishes while wearing a shirt like that?

Furious. How long must you suffer through this ruffled cold shoulder shirt trend?

Your daughter's SAT tutor is a young white man with several ill-considered tribal tattoos. Do you trust him to do a good job?

Sure, as long as he had good references.

Maybe. You can't judge a book by its cover.
I'd be skeptical. They sound like a strange choice.

No. Having tattoos like that is a sure sign he's an idiot.

Rappers like Post Malone and Travis Scott have made face tattoos go mainstream. Let's say you didn't have to worry about your employer judging you for them ... would you get one?

Yeah! They're so transgressive.

No. But I'd consider getting one on my neck.
Nah. In my opinion, they look trashy.

100% no. This face tattoo fad is the worst!

Remember those weird sweater dresses from the 2000s? What would it take to get you to wear one?

To be honest, I don't totally hate them.

I might wear one if it were short and baggy.
I'd have to be VERY COLD.

Hey! I've still got several sweater dresses in my closet!

Your best friend wants to dye her hair purple. Do you encourage her?

Yeah, why not?

Yes, if it's not against her work's dress code.
Maybe. I think she should choose a subtle shade, not a cartoonish one?

No. It would look too juvenile.

In your opinion, are the odd tan lines caused by knee-high gladiator sandals worth it because the look is so strong?

Yes. It's just so funky.

Yes. If you're careful not to wear them every day, you can minimize the weird tan lines.
No. They look really uncomfortable to walk in.

No. Those sandals are fine for Roman centurions, but I couldn't possibly wear them to work.

Tiny round Yoko Ono sunglasses: cute or nah?

Extremely cute

Cute if you have the right face for them
Not cute at all

Let's leave those back in the '90s, where they belong.

Recently, Gigi Hadid wore a bucket hat, and it somehow looked chic on her. Does that inspire you to buy a bucket hat for yourself?

Yes, yes, yes!

I might not buy a bucket hat, but I'd try one on.
They weren't chic in the '90s and they're not chic now.

No. What am I, an old fisherman?

For the last 30 years, most jean stores have sold bootcut jeans, whether they were in fashion or not. How do you feel about that?

They have never been in fashion during my lifetime, so I'm kind of intrigued by them.

I don't get it. They're so dorky-looking.
You know what? For some body types, boot cuts are a lot more flattering than other styles of jeans.

You can take away my bootcut jeans when you pry them from my cold, dead hands.

You're going to the beach to check out the tide pools. Your grandmother recommends wearing '90s-style jelly shoes since they provide protection from the rocks you'll be traveling over. Do you dare to put them on?

Of course! I have a dope pair from Urban Outfitters that I can slip into.

Sure, why not? They're practical if not stylish.
No way. Those are too geeky to fit my personal brand.

Absolutely not. Those are children's shoes.

Your mom buys you a pair of expensive Balenciaga platform Crocs. What do you say?

"Cute! Thanks, mom."

"Um, wow, thanks so much."
"Hmm. These are great, but I don't know if they're right for me."

"Mom! What were you thinking?"

6 Minute Quiz 6 Min

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