Going through old pictures usually brings back all sorts of memories. That means both the beautiful times you feel sentimental about and the top-tier cringe-worthy moments. And even though the latter might make you want to disappear into thin air (or close the photo album, at least), looking back at your young self can often be very amusing as well.
Some of the finest examples that can make you laugh and cry simultaneously can be found on the ‘Blunder Years’ subreddit. Dedicated to, in their exact words, “pictures from a regrettable past”, it covers all sorts of disasters, from questionable hairstyle choices (let me remind you, a side fringe bang covering half of your face was a thing back in the day) to the epitomes of “cool” outfits. Today, we invite you to make yourself comfortable and embark on a journey through time, guided by the beautiful messes in these pictures.
#1 Thanks To My Sister, I Completely Embraced Goth Culture In 1998
Image credits: clumsychickadee__
#2 2009, Black Eye Liner & Lime Green Everything. 13 Years Old, Very Questionable Pose With Dads Webcam
Image credits: symbolicthoughts
#3 Somehow It Took Me Until My Thirties To Figure Out I’m A Dude Despite Going Through High School Looking Like This
Image credits: maybejolisa
#4 1999 Tony Hawk Phase (Yes, Those Are Shorts…)
Image credits: zephsoph
#5 A Mustache Did Not Look Very Good On Me In Middle School
Image credits: JJ2478
#6 In My Bedroom, 2006. My Sister Was The One Who Wrote ‘Butt’ All Over The Walls
Image credits: alexanfaye
#7 Family Photo. What A Mood
Image credits: puffsaddy
#8 Senior Picture; Gamecube Not Pictured
Image credits: ryly_shane
#9 Oh College. I'll Never Be This Cool Again
Image credits: TrondroKely
#10 1998. That Was A Knock-Off Fubu Shirt That I Bought From A Gas Station
Image credits: roqthecasbah
#11 (Oc) I Was Not A Fan Of That Easter Bunny!
Image credits: kennethdpedersen
#12 1991 Obsessed With Michael Jordan
Image credits: foshi22le
#13 Did Anyone Else Have These Weird Hairy Tops? I Thought They Were The S**t
Image credits: tootyfruitysummerluv
#14 I Guess Being Able To See Is Overrated
Image credits: EmpireEmpire
#15 It Was Not A Good Eyeliner Day, And I Was Trying To Make “Hippie Bands” My Thing. Rip To My Emo Era
Image credits: Gothblessyou
#16 1997 Hadn't Washed My Hair In 6 Months After Braiding It. Dread Wax Applied Every Day. I Thought That Was How You Started Dreadlocks
Image credits: TH3_G4DFLY
#17 Me Circa 2005 Thinking I Was The Absolutely Baddest Thing Around With My Men’s Camo Cargo Short And Corset Combo
Image credits: Kbeefydubbz
#18 My Senior Yearbook Photo. I Thought That Quote Was So Funny
Image credits: 7fingersphil
#19 Is This A Blunder Or Old School Cool? All I Know Is, I Was Kicking A*s And Taking No S**t
Image credits: maribrite83
#20 Y’all I Thought I Was Cool Taking These Photos For A Anti Bullying Campaign ? I Did Get In A Magazine Thought (It Was A Contest To Submit Photos For Their Stop Think Feel Initiative)
Image credits: Infinitestripes95
#21 Sometime Between 05 And 07, I Remember I Got To Choose The Background And Which Weapon I Posed With
Image credits: shortlegs99
#22 You May Not Like It, But This Is Peak 1998. Korn Poster And Shortys Shirt Says It All!
Image credits: tshaff138
#23 Me When I Was 12 Years Old Buying My First Cd’s
Image credits: thetinycatt
#24 Who'd Take The Red Pill When You Look This Fly In The Matrix? (2000)
Image credits: War_machine77
#25 My “Date” To The Eighth Grade Dance
Image credits: tamenesh
#26 This Pic Won Me “Most Embarrassing” Genx Photo A Few Years Back. Christmas 1989
Image credits: reddit.com
#27 Recovered This Gem From The "Autobiography" I Wrote When I Was 10
Image credits: Dirty-D
#28 Junior Year Of Hs, Apparently I Thought Wearing A Suit Coat Holding A Plastic Sword Was Cool
Image credits: Axel_Rad
#29 This Is So Long Ago And Yes I Worked At Hot Topic
Image credits: dinosaurpixie
#30 In My Mind They Were The Real Deal. Check The Bowl Cut
Image credits: Thricey
#31 This Was Before Big Headphones Became A Thing Again, Maybe 2005. I Wore Them As Earmuffs And Dragged The Cord Along With Me
Image credits: NeedsMoreTuba
#32 The First Time I Put On My Band Uniform— 2011
Image credits: slinque
#33 Me In 2007 -- Idk Why I Tried To Photoshop My Face Off, But My Hair Was Cool ?
Image credits: stoned_seahorse
#34 Me In 2006, Age 16/17.. Big Myspace Vibes
Image credits: stoned_seahorse
#35 Friends Teased Me For This Fb Pfp, But I Knew I Was Iconic
Image credits: seqoyah
#36 My Siblings, Their Former Partners And Me, Ca 2009
Image credits: Enexiel
#37 Me Circa 1995. I Think I Thought I Was Grunge Or Something
Image credits: hoggytime613
#38 Leave Some Ladies For The Rest Of Us
Image credits: youruineverything
#39 Fake Mullet, Delia’s Shoulder Bag, Paramore Tee, Mountain Dew Can. This Was Peak 2007
Image credits: Kdaniesmith
#40 Frosted Tips, Resident Evil Toys, A Jenny Mccarthy Poster Aka Welcome To 1999
Image credits: thomASSpynchon
#41 Thought I'd Share This Gem. 2002. I Was A Ddr Champ
Image credits: merrythoughts
#42 1999 - I Told Dad “I Need Your Clothes, Your Boots, And Your Motorcycle”. Only Got The Clothes
Image credits: TheZone92
#43 Circa 2006-2007. I Thought I Was The Coolest Guy Out There!
Image credits: HappyYoshi2015
#44 Yeah, I Wasn't Proud Of Myself For This Phase Lol
Image credits: CompetitiveAdvance92
#45 Told My Cousin About This Sub. He Sent Me This
Image credits: stadboer
#46 It Was The 80s. I Have No Other Excuse
Image credits: owzleee
#47 My Mom Cut My Hair The Day Before Picture Day (Early 90s). For Picture Day We Curled My Very Short Hair Resulting In This Delightfully Puffy Abomination Where I Insisted On Wearing Earrings So “I Didn’t Look Like A Boy” . The Result Is This Delightful Xmas Ornament That I Get To Look At Every Year
Image credits: teebee431
#48 Last Round Of Blunder Before I Die Of Cringe. Plus Bonus Current Photo
Image credits: ninja_worrier
#49 Haircut From Dad + Kung Fu Shirt From Grandma = ?
Image credits: KongSackStoolfire
#50 Erhmagerd, Gersbermps
Image credits: NessunAbilita
#51 That Weird Al Early 00s Look
Image credits: timconnery
#52 I Remember Being Obsessed With This Popcorn-Lime Green-Halter Top. Who Let Me Go Out Like This??
Image credits: me_arielb
#53 Took A Pic After We Found Our Cat That Got Away (2010)
Image credits: No-Candidate-3555
#54 My Friends And I, Circa 2007. I’m The Guy Throwing Gang Signs With His Green Soda
Image credits: SaltRevolutionary917
#55 Just Found This Banger Taken 08
Image credits: Toshhba
#56 The Classic ‘Hike Up Your Pants Above The Hemline Of Your Shirt To Look Half Naked’ Trick
Image credits: SteezusMCMXCVI
#57 1985, I’m Mr.gender Bender Glam Goth And Club Scene Regular. The Whole Time I Secretly Listened To Thrash Music Lol. Will I Ever Live It Down?!
Image credits: Seanessey
#58 Peaking At The Age Of 13 In 2003 Has Been Tough. What An Outfit. And A Receding Hairline (That Thankfully Grew Back) From Years Of Pulling My Hair Back So Tightly
Image credits: uneasyandcheesy
#59 My Nickname Was "Ronald" In School
Image credits: DannyDublin1975
#60 Mom Was Mad But Admittedly Almost Peed Herself Laughing At The Results
Image credits: NavyNUCa
#61 Looking Like I Just Crawled Out Of The Sewer. With My Baby Brother Circa 2008/9 ?
Image credits: kclct
#62 My Bedroom 11 Years Ago When I Was 14, Be Careful You Don't Hurt Yourself On All The Edge
Image credits: XLNerd
#63 Lion King Sisters 1994 I Was 8 Years Old And Lil Sis 4 . 1st Day School 3rd Grade And Kindergarten
Image credits: Seaepona
#64 The Year Is 2006. A Hs Teacher Tells Your Friend Group To Stop Standing Around His Classroom, So You Sit Instead. So Smart, So Edgy, So Cool
Image credits: lilahcook
#65 Restricted To Loser Hall (And To 2006)
Image credits: infinitychaosx
#66 Mom, It’s Not A Phase
Image credits: inkmaster916
#67 My Brother And I, Late 90s
Image credits: KFCCrocs
#68 My Teenage Years Are The Gift That Keeps On Giving
Image credits: Toshhba
#69 13 Years Old In 2007. Probably Couldn't Get My "Scene Mullet" Right That Day
Image credits: 2thirty8
#70 High School Art Class
Image credits: minthotel
#71 During My Late Teens, I Went Through A "Everything Beach-Y" Phase. My Dad Dug This Photo Up The Other Day And I Cringed
Image credits: _otterinabox
#72 Found These Pics After Losing My Mom In April. Today, I’m Ready To Share These With The World. I’m 44 Years Old Now, So Please Know That The 80’s Were Not A Forgiving Time
Image credits: reddit.com
#73 My Dad In 1982. He Had A Lazy Eye As A Child So He Had To Wear These Huge Rimmed Glasses. I Can’t Explain The Haircut, Though
Image credits: thetownslore
#74 My Mom Wouldn’t Allow Me To Wear This 80s Era Spider-Man Undershirt For Picture Day, But I Snuck It Under My Clothes Anyway
Image credits: Tack-One
#75 I Wish My Mom Told Me I Didn’t Look Like I Was Part Of The Band Kittie, Instead Of Following Me Around The Neighborhood With A Camera For A Photoshoot. I Used My Neighbor’s Black Car To Stand In Front Of At One Point… Yes I Actually Played Guitar
Image credits: forestnymphgypsy
#76 1997 And My Little Tomboy Heart Hated Everything About This Glamour Shot Look
Image credits: luckymama1990
#77 Pls Enjoy These Pics Of My Younger Self And The Obsession I Had W Michael Jackson Lmao
Image credits: miryuh
#78 Me Not Happy At Having To Wear The Traditional Uniform On Ascension Day, A Rare English Tradition Where Everyone Goes Down To The Wells To Worship The Water…
Image credits: bertance
#79 Tumblr Era Circa 2012. I Did Not Listen To Pink Floyd
Image credits: discoheaven97
#80 Just Found These Pictures Of Me At Age 14 In 2009. I Think This Calls For A Rawr Xd
Image credits: qtmae
#81 Christmas 1988. Pretty Sure I Was Listening To Poison: Open Up And Say Ahh On My Walkman
Image credits: lame_comment
#82 I Left The National Anthem In The Rosin Dust At My Friend's Eagle Scout Court Of Honor. (2010)
Image credits: merv1618
#83 1987, We Loved The Cure, 7seconds, The Decedents, The Smiths, Etc. We Taped 120 Minutes Off Mtv Every Sunday Night From Midnight - 2 Am. I'm On The Far Left. Can Believe We Weren't Blind In One Eye After All The Years With The Lopsided Haircuts
Image credits: Acctgrrl
#84 My Hair Was Teased So Much It Had To Be Homeschooled. Wish I Knew Why The Photographer Wanted To Hide My Legs And Feet
Image credits: artisticatrophy
#85 2003. I Smiled Like This In Every Picture Because I Thought It Looked "Natural." I Swere I've Never Harmed Any Animals
Image credits: NSMetroid
#86 I Didn’t Like Rollercoasters
Image credits: THE_FUZBALL
#87 '98 Or '99, Around 16 Years Old. The Coppery Bleached Hair Was Not My Best Decision
Image credits: bailey_1138
#88 My Beany Baby Shame Is Strong (1994)
Image credits: parasocialdude
#89 I Thought I Was So Cool Wearing The Movie Shirt With Mesh Sleeves
Image credits: wat-lady
#90 Dressed In My Easter Best '98
Image credits: theozarksparkman
#91 My Husband And I, Circa 1991
Image credits: Sloth_grl
#92 My 1988 Dark, Moody 'Madonna' Phase
Image credits: EvenLouWhoz
#93 I, Uhh, May Have Put The Life Jacket On A Little Too Tight
Image credits: boddah666
#94 Teachers Were A Bit Different Back In The Day
Image credits: apesusi
#95 Roxanne… You Don’t Have To Put On The Red Tights! Me In 2011 At A Family Picnic
Image credits: donemessedupthistime