I am practically in tears after reading the comments! All I can say is I concur! Burn the thongs and the shiny leotards - ick, pooh, barf! I remember a video from Jane Fonda and one of the instructors had on the bright geometric print leotard and I always thought that was so ugly, but I don't like prints anyway. That slide show was just too funny, love the daisy dukes for men! - 9/14/2012   12:07:49 PM

Ban leotards and unitards. I see a lot of the other items still be worn today. Track suits and warm-up suits, yoga pants and track pants for leisure wear, No! - 8/11/2012   11:08:53 AM

biker shorts and of course thong leotards! There is always a scene in the old 80s movies of a woman working out in her living room wearing these terrible things. It makes me giggle. - 8/11/2012   12:57:23 AM

Bike shorts & headbands good. Thongs bad (although I did wear them). If I remember correctly quite a bit of these fashions were influenced by the Disco Era and Jaime Lee Curtis. - 8/3/2012   11:45:40 AM

Anything THONG is bad. There are precious few that can rock that look and the rest of us should "Just Say No" - 8/1/2012   9:03:49 AM

That was a lot of fun and though I have lived through all those fashion fitness trends I think I've probably moved on to ones that will be tomorrows blunders. Hey what's wrong with capri length that's my go to workout uniform! - 7/22/2012   10:28:03 AM

Please, no leotards or unis. Please, please, please. - 3/13/2012   8:54:33 AM

omg, I think I may still have leg warmers in a drawer somewhere. I had the leotards too. Whodathunk but at the time, they were essential for a serious workout! oh, my, I'm glad I grew up! - 2/2/2012   8:20:00 AM

Had em all and wore em all! And thought I looked good too! LOL do like the bright colors - they are fun!
The form fitting stuff was great for checking your form but what I DONOT miss is the sweat marks on them and some in some not so flattering areas. Also thankful for better materials (wicking) and laundry soap nuff said? - 1/10/2012   1:05:02 PM

Please, I do not want to see leotards or unitards in the gym. - 4/30/2011   8:51:37 AM

The thongs over the shorts! Ew! And short-shorts on men...

I still track pants, leggings, and compression shirts. And I remember having an awesome neon colored windbreaker when I was a kid! People could hear the wooshing sound from 800 feet away, oh yeah! I bet that's why there was less crime in the 80's... they were all wearing noisy clothes. - 4/25/2011   9:33:44 PM

The thong leotard over biker shorts AND the spandex. YUCK!! Love yoga pants and Converses. They're already back, so I'm good with them. - 1/27/2011   11:28:15 AM

Bike shorts esp on men. EEwww. - 11/30/2010   10:50:38 AM

The muscle shirts that were cut to show mens abs - eeek, a bit to desperate! Fashion has become very sedate, everything is toned down, t shirts, yoga pants... I wore my biking shorts to gym the other day and felt super self concious! eheheh - 11/18/2010   12:44:08 PM

Leg warmers were a great invention. Wish mine were still in my possession. Don't ever want to see Suzanne Sommers 'Thigh Master' return!! - 11/17/2010   11:05:15 AM

Man alivin', this brings back some memories of fashion, good AND bad! Some of these things DEFINITELY remind me of junior high & even late elementary school. I remember when leg warmers were THE thing to wear, & I think they do have their place. I remember neon in the '80s, too, & one fad in my junior high, especially, although there were some in senior high who wore this, were neon flashdance shirts. They had scrunchies & slouch socks to match, & one girl even wore a whole neon track suit to school one day! Yikes! Had to wear shades to look at her that day!

Anyway, sweat bands do have their place & are great for those of us who sweat heavily, & I like biking shorts for biking. I also like leggings, both for exercising & for wearing under a certain denim skirt I have (I feel like I'm right back in high school when I do it; silly, I know! :D). I also love yoga pants, both capris & full length, because they're so comfortable & have ease of movement for whatever a person's doing, as well as just for relaxing.

The unitards & leotards & thongs with bike shorts & muscle shirts & mesh stuff & stuff like that - ugh! In my opinion, at least. I didn't like them when they first came out & I don't like them now. I don't mind compression shirts when they're used as originally intended, but as a general everyday sort of look - not for me.

Anyway! Now that I've given my 2 cents, I guess I'll just let it go. The past is the past & I'll just try to bear with the flashbacks that're coming at me from my school days. :P - 5/17/2010   2:14:42 PM

Oh, did that bring back memories. I love the bright colors. I definitely never want to see again the thong over leotard. - 4/16/2010   10:08:17 AM

THE FIRM has girls that look so plastic. I just laugh. But my husband thought they were great. - 3/28/2010   12:27:06 AM

oh, and I did the arms/abs/buns/legs of Steel videos with my mom when I was a kid. so goofy! - 2/28/2010   12:10:21 AM

The slide show was great! I have a love-hate thing for leotards, but love leg-warmers, neons, and spandex of all kinds. I totally did the slouchy socks, but hope it does not come back in style. The thong-leotard-over shorts, the cropped muscle tees and scrunchies can stay gone. - 2/28/2010   12:09:40 AM

Lets see....a thong leotard with the belly revealing shorts paired with who knows what else on top.........Still do the bike shorts (new versions) though. - 2/12/2010   12:23:21 PM

Yeah, leotards are the worst! But leg warmers rock. I have a friend who lives in hers, and she looks great! - 2/11/2010   10:45:17 PM

Definitely no leotards please. I loved leg warmers although I do think they are kind of out-dated now. - 2/11/2010   12:57:15 PM

funny article- I actually wear a headband often when I run. It's so practical! It keeps the sweat from running into my eyes, nose and mouth. But I know very well that I look a little nerdy. It's the price you pay :) I still people wearing track suits! You can tell they aren't going to the gym very often...like once every decade... - 2/11/2010   12:52:50 PM

Biking shorts with thongotards..........definitely. Reminds me that I need to do some cleaning. Still have biking shorts (wear them as Spanks) and nylon suits.........I know........sorry! I had quite a collection of neon shorts. HOT!!! - 2/11/2010   10:21:58 AM

Please don't let the leotards back in the stores. My daughter showed me some old photos of me wearing those things at my ladies exercise group I attended weekly back in the 80's. We all wore those as we thought they were really cool. I just about died as my daughter became hysterical and said she was showing these photos to everyone as they were actually comical. That does it , I will take the sweats any day. Now i just have to try and get those old photos back before she shows them around. - 2/10/2010   4:28:20 PM

My 4 yr old is in love with her leg warmers, worn over stretch pants with slouch socks. Who knew? - 2/9/2010   9:36:33 PM

OMG! Too funny! Those ladies in their track suits are pretty hilarious! I'll stick with my yoga pants and tanks, thank you very much! - 2/9/2010   8:47:33 PM

Any kind of clothing that make a whoosh whoosh sound while you more should be banned from the gym and everyday life in my opinion!

Oh but I too loved my slouch socks!!!:) - 2/9/2010   7:32:47 PM

i think that sweating to the oldies was the bomb. you not only got motivated but there really was not dress code. the big t-shirts and shorts made everyone feel comfortable and there was no one really paying attn to who was smaller or bigger then they were. so t-shirts, baggy shorts, and the cute little head bands is my vote lol - 2/9/2010   6:40:00 PM

Yeah, every time I see an old Kathy Smith video with all the chicks wearing Thong-otards over their leggings only two words come to mind: YEAST INFECTION!!! eeeeeeew! - 2/9/2010   5:06:36 PM

Thong anything over shorts or leggings was & remains, uncomfortable & disgusting!! I refused to go to exercise classes in the 80s if I had to look at them!! And those silver suits - another no no although, I saw them mostly on the older folks, if I remember correctly! I would've liked a sports bra in an F cup though . . . . . Remember the exercise series on tv that had three girls in thong leotards over leggings or bike shorts doing aerobics while the cameras showed very close shots of their bodies - especially the butts??? At the time, it was the hottest seller in the Middle East porn circuit. - 2/9/2010   1:04:04 PM

Some of these I hope aren't fads, like sports bras...um, those are kinda important. I'm also one to wear Converse All Stars regularly (I have several pair & love them), but not for working out...same with the hoodie.

Some of the others I have very good riddence to, like the unitards & spandex and of course the thong over biker shorts thing....that's just weird! :) Even scrunchies never worked for me...they slide out really easily & go flying across the room...unless you make them tight & then they just look bulky and wrong. - 2/9/2010   12:40:17 PM

Dolphin shorts - please don't ever bring those back!!!!!! Red Reebok Hightops - what were we thinking? - 2/8/2010   11:53:59 PM

Great slideshow and blog! For sure the leotard thong with biker shorts have got to go! I remember when they first came out and my only thought was 'Great. more ways to wear dental floss." Thank God those days are O-V-E-R! - 2/8/2010   10:33:30 PM

I luv the 80s, sad 2 hav missed them but those leotards, wat the...? Yuck, people, just Yuck! That's sumthing im glad i missed - 2/8/2010   10:31:53 PM

What a hilarious blog! I remember actually envying the "cool" women who wore these outfits to my aerobics class. I just showed up in sweats, and I was so embarrassed. - 2/8/2010   9:49:54 PM

I never wore anything but sweats and a t-shirt. Could never fit into a leotard except when I was a kid taking ballet. Yeah... leotards, spandex, and thongs were pretty raunchy. I like bike shorts, though! - 2/8/2010   8:52:34 PM

Thong over biker shorts is the worst trend in that slideshow...it looks so uncomfortable and I bet it was too!!!! - 2/8/2010   8:51:10 PM

These "fashions" had me laughing out loud! OMG!!! I remember being in high school and going w/ my mom to Jazzercise... half the women wore the bike shorts w/ the thong leotard. Ugh! If that ever comes back I'll croak! LOL! However, good looking, fit running men looked very hot in the short running shorts. Mmm... that might be an okay trend to welcome back... but you have to pass a "test" to wear them! Cute blog... even if the clothes are scary! - 2/8/2010   8:45:11 PM

I vote for the Unitards, Leotards, and Geometric Prints. I don't care if you have a rocking body and a butt you can bounce a quarter off of. - 2/8/2010   7:47:36 PM

Oh, yes, I wore leotards, tights and leg warmers to my Spa Lady classes. I may still have some tucked away in the back of a drawer!

Oh, and my husband had some of his ultra short running shorts and corduroy OP shorts. He put them on once and our children were horrified (but he could still fit in them!) - 2/8/2010   5:21:31 PM

Thong over biker short! EEEEEWWWW! - 2/8/2010   5:01:51 PM

I'm old enough to remember swimsuits with skirts attached....though I never wore one. How did anyone swim in them? - 2/8/2010   4:35:18 PM

Oh my! Thanks! I remember I joined Woman's Work Out World in the late 80's and the common 'dress code' was a black legging/leotard w/ a bikini brief in a different color! - 2/8/2010   3:33:30 PM

I still wear hoodies and I love the bright chucky converse. However, the unileotard can take a hike! - 2/8/2010   12:33:04 PM

It is fun to see on of these "flashbacks", and I hate to admit to having worn many of them! Never wore thongs of any kind and thong leotards over biker shorts is definatly my vote, no one looks good in them! - 2/8/2010   11:47:38 AM

Still hoping for the comeback of slouch socks. I loved those.
- 2/8/2010   11:37:36 AM

JIMSGIRL said:
"Thong Leotard over Biker Shorts, absolutely the tackiest thing ever."

GUILTY! And while I want the body back that I wore that on, I DO NOT want that trend to come back. I believe in the saying, "if you're old enough to have worn it the first time around, do not wear it when it comes back in style!" - 2/8/2010   11:22:46 AM

Thong Leotard over Biker Shorts, absolutely the tackiest thing ever.
However, I still wear my Chuck Taylor's! - 2/8/2010   11:09:42 AM