15 Once-Popular Clothing Brands Gen X Misses Dearly (And Gen Z Never Heard Of)

Some of the best shopping hacks in the '80s and '90s would be lost on GenZers, like those famous Columbia House CDs for a penny, or those unavoidable AOL discs that came free with the newspaper.

But if there's one thing we're even more nostalgic for, it's the clothing labels that informed our fashion choices, whether found at the mall or in old school print catalogues. And while some of these are still around today, it's likely no one but a Gen Xer will remember these once iconic brands.

"Excuse me, are those Bugle Boy jeans you're wearing?" That tagline was inescapable in commercials for the aforementioned pants that dominated '80s television sets.

Though they were especially famous for spearheading the baggy cargo pants trend of the era, Bugle Boy also sold diverse apparel offerings for men and women at department stores.

Young men of the '80s will no doubt remember Chess King, the mall staple that sold skinny ties, fringed leather jackets, parachute pants and other brazen gems.

Chess King marketed to relatively well-off teens and 20-somethings who aspired to fashion sensibilities made popular on Miami Vice and other trends of the era. (Pastel shirts with popped collars, anyone?)

Trend-setting in every way, young women of the '80s and '90s were drawn to Contempo Casual which sold jelly shoes, jam pants, brocade and lace shirts, broomstick skirts and edgy, art-inspired designs.

This mid-priced retailer graced the pages of Sassy Magazine and more until Wet Seal acquired the brand in 1995, marking the end of an era.

Bright, bold, and diverse, Cross Colors clothing was often seen on shows like The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and in TLC music videos.

The '90s urban streetwear brand sold African-print hats bearing the Cross Colours logo, oversize hoodies in vibrant hues and colorful baggy jeans that countered the sartorial stereotypes of the inner city.

Bucking the endemic mall trend of the '90s, Delia's catalogs arrived in the mailboxes of middle income teens and young women, with pioneering messaging that celebrated sisterhood and girl power.

Offerings included ball chain jewelry, baggy jeans, crop tops, mini dresses and mary janes worn by "real girls," interspersed with editorial storytelling that made the catalogue almost zine-like.

A true flash in the pan trend in 1991, Hypercolor clothing changed color when heated. The brand exploded seemingly overnight, when hand prints on shirts became a common sight.

The fad was gone as fast as it arrived, in part due to how body heat works and fabric that ceased to transform once washed too many times.

Perfectly fitting jeans with designs embroidered onto the back pockets aren't exactly headline makers today, but in the '70s and '80s, Jordache jeans were all the rage.

While this brand elevated denim to elite fashionista status, a partnership with Walmart was the ultimate demise of this fallen denim juggernaut.

While jeans with legs as wide as the day is long may seem absurd in retrospect, at the time JNCOs embodied rebellion, skater culture and everything effortlessly cool.

Found at Merry-Go-Round, Hot Topic and more, these subversive jeans were king from 1993 through the end of the '90s.

While brands like Nike, Reebok and Jordans rule the sneaker scene today, once upon a time there was L.A. Gear, a sneaker marketed to young women growing up in the '80s and '90s.

Endorsed by celebrities and athletes like Paula Abdul and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, we still remember the California license plate that adorned these once ubiquitous workout kicks.

"When you put it on, something happens." That was the slogan that launched the profitable empire of surprisingly affordable Members Only jackets favored by young men of the country club elite in the '80s.

Synonymous with yuppie culture and forever associated with Ronald Reagan, Members Only jackets were huge in suburbia until the '90s rolled around.

Long before it was a staple of Target fast fashion (and the downfall of its creator, Mossimo Giannulli), Mossimi was a West Coast, surf-inspired fashion label that captivated GenXers.

You'd see the old school, spray paint-style logo emblazoned on t-shirts, beach shorts and other casual apparel, often accompanied by cartoon-esque drawings.

Rising out of the Florida motocross scene, No Fear branded clothing started as a grassroots effort to create fashionable sport clothing. The brand blew up when Ice-T wore a No Fear hat in a notorious music video.

After that, the edgy streetwear was everywhere in the '90s, especially on t-shirts broadcasting No Fear for everyone to hear (and see).

If Mossimo had a foil, it would no doubt be Stüssy, a streetwear brand that started with surf boards. Eventually it branched out into fashion, with the classic Stüssy signature leading the charge on the merchandise.

Unlike Mossimo, Stüssy never "sold out" to a larger corporation, keeping the hip operation smaller and arguably more sustainable.

Colorful, bold, and sometimes devoid of numbers or stripped down to the gears (which was a big statement at the time), Swatch Watches dominated '80s timepiece fashion.

Each watch was its own art piece and fairly easy for middle income kids to purchase at their local mall with their allowance money.

You'd be hard-pressed to argue that Benetton didn't push boundaries and diversify beauty standards with their provocative advertising, not an easy feat in the '80s and '90s. It was authentic in a way many GenXers still miss.

Benetton clothes were fashionable in their own right, with knitted and printed apparel festooned with its famous green tag.

Whether you're looking to make cash on the side selling vintage clothing or simply feel nostalgic for your teenage years, revisiting these unforgettable GenX clothing brands feels like opening a time capsule.

The influence of many of these brands is still felt today, even as some of them continue to manufacture clothing in the shadow of their former glory—and their legacy remains undeniable.