24 Photos That Prove Everyone On The O.C. Had Terrible Style

If you're fortunate to own box sets of The O.C. you may have recently been reminded of the endless proof that the 2000s were the bleakest, darkest, and most upsetting fashion era.

Obviously, this argument has been made consistently since the day — as a people — we closed our doors and hearts to the relics of skinny scarves and super-low-rise, distressed jeans. In fact, Jezebel recently went on record condemning the sartorial aesthetic of the Gilmore Girls in a way that was both inspired and accurate, effectively reminding us that if anyone ever suggests a noughties style resurgence, we should calmly escort them to an island from which they’ll never escape.

That’s because the 2000s (and the clothes we wore in that decade) were the worst. And no TV show epitomises our terrible taste like The O.C. — a series as rich in melodrama as it is T-shirts worn underneath lace camisoles.

What's worse, we all succumbed to these pieces. Once upon a time, we picked up tops and skirts and shorts based solely on having seen Marissa Cooper or Summer Roberts carry them off, telling ourselves — with our tiny shoulder bags and flip-flops — that we exuded Orange County realness.

With all this in mind, we must commemorate. Here’s why the 2000s and The O.C. created the worst clothes, ever.