"Welcome to PopcornShirt.com!" I stumbled upon a strange website during a nostalgic Google search. "Our popcorn shirts are the perfect piece for the fashion-conscious woman! Perfect for travel, popcorn shirts have something for everyone and come in a variety of styles. From button-down cardigans for a night on the town to spaghetti-strap camisoles for lounging This shirt is the perfect addition to any woman's wardrobe." Is this the perfect piece for the stylish woman? This is not at all the popcorn shirt I remember. Popcorn shirts – also known as puff shirts, origami shirts, wrinkle shirts, or “those weird little shirts from the late 90s/early 2000s,” that’s what I was doing before Google reminded me of their truth The way they are mentioned - is a strange animal. You'll never find it on this list of 37 Wardrobe Items Every Thinking Woman Should Own — no, it's a relic from circa 2001 that's been gracing thrift store shelves for the past decade on, and little else. No one seems to know when, how or why the popcorn shirt was invented; it was popping up in mall kiosks across America during the era of boy bands and Y2K scares. Nothing, I mean , "Throwback Thursday" is like a nice old bubble shirt beauty photo.
Photo: @lizliz20/Instagram (please note this #TBT was taken before the “NSYNC Concert”).
The popcorn shirt was the ultimate It piece for turn-of-the-century teenagers. They feature a super-stretchy "bubble" texture, which is actually a bit unflattering despite the fact that one size fits all. Maybe it's because your torso is covered in little spiky bumps. Regardless, they're as light as a feather, and whatever clunky and ill-fitting stretch they put on our tweens, they made up for it by being one of the coolest one-hit wonder creations ever created. Puff shirts come in a variety of colors, patterns, and even cuts. There are bubble cardigans for moms who want to jump on the trend, and bubble spaghetti strap tops for girls who don't have as strict a dress code as you. If you're really lucky, you can even find a long-sleeve version, ensuring every inch of your upper body is covered in the stretchy popcorn texture.
Image: popcornshirtwholesale.com , where you can currently purchase 12 puff shirts for $75.
Yes, the puff shirt is more of a conceptual piece than a practical piece. They represent invention, progress, and the modern ability to make things extremely small. In real life, they're really just a questionable fashion choice.
Where are today’s puff shirts, you ask? I'm happy to inform you that it's still there and ready to wear to the next 'N Sync reunion concert:
Image: @_sarah_may/Instagram
According to Instagram, stacks of popcorn shirts are popping up in Walgreens stores across the country, "just like you see on TV" (and on sale for the low price of 2 for $10 — too Cheaper! ). There's also a thriving vintage puff shirt scene on Etsy, where you can find everything from authentic '90s rainbow versions to adorable rose puff shirts.
Honestly, puff shirts look so retro and now starting to look a little cute again. After all, when adults wear a puff shirt, it's basically a crop top—and everyone knows how trendy crop tops are right now. Popcorn shirts may have screamed "tweens" and "save the world from fashion blunders" in their heyday, but dare I say they've become - if not cool , then a little glamorous ?
Main image: Etsy
