Hobbleskirts
The name is pretty self-explanatory in this historic trend. The fad centered around a women's skirt that was tapered at the mid-calf or ankle, making it difficult to walk. The result was a short, unbalanced walk called "hobbling." The skirt decreased in popularity by World War I when mobility was necessary for survival.
Sea Monkeys
For kids in the late sixties and early seventies, the promise of sea monkeys was enough to make every Christmas list. Thousands of suburban suckers handed over their allowance money for the chance to raise a monkey from the sea. The big scam was that those sea monkeys were actually just brine shrimp and not magical ocean primates.