8 Outfits That Got You Grounded No Matter What

As a twenty-something living in New York City, it's hard to remember a life living in the suburbs and being told — No, demanded — That you stay home. Welcome to the world of grounding. If you were a teenager, like, ever, you're familiar with outfits that got you grounded without fail.

Thought about wearing that spaghetti strap and pleated skirt to school? Think again. Or that ~super cool~ mini jean skirt and tube top combo to the dance? Forget about it. The only way you were wearing your cute outfit is if you're sneaking it in your backpack to school. Which, we all definitely did, too.

Growing up as the youngest girl of three sisters and one brother, I got my share of tips and tricks from my older sisters. Want to avoid getting in trouble from sneaking out at night? Go out the side door, not the back, and turn the volume up on mom and dad's tv before stepping out. But the most important trick? Before going to the dance, go over to your friend's house to get ready, so you can wear whatever your little heart pleases.

Thanks for the lessons, sisters.

But — No matter how hard I tried, there were definitely times I got caught. Like when my dad found my Myspace page, where I listed my age as 17, when I was really 14. Yikes, not cool. Definitely did not escape the grounding on that one.

Weirdly, there was a correlation between my favorite outfits and the pieces of clothing that would always get me grounded. Or, not really weird at all. I knew the rules, but it was much more fun to break them. Without further ado — These are the outfits that got us all grounded as teens.

1. The Aforementioned Spaghetti Strap

This top? Definitely grounded. Especially growing up with super Catholic parents, spaghetti straps were a no-no. Put a cardigan over that, will you?

2. Slip Dresses

There's a reason Mel Horowitz freaked out when he saw his daughter in this dress. But it's Calvin Klein! And gorgeous. But if I tried this around my parents — two weeks house arrest.

3. Mini Jean Skirts

The jean skirt plus big belt was my jam, but unless I was wearing long biker shorts underneath....No can do.

4. Crop Tops

See that crop top Mel C is rocking? Grounded. So grounded.

5. Lace Up Tops

Considering Thirteen was shown to us in our health class to teach us a lesson, these lace up tops definitely got us in trouble.

6. Corset Type Tops

This was the sexy top of my teenage years. I'd hide a corset style top in my backpack and hope for the best.

7. Exposed Thongs

Remember this iconic scene with Manny from Degrassi? I made this my mission to rock this look. Unfortunately, my parents' mission didn't align.

8. Tube Tops

Carrie Bradshaw was my personal style hero, and this look was everything. Like, how chic were tube tops? Sorry, mom and dad.

Well, there you have it. Better yet — Imagine wearing all of these things together? My parents would have exploded. I'd probably still be living in my house right now. I loved these looks. You loved these looks. But unfortunately, they sent us straight to locker.

Images: Touchstone Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Columbia Pictures, Fox Searchlight Pictures, Original Films, Epitome Pictures, HBO