The Unironic Return of the WWJD Bracelet

We’ve already resurrected just about every 80s and 90s trend from the fashion graveyard. Bucket hats? Thriving. Baggy jeans? Consuming ankles at an alarming rate. Tamagotchis? Still perishing faster than our New Year’s resolutions. Vinyl? Selling like the ’70s all over again.

And yet, one of the most recognisable cultural relics of the Christian Youth Group Era —the W.W.J.D. bracelet—remains conspicuously absent, discarded like an abandoned Beanie Baby collection.

If you weren’t frequenting Family Christian Stores in the late 90s or early 2000s, allow me to introduce you to the W.W.J.D. bracelet. This faith-based fashion statement adorned the wrists of youth group kids (well maybe just mine because I was a youth group nerd), Christian rock band members, and at least one overly enthusiastic youth pastor. The concept? A moral GPS for decision-making. Each time you were on the verge of a questionable choice—be it illegally downloading a dc Talk song or trying to convert skaters at the park—you’d glance down and ask yourself: What Would Jesus Do?

Although a quick Google search reveals they are still available, somewhere in the mid-2000s, W.W.J.D. bracelets went the way of Farrah Fawcett hair (again possibly a reference that ages me) —overdone, embarrassing, and abandoned at record speed. They became less about moral reflection and let’s be honest: half the kids sporting them weren’t exactly walking the righteous path.

I get it—they became cringe. But hear me out: maybe it’s time for a revival.

Beyond their inevitable TikTok rebranding the core idea behind W.W.J.D. was actually solid. It encouraged a pause—a moment to consider how faith should inform our choices. And in a world where hot takes spread faster than our WiFi, that’s a practice worth revisiting.

A simple W.W.J.D. reflection could prevent a multitude of bad decisions. Because let’s be honest: our knee-jerk reactions rarely align with what Jesus would actually do. (For example, Jesus never rage-quit a group chat.)

No, we don’t have to bring back the bracelets exactly as they were—unless they come in a chic neutral palette to match our minimalist aesthetics. But reviving the W.W.J.D. mindset? That could be revolutionary.

In an age of knee-jerk reactions, online outrage, and instant gratification, pausing to ask “What would Jesus do?” might be one of the healthiest habits we could all develop.

So maybe it’s time. Dust off that old bracelet, or at least give the question another shot. After all, if 90s fashion can make a triumphant return, why not something that encourages a little more kindness and wisdom?