As the new millennium approached, people in the 19th and 20th centuries tried to predict what life would be like in the future. Amidst questions of how we would get around and what war would be like, there was one thing people wanted to know: How would their descendants dress? In the video above, produced by British Pathé (whose entire archive is worth perusing), designers in the 1930s tried to give them all the answers.

Apparently, the year 2000 would be the year when boring hair accessories like clips and bands would be replaced by much more interesting ones, like headlights. Say what you will, but no hair clip has ever illuminated your path. We would also take our obsession with fairy tales to the next level, with wedding dresses made out of glass. Cinderella may have only gotten the slipper, but we would get the entire ensemble.

Surprisingly, some of the predictions aren’t completely off. Zippered clothes that can easily be transformed have, unfortunately, made it into the mainstream. Likewise, the dramatic puff sleeves that the wedding dress shows off became popular in the 1980s. And while few of us have actually dared to walk with cantilever heels, the style has become a favorite in fashion shows and in Lady Gaga’s closet.

The video’s most accurate prediction, though, is actually pretty prescient: many of us, now, are, indeed, a little too attached to our phones. 

Every day we track down a Video Wonder: an audiovisual offering that delights, inspires, and entertains. Have you encountered a video we should feature? Email ella@atlasobscura.com.