I love the 90s! Well, some of it anyways. Researching for this post has brought back tons of fond memories, including Friends, “As if!”, Clueless, Step By Step, beanie babies, the Macarena, Power Rangers, Magic School Bus, Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?, Polly Pocket, “Whatever!”….oh the list literally goes on and on and on! It reminds me of simpler times when each day seemed to last forever, and my sister and I visited McDonald’s everyday after school, and then came home and fought over the remote control.

Nowadays, the world is so different, and yet in some ways so similar as well. This post is about 90s fashion hits and faux pas – some of which survive till today.

Grunge Plunge

Nineties fashion was all about comfort over style. It was cool to have messy hair and wear clothes that looked old. This style was known as Grunge, which apparently owes its horrible birth to Seattle (back in 1992). It featured baggy pants and backwards baseball caps for guys, including the infamous “sagging” and exposing patterned boxers. How could anyone ever think that was cool? I wondered it then and I wonder it even more now! Girls, of course, wore baggy pants also, usually paired with tight-fitting baby-doll tees. Or of course there was that other favorite style — a loose flannel shirt over a t-shirt.

Another favorite of this style were overalls. This farm-inspired fashion was oh-so-cool for us back then. Thus, me and my sister begged for two pairs of our own, which we proceeded to share (she was in high school and I was in middle school so it was all okay…no one would notice we were sharing. The coolest way to wear these overalls? – By unhooking one strap and letting it hang down, or else leaving both unhooked and wearing a belt.

The other mainstay of this style were Doc Martens and other chunky shoes. Also there were LA lights’ light-up sneakers – I sported a pair of knock-offs for a while. I really wanted a pair of Doc Martens back in middle school, but they were too expensive so I was relegated to wearing my Keds high-tops. This was of course a second-best for the kids who couldn’t afford Doc Martens

For all that I’m so disparaging of the Grunge fad, it has actually had a long effect on the fashion industry — think about that pair of artistically ripped/paint splattered jeans that you just paid $100 for! Apparently, Doc Martens are also making a come-back this year.

Image Sources: Grungy Shoes, 90210 90s Fashion, Doc Martens

Hairy Heads

Hair in the 90s (especially the early 90s) seems to have been singularly sprayed, pulled and teased to be as huge as possible. High side ponytails were very in and I sported this hairstyle fairly often. Thankfully I was still young in the early 90s and so this hairstyle still had the potential to look “cute” on me. This was probably a leftover of the big hair styles from the 80s. Mullets were also seen, as well as bleached hair (usually only on the tips) and bad perm jobs.

Of course, in the mid-90s Jennifer Aniston caused a hair revolution and suddenly every other girl around you was sporting her layered hairstyle. Straightening tongs became a must in every hair salon. Definitely an improvement in terms of style, but it totally killed the diversity. In a well-deserved reward, Jennifer Aniston’s hair was voted the most influential of all time in 2004.

Image Sources: Saved By The Bell, Jennifer Aniston

The End Of Grunge?

In Clueless (that popular 90s movie), Cher commented, “So, OK. I don’t want to be a traitor to my generation and all, but I don’t get how guys dress today. I mean, c’mon, it looks like they just fell out of bed and put on some baggy pants, and take their greasy hair, Ew! And cover it up with a backwards cap and like, we’re expected to swoon? I don’t think so!” While some people are of the opinion that grunge came to an end soon after this, I actually still saw the after effects for a while afterwards (at least in my school)…maybe because we were half way ’round the world from the evil originators of this horrible fashion crime. Whatever it is, after Clueless, girls DID become more aware of their fashion sense and dressing up. Cher brought knee-high socks, high heels, babydoll dresses and minis back into fashion. However, sad to say I saw little change in guys’ dressing.

Image Sources: Clueless

Seventies + Eighties = Nineties

Nineties fashion was quite unique in drawing inspiration (and the worst) from a great many time periods. First there were the 80s leftovers including big hair, shoulder pads, and multicolored leggings with huge oversized sweatshirts. This was followed by the anti-fashion grunge style, and then finally we hit a seventies revival around 1996. This was embodied in bell-bottom jeans, tie-dyed t-shirts and peace sign/happy face necklaces and accessories. Crazy, flashy prints and platform shoes were all suddenly in. Eventually, things evened out and we were given the gift of the boot-cut jeans – a hybrid of bell-bottoms and straight-cut jeans. Which are now found virtually everywhere and flatters most body-types. A great development!

Snap Bracelets!

The snap (or slap) bracelet was one of the hottest trends of the 90s. They were thin metallic bracelets covered with fabric that would contract when hit on your wrist — an amazing invention for us 90s kids. There is now a 00s version of the slap bracelet: an e-paper version. Another hot trend was the half-heart best friend necklace. This one still survives somewhat ’till today. Of course, there was also Beanie Baby love – I was obsessed with collecting them. And then there was Lisa Frank stationery – I spent way too much on a really cute polar bear set, as well as cat and unicorn stickers.

Image Sources: Slap Bracelets, Lisa Frank

Well, I think that I could go on for a while more about 90s Fashion but I think I’ll end off here before it becomes too monotonous. To conclude, 90s fashion was all about comfort and mixing trends from different time periods. From baby doll tees to shoulder pads to tie-dyed hippie t-shirts, the 90s had it all.

Do you miss this fun time period? I do! Though I don’t miss the horrific clothes I wore. But then again, ten years from now I’ll probably be horrified by what I’m wearing today.

If you miss 90s fashion, you’ll be glad to know that it is apparently making a comeback. Though in a more feminine inspired form as opposed to the earlier tomboyish looks. Apparently, it appeals to the current generation because they were too young to live through the trend the first time around…which just makes me feel old.