1990s in fashion

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The 1990s was the genesis of two sweeping shifts in Western fashion: the beginning of the rejection of fashion which continued into the 2000s among a large section of the population, and the beginning of the adoption of tattoos,^[1] body piercings aside from ear piercing ^[2] and to a lesser extent, other forms of body modification such as branding. This started the indifferent, anti-conformist approach to fashion which was popular throughout the 1990s, leading to the popularisation of the casual chic look, including T-shirts, jeans and trainers.

The popularity of grunge and alternative rock music also helped bring the simple, unkempt grunge look mainstream. In general, the 1990s saw a general minimalist aesthetic in fashion,^[3] contrasted to the more elaborate and flashy trends of the 1970s and 80s. Additionally, fashion trends throughout the decade started recycling styles from previous decades,^[4] notably the 1960s and 1970s, a trend which would continue into the 2000s.

[edit] Women's fashion

[edit] Early 1990s

The early 1990s saw a continuation of 1980s fashion: women wore tight-fitting trousers with elastic boot-straps (stirrup pants/leggings), denim button down shirts, neon colors, drainpipe jeans, oversized sweaters, T-shirts, sweatshirts, and black leather jackets. Women also wore court shoes, cowboy boots, colored tights, bike shorts, tartan skirts, baby doll dresses, matching jeans and denim jackets (in dark shades rather than the bleached acid wash of the 1980s), headscarves, leggings, trenchcoats lined with fake fur, and penny loafers (associated with the preppy look). Many women wore black leggings with white slouch socks, athletic sneakers and oversized T-shirts as exercise wear. It was not uncommon to see mothers dressed right along with their daughters in slouch socks worn over leggings or sweatpants, oversized shirt or sweater, and sneakers like Keds or Converse.

[edit] Mid 1990s

The mid 1990s saw a revival of 1960s fashion, including hippie-style floral dresses, turtleneck shirts, lace blouses, conch shell necklaces, straw hats, Gypsy tops, long floral skirts,^[5]^[6] chunky wedge heeled shoes, and dolly shoes. Around this time in Europe and America it was also fashionable to dress entirely in black or wear designer clothing displaying Italian or French labels (such as Lacoste, Yves Saint-Laurent, Armani, Gucci, or Chanel) as a way of demonstrating one's apparent social status and wealth. A common outfit was to wear a skirt, dress shorts, baby doll dress or short dress with black opaque tights, white slouch socks and white sneakers. In America olive green dresses and yellow or blue denim shortalls, a version of overalls in which the legs of the garment resemble those of shorts, were very popular.

[edit] Late 1990s

In the late 1990s, women wore flared trousers, pastel colors like pink or baby blue, fleeces, miniskirts, grey sweatpants or yoga pants, tank tops revealing the midriff (crop top), capri pants, low-waisted jeans inspired by the designs of Alexander McQueen,^[7] thong underwear popularised by contemporary R&B and jungle music, and Union jack motifs inspired by the Cool Britannia movement.^[8] This continued into the 2000s.

[edit] Men's fashion

[edit] Early 1990s

In the early 1990s flannel became very popular and lasted through most of the decade. Unlike the fitted Western shirts of the 70s which fastened with pearl snaps, the flannel shirts of the 1990s were padded and loose-fitting for optimum warmth. Preppy clothing was popular in the US,^[9] where wealthy young men wore khaki slacks, navy blue blazers and canvas^[10] boat shoes.^[10] Men also wore Converse All Stars, Acid wash denim jackets, straight-leg jeans like Levi 501s, wool sweaters, black leather jackets, sheepskin coats, Members Only jackets, corduroy, anoraks, polo shirts, white Adidas trainers and Aviator sunglasses popularized by rock star Freddie Mercury.^[11]

[edit] Mid 1990s

In the mid 1990s, 1960s mod clothing and longer hair were popular in Britain due to the success of Britpop. Men also wore Aloha shirts, brown leather jackets, loafers, paisley shirts, throwback pullover baseball jerseys, graphic-print t-shirts (often featuring dragons, athletic logos or numbers), and neon-colored trainers (sometimes incorporating flashing lights and elastic self-tying laces). In America hip-hop fashion went mainstream, with oversized baseball jackets, bomber jackets, Baja Jackets, gold jewellery, baggy carpenter jeans, tracksuits and overalls popular among young men as casual wear.^[12]

[edit] Late 1990s

In the late 1990s men wore khaki cargo pants, leather jackets based on the same cut as blazers, duster coats, bowling shirts, black bomber jackets with orange linings, preppy brands like Old Navy, tracksuits, and various types of sportswear manufactured by Adidas, Reebok, Hitec and Nike. At this time it became fashionable to leave shirts untucked. In Europe single-breasted three and four button suits began to replace the 1980s power suits. In America suits went out of fashion as men began to dress smart-casual and business casual, a trend kickstarted by Bill Gates of Microsoft.^[13]

[edit] Youth fashion

[edit] Early 1990s

The new wave and heavy metal fashion of the 1980s lasted until early 1992, when Grunge and hip hop fashion took over in popularity.^[14] The sagging trend began in the early-1990s and continued until the mid 2000s but faded into the 2010s. Hardcore Punk fashion, which began in the 1970s, was very popular in the 1990s,^[15] and Goth fashion reached its peak.^[16] The dominant youth clothing fad at the beginning of the 1990s was fluorescent clothing in blue, green, orange, pink, and yellow. Hoop earrings were also a popular accessory for teenaged girls and women in the first years of the 1990s. Popular colors for girls included coral, hot pink, and turquoise. In Britain and the USA, girls wore oversized tee shirts, sweat shirts, sweaters, slouch socks worn over sweatpants or leggings, black or white lace trimmed bike shorts with babydoll dresses, belts worn with dresses, sweaters, and t-shirts, flats, Keds, Converse Chuck Taylor All-Stars, shortalls, flared trousers, and athletic shorts. Boys wore soccer shorts, jean jackets, tartan shirts, tapered acid wash jeans, and sweatpants.

[edit] Mid 1990s

In the mid-1990s the grunge style resulted in a decline in bright colors from 1995 until the late 2000s, and was dominated by tartan flannel shirts, stonewashed blue jeans, and dark colors like maroon, forest green, indigo, brown, white and black. For younger children, the mid-1990s was the Golden Age of Disney films with T-shirts and sweaters featuring characters like Simba, Mickey Mouse, Aladdin, and Winnie the Pooh. Tartan trousers, striped shirts, long sleeved polo shirts, and sweaters (often knitted by the child's grandmother) were worn by young boys in the UK. Blue denim and railroad stripe overalls were also popular for females as seen on television and commercials throughout the decade, and for teenagers who would leave either strap hanging loose. Wide leg jeans, bomber jackets, tracksuits and baseball caps worn backwards became popular among hip hop fans together with gold chains, sovereign rings, and FUBU T-shirts.

[edit] Late 1990s

The late-1990s saw the rise of the British chav subculture, an offshoot of the casuals, a football fan subculture of the 1980s.^[17] Psychobilly bands popularised brothel creepers, gas station shirts and dark-colored bowling shirts, and pop punk and nu metal fans opted for spiky hair, black hoodies and baggy pants in black or red Royal Stewart tartan. Popular American fashions included capri pants, ponchos, bootcut jeans, hoodies, and cut off denim shorts.

[edit] Hair and Makeup of the 1990s

[edit] Women's hairstyles

Women's hair changed from the teased curls popular in the late 1970s to late 1980s to straight, smooth hair, which was a revival of late 1960s hairstyles gradually between 1989 and 1995. The pixie cut and Rachel haircut which resembled elements of the Marlo Thomas haircut on the tv show That Girl, inspired the haircut worn by a character from the TV show Friends, were popular among women in as early as 1995.^[18] Straight hair was also styled with a short fringe cut just above the eyebrows, known as a hime cut,and those with Afro-styled or naturally curly hair would rely on a Relaxer to keep the sleek straight hair. In the mid 1990s this style went out fashion until its revival in the late-2000s.

[edit] Men's hairstyles

Men's hair became increasingly shorter from the early 1990s onwards. In the early 90s curtained hair (sometimes dyed blond) and small ponytails were popular among yuppies. Side-partings were briefly popular in the mid-1990s before head-shaving had become an acceptable way of dealing with male pattern baldness. In the late 1990s variants of the quiff became popular among young professional men.

[edit] Youth hairstyles

For teenagers longer hair was popular in the early to mid-1990s, including collar-length curtained hair, shaggy surfer hair popular among some Britpop fans, and dreadlocks. This changed in the mid-1990s when the much-ridiculed bowl cut became a fad among skaters, while hip-hop fans wore a variant of the flattop known as the Hi-top fade. In the late 1990s hair was usually buzzed very short for an athletic look although a few grunge fans grew their hair long in reaction to this. Headbands and scrunchies of various styles and colors were popular with girls throughout most of the 1990s who frequently wore them with side ponytails and bangs.

[edit] See also

[edit] Gallery

A selection of images related to the period.

African-American teenager with Hitop fade, popular from the early-mid 1990s.
The catsuit became a trend in the early 1990s. Normally made of latex, PVC, or spandex, it was often worn with high-heeled boots.
Converse All Stars, popular in the early 1990s
Kurt Cobain, lead singer of Nirvana, was an inspiration for the grunge look that made its entrance into mainstream fashion in the early 1990s.
Dancers at America's Snoqualmie Moondance Festival in 1992
Grunge-style flannel shirt and curtained hair, 1993
The German Electro rock duo Das Ich, 1993. Their aspect shows the influence of the Goth look which returned in the 1990s.
Young woman in New York City, 1995 with her belly button exposed.
Slap bracelet worn by young girls in the mid-1990s
Baseball jacket was popular among hip-hop fans in the mid-1990s
US First Lady Hillary Clinton wearing straw panama hat, 1995
Dutch high school prom, 1994
Heavy shoes with thick heels, such as this shoe seen in the photo, were worn from the mid-1990s until the end of the decade.
In Europe long, floor-length dresses were popular for day and evening wear. They were usually made of Lycra or other stretchy fabric. This photo was taken in 1997.
Two women wearing bandanas, 1999.
Double breasted power suit with large shoulder pads worn in the European workplace, 1998
Example of late 1990s goth fashion
Polo shirt with popped collar, 1999