1990s Youth Fashion on:
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Fashion in the 1990s was defined by a return to minimalist
Fashion in the 1990s was defined by a return to minimalist fashion
Fashion is a form of self-expression and autonomy at a particular period and place and in a specific context, of clothing, footwear, lifestyle, accessories, makeup, hairstyle, and body posture. The term implies a look defined by the fashion in ...
, in contrast to the more elaborate and flashy trends of the 1980s. One notable shift was the mainstream adoption of tattoos, body piercing
Body piercing, which is a form of body modification, is the practice of puncturing or cutting a part of the human body, creating an opening in which jewelry may be worn, or where an implant could be inserted. The word ''piercing'' can refer to ...
s aside from ear piercing and, to a much lesser extent, other forms of body modification such as branding
Branding may refer to:
Physical markings
* Making a mark, typically by charring:
** Wood branding, permanently marking, by way of heat, typically of wood (also applied to plastic, cork, leather, etc.)
** Livestock branding, the marking of animals ...
.
In the early 1990s, several late 1980s fashions remained very stylish among both sexes. However, the popularity of grunge
Grunge (sometimes referred to as the Seattle sound) is an alternative rock genre and subculture that emerged during the in the American Pacific Northwest state of Washington, particularly in Seattle and nearby towns. Grunge fuses elements of p ...
and alternative rock music helped bring the simple, unkempt grunge look to the mainstream by 1994. The anti-conformist
In History of the United Kingdom, English church history, the Nonconformists, also known as a Free Church person, are Protestantism, Protestant Christians who did not "conform" to the governance and usages of the established church, the Church ...
approach to fashion led to the popularization of the casual chic look that included T-shirts, jeans
Jeans are a type of pants or trousers made from denim or dungaree cloth. Often the term "jeans" refers to a particular style of trousers, called "blue jeans", with copper-riveted pockets which were invented by Jacob W. Davis in 1871 and paten ...
, hoodies, and sneakers
Sneakers (also called trainers, athletic shoes, tennis shoes, gym shoes, kicks, sport shoes, flats, running shoes, or runners) are shoes primarily designed for sports or other forms of physical exercise, but which are now also widely used fo ...
, a trend which continued into the 2000s. Additionally, fashion trends throughout the decade recycled styles from previous decades, notably the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s.
Due to increased availability of the Internet and satellite television outside the United States, plus the reduction of import tariffs under NAFTA
The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA ; es, Tratado de Libre Comercio de América del Norte, TLCAN; french: Accord de libre-échange nord-américain, ALÉNA) was an agreement signed by Canada, Mexico, and the United States that crea ...
, fashion became more globalized and homogeneous in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Women's fashion
Early 1990s (1990–1992)
Supermodels and high fashion
* Throughout the 1990s, supermodels dominated the fashion industry. The top models of the 1990s wereLinda Evangelista
Linda Evangelista (; born May 10, 1965) is a Canadian fashion model. She is regarded as one of the most accomplished and influential models of all time, and has been featured on over 700 magazine covers. Evangelista is primarily known for being ...
, Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, Tatjana Patitz, Eva Herzigova
Eva or EVA may refer to:
* Eva (name), a feminine given name
Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional characters
* Eva (Dynamite Entertainment), a comic book character by Dynamite Entertainment
* Eva (''Devil May Cry''), Dante's mother in t ...
, Nadja Auermann
Nadja Auermann (born 19 March 1971) is a German supermodel and actress. Fashion designer Valentino once commented on her physical resemblance to Marlene Dietrich. A New York Times fashion columnist, Guy Trebay, wrote of her "ice maiden visage a ...
, Christie Brinkley, Christy Turlington, Kate Moss
Katherine Ann Moss (born 16 January 1974) is a British model. Arriving at the end of the "supermodel era", Moss rose to fame in the early 1990s as part of the heroin chic fashion trend. Her collaborations with Calvin Klein brought her to fas ...
, Carla Bruni, Tatiana Sorookko, Helena Christensen, Claudia Schiffer, Karen Mulder, Yasmin Le Bon, Nadège Nadège is a French feminine given name.
List of people with the given name
* Nadège Lacroix (born 1986), Swiss actress, television personality.
* Nadège August, American actress, producer, and podcast host
* Nadège Vanhee-Cybulski, French fa ...
, Yasmeen Ghauri, Stephanie Seymour
Stephanie Michelle Seymour (born July 23, 1968) is an American model and actress. During the 1980s and 1990s, she was one of the most popular supermodels, being featured in the ''Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue'' and the cover of ''Vogue'', ...
, Carolyn Murphy, Amber Valletta, Shalom Harlow, Kirsten Owen
Kirsten Owen (born November 22, 1969) is a Canadian-born English fashion model.
Career
Rise to prominence
After being scouted in Toronto, Owen began modelling at the age of 16. In 1987 she appeared on the cover of ''Elle'' in three different co ...
, Kristen McMenamy, Guinevere Van Seenus, Alek Wek, Karen Elson
Karen Jill Elson (born 15 January 1979) is an English model and singer-songwriter.
Early life and education
Elson was born in Oldham, Greater Manchester, and attended North Chadderton School as a child. She has a fraternal twin sister, filmma ...
, Michele Hicks
Michele Hicks (born June 4, 1973) is an American screen actress and former fashion model who has worked in both film and television.
Career
Her television appearances include '' Law & Order: Criminal Intent'', '' Law & Order: Special Victims Uni ...
, Stella Tennant
Stella Tennant (17 December 1970 – 22 December 2020) was a British model and fashion designer, who rose to fame in the early 1990s and had a career that spanned almost 30 years. From an unconventional aristocratic family, she worked with Hel ...
, Audrey Marnay
Audrey Marnay is a French actress and model. She was born on October 14, 1980, in Chartres, Eure-et-Loir.Amy Wesson
Amy Wesson (born 1977) is an American fashion model from Tupelo, Mississippi, Tupelo, Mississippi.
Career
Wesson was discovered at age 16 while working at a clothing store in a shopping mall. She has been featured in advertising campaigns for Th ...
, Maggie Rizer, Erin O'Connor
Erin O'Connor, MBE (born 9 February 1978) is a British fashion model.
Early life
O'Connor was born and brought up in Brownhills, West Midlands, where she attended Brownhills Community School. She was brought up Catholic and her father is fro ...
, Kirsty Hume, Bridget Hall, Milla Jovovich
Milica Bogdanovna Jovovich; sr-Latn, Milica Bogdanovna Jovović; russian: Милица Богдановна Йовович; uk, Милиця Богданoвна Йовович ( ; born December 17, 1975), known professionally as Milla Jovo ...
and Tyra Banks.
*One of the most influential group of models during the early 90s was the Big Five, whose fame and social power allegedly surpassed that of many movie stars. The Big Five consisted of supermodels Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Christy Turlington, Linda Evangelista and Tatjana Patitz. Whether booked as individuals or as an elite group, each supermodel gained worldwide success and had great influence on the fashion industry. Naomi Campbell was the first black woman to grace the cover of French Vogue, Time, and American Vogue's September issue. Cindy Crawford was the highest paid model on the planet in 1995 per Forbes. Christy Turlington was known for being a reliable model who garnered over 500 covers during her career and most notably, signed a contract with Maybelline for an annual fee of $800,000 for twelve days' work. Linda Evangelista was known as the industry's "chameleon" for her ability to suit a multitude of styles. Evangelista also infamously coined the phrase, "We don't wake up for less than $10,000 a day." Tatjana Patitz, the last of the Big Five, continues to be regarded as one of the "original supermodels" and even after her retirement, she remains in demand periodically by such designer houses as Jean-Paul Gaultier and Chanel. Later in the decade, Tatjana was replaced in the Big Five by supermodel Claudia Schiffer, who is one of the most successful supermodels in the world, holding the record for the most magazine covers according to The Guinness Book of World Records.
*Later in the decade, the rise of Kate Moss
Katherine Ann Moss (born 16 January 1974) is a British model. Arriving at the end of the "supermodel era", Moss rose to fame in the early 1990s as part of the heroin chic fashion trend. Her collaborations with Calvin Klein brought her to fas ...
shifted the world of fashion when her entrance onto the scene turned the Big Five into the Big Six. Kate Moss became one of the nineties' biggest phenomena when, at 14 years of age, she was discovered at JFK Airport. Her waif-like figure set a new fashion standard that became known as " heroin chic." This was a pale and ghostly look that called for a stick-thin stature and size zero body. Due to Kate's extremely skinny frame, she was often criticized for allegedly promoting eating disorder
An eating disorder is a mental disorder defined by abnormal eating behaviors that negatively affect a person's physical or mental health. Only one eating disorder can be diagnosed at a given time. Types of eating disorders include binge eating d ...
s as apparently evidenced by her shots for Calvin Klein
Calvin Richard Klein (born November 19, 1942) is an American fashion designer who launched the company that would later become Calvin Klein Inc., in 1968. In addition to clothing, he also has given his name to a range of perfumes, watches, and ...
. Reportedly, posters of Kate Moss were often defaced with graffiti that read "feed me".
*For the 1994 Autumn/Winter issue of Arena Homme +
''Arena Homme +'' is a fashion magazine for men published biannually since 1994. The first issue was published in Spring/Summer 1994.Arena (magazine), master fashion photographer Albert Watson photographed a new generation of top male models of the era, including Tyson Beckford,
/ref> South Africa, Egypt, and Japan popular trends included bold geometric-print clothing in electric blue, orange, fluorescent pink, purple, turquoise and the acid green exercise wearFitness fads
/ref> popularized by
* In 1994, grunge clothing rapidly declined as fashion became more feminine and form-fitting. Young women in the UK and America wore tailored skirt and trouser suits, short skirts and dresses, baby doll dresses, skater dresses, animal prints, hot pants,Fashions: Year In Review 1995 (accessed 9 May 2014)
/ref> slim pants, high waisted ankle length jeans (aka mom jeans) and pants both styled plain or pleated, bright colors (even in colder months),
* From 1998 to 2001, the unisex casual chic look gained mainstream appeal, with dark
* From 1991 until 1997, flannel shirts became very popular in the US and Australia, due to their use among the skater subculture and
* By the late 1990s, the grunge look became unfashionable, and there was a revival of interest in more stylish clothes, with name brand designers such as
* The dominant youth clothing fad at the beginning of the 1990s was fluorescent clothing, Hoop earrings, and plaid shirts. Popular colors for girls included coral, hot pink, bright mint, hot red, yellow, orange, and turquoise. In Britain and the US, girls wore oversized tee shirts, mid calf dresses with leggings, oversized v-neck sweaters over a turtleneck, slouch socks, triple striped tube socks usually folded over at the top, black or white lace trimmed bike shorts with
* The New wave music, new wave and heavy metal fashion of the 1980s lasted until 1992, when Grunge and hip hop fashion took over in popularity. By the mid-1990s the grunge style had gone mainstream in Britain and the US, resulting in a decline in bright colors from 1995 until late 1999, and was dominated by tartan flannel shirts, stonewashed blue
* In the US, psychobilly bands Reverend Horton Heat and Rocket from the Crypt popularized brothel creepers, gas station shirts and dark-colored bowling shirts during the late 1990s.
* Common unisex hairstyles included neon colored spiky hair, natural dreadlocks, undercut hairstyles, and synthetic hairpieces, and many ravers in the US and Europe wore tattoos and
/ref>
* The early 1990s saw widespread interest in hip hop and gangsta rap due to the influences of MC Hammer, Tupac Shakur, Eazy-E, Dr. Dre, N.W.A, Wu-Tang Clan, and Public Enemy (group), Public Enemy. The sagging (fashion), sagging trend began in the early 1990s and continued until the 2010s in fashion, 2010s. Wide leg jeans, Full plaid, Plaid, Khakis, Locs glasses,
*During the mid to late 1990s, gothic fashion peaked in popularity among American, German and British teenagers seeking to break from the mainstream. Black leather trenchcoats, frilly poet shirts, winklepickers, velvet blazers, long black hair, fetish clothing, and
Women's hair in the early 1990s continued in the big, curly style of the 1980s. High and High sided
For teenage boys longer hair was popular in the early to mid-1990s, including collar-length curtained hair, Long, unkempt grunge hair, blond surfer hair popular among some Britpop fans, and dreadlocks. During the mid-1990s, 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.
For teenage girls and younger children, hair was worn long with heavily teased bangs called "mall bangs" which were long fringes covering the forehead. From 1994 and through 2000s they got smaller and somewhat flatter and less poofy and laid closer to the forehead. Alice bands, headbands and scrunchies of various styles and colors (especially red, navy blue polka dot, plaid and neon) were popular with American girls throughout the early and mid 1990s, and they frequently wore them with twin pigtails, or high or high side
The 1990s generally saw the continued popularity of longer hair on men, especially in the United States, Scandinavia and Canada. In the early 1990s, curtained hair, Mullet (haircut), mullets, and
/ref> went in several different directions. Younger men who were more amenable had adopted the Caesar cut, either natural or dyed. This style was popularized by George Clooney on the hit TV show ER (TV series), ER in season two, which premiered in mid 1995. More rebellious young men went for longer, unkempt "grunge" hair, often with a center parting. The curtained hairstyle was at its peak in popularity, and sideburns went out of style. Meanwhile, most professional men over 30 had conservative 1950s style bouffant haircuts, regular haircuts, or the Caesar cut. In the late 1990s, it was considered unstylish and unattractive for men and boys to have longer hair. As a result, short hair completely took over. From 1997 onwards, aside from curtained hair (which was popular throughout the decade), spiky hair, bleached hair, crew cuts, and variants of the quiff became popular among younger men. Dark haired men dyed their spikes blonde or added wavy blonde streaks, a trend which continued into the 2000s. Variants of the surfer hair was popular among rock musicians during that time period. For African-American men, the cornrows (popularized by former NBA player Allen Iverson) and buzz cut were a popular trend that continued into the 2000s.
Women's makeup in the early 1990s primarily consisted of dark red lipstick and neutral eyes. Around 1992 the "grunge look" came into style among younger women and the look was based on dark red lipstick and smudged eyeliner and eyeshadow. Both styles of makeup continued into 1994, but went out of style the next year.
The trends in makeup shifted in the mid-1990s. In 1995, nude shades became desirable and women had a broader color palette in brown. Another makeup trend that emerged was matte lipsticks, with deep shades of red and dark wine colors worn as part of night makeup. Blue-frosted eye shadow became fashionable, and was eventually integrated into the Y2K makeup of the late 1990s/early 2000s (decade). Gothic makeup had broken into the mainstream, having been made up of vamp lipstick (or even black lipstick), heavy mascara and eyeliner, often purple-tinted eye shadow (or else very dark blue), and extremely pale foundation. The Gothic makeup remained relevant in the later years of the decade.
By 1999, glittery, sparkling makeup had come into style. This was called "Y2K makeup", consisting of facial glitter and lip gloss. Blue-frosted eye shadow remained a staple of late 1990s makeup, although silver was ideal look. Dark eyeliner was considered bodacious. Pale, shiny lips became desirable, as lip gloss largely replaced lipstick. An alternative for those who did not like metallics were purples and browns. Goth makeup and Y2K makeup continued into the early 2000s (decade), 2000s.
File:Hans Stefanson 1991.jpg, Swedish teenager with mullet haircut and abstract printed jumper, 1991.
File:Nirvana around 1992.jpg, Grunge clothing, popular from 1991 to 1996. (Kurt Cobain, 1992)
File:Red catsuit.jpg, The catsuit became a trend in the late 1990s. Normally made of latex, PVC, or spandex, it was often worn with high-heeled boots.
File:Snoqualmie Moondance dancers 03.jpg, Dancers at United States, America's Snoqualmie Moondance Festival in 1992
File:Dasich.jpg, The German electronic rock duo Das Ich, 1993. Their aspect shows the influence of the gothic fashion, goth look which returned in the 1990s.
File:Hi-top fade.jpg, African-American teenager with Hitop fade, popular in the early 1990s.
File:La minimanía.jpg, Argentine fashion spread focused on miniskirts, 1994.
File:Galafoto.jpg, Dutch high school prom, 1994
File:Choker.jpg, Chokers, popular in the mid and late-1990s
File:Lois McMaster Bujold (1996).jpg, Lois McMaster Bujold with pixie cut and denim western shirt, 1996
File:Hawaii Gov Cayetano and Hillary Clinton, September 1995.JPEG, US First Lady Hillary Clinton wearing straw panama hat, 1995
File:Slapbracelet.jpg, Slap bracelet worn by young girls in the early-1990s
File:A classic Black pair of Converse All Stars resting on the Black & White Ed. Shoebox (1998-2002).JPG, Converse All Stars, popular in the early 1990s
File:James Lavelle 1997.jpg, Electronic musician and DJ James Lavelle dressed in nightclub, club attire, 1997.
File:MA-1 Jacket in petrol.jpg, Bomber jacket with orange lining, popular from the mid-late 1990s
File:Lots of high school friends.jpg, Group of high school students, 1997
File:IngridStandingInBlack.jpg, Woman dressed in black
Tim Boyce
Timothy Shane Boyce is an American fashion and fitness model regarded as a male supermodel of the 1990s.
Boyce has worked with photographers Peter Lindbergh and Bettina Rheims in advertising campaigns for high fashion designers such as Giorgi ...
and Marcus Schenkenberg for the two-page fold-out cover proclaiming "High Five the New Supermodel Army - Malcom Tim, Marcus, In 1995 Gregg and Larry photographed by Albert Watson".
Neon colors
* In the US, USSR,90s Russian fashion/ref> South Africa, Egypt, and Japan popular trends included bold geometric-print clothing in electric blue, orange, fluorescent pink, purple, turquoise and the acid green exercise wearFitness fads
/ref> popularized by
Lisa Lopes
Lisa Nicole Lopes (May 27, 1971 – April 25, 2002), better known by her stage name Left Eye, was an American rapper and singer. She was a member of the R&B girl group TLC, alongside Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins and Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas. Besides ...
of TLC
TLC may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Television
* ''TLC'' (TV series), a 2002 British situational comedy television series that aired on BBC2
* TLC (TV network), formerly the Learning Channel, an American cable TV network
** TLC (Asia), an As ...
. Typical patterns included triangles, zigzag lightning bolts, diamonds, lozenges, rectangles, overlapping free-form shapes, simulated explosions inspired by comic book illustrations or pop art, intricate grids, and clusters of thin parallel lines in contrasting colors for example, white, black and yellow on a cyan background. Many women wore denim button-down Western shirt
Western wear is a category of men's and women's clothing which derives its unique style from the clothes worn in the 19th century Wild West. It ranges from accurate historical reproductions of American frontier clothing, to the stylized garmen ...
s, colored jeans
Jeans are a type of pants or trousers made from denim or dungaree cloth. Often the term "jeans" refers to a particular style of trousers, called "blue jeans", with copper-riveted pockets which were invented by Jacob W. Davis in 1871 and paten ...
in medium and dark green, red, and purple, metallic Spandex leggings, halterneck crop tops, drainpipe jeans
Slim-fit pants or skinny jeans (when made of denim) are tight trousers that have a snug fit through the legs and end in a small leg opening that can be anywhere from 9" to 20" in circumference, depending on size. Other names for this style includ ...
, colored tights, bike shorts, black leather jackets with shoulder pads, high waisted ankle length jeans (aka mom jeans) and pants both styled plain or pleated, baby-doll dresses over bike shorts or capri leggings, and skater dresses. Neon colored tops and leg warmers
Leg warmers are coverings for the lower legs, similar to socks but thicker and generally footless. Leg warmers are worn to keep the lower legs warm in colder weather. They can be tubular sleeves, long fabric wrappings, or simple pieces of fur or ...
were popular, together with leopard print skirts shiny satin or rayon blouses, embroidered jeans covered in rhinestones, and black or white shirts, leggings and jackets printed with abstract red, blue, yellow and green geometric patterns. In America, popular accessories included court shoes, cowboy boots, headscarves
A headscarf is a scarf covering most or all of the top of a person's, usually women's, hair and head, leaving the face uncovered. A headscarf is formed of a triangular cloth or a square cloth folded into a triangle, with which the head is cov ...
, slouch socks, Keds, ballet flats, and the penny loafers
Slip-ons are typically low, lace-less shoes. The style which is most commonly seen, known as a loafer or slippers in American culture, has a moccasin construction. One of the first designs was introduced in London by Wildsmith Shoes, called the ...
or boat shoes associated with the preppy
Preppy (also spelled preppie) or prep (all abbreviations of the word ''preparatory'') is a subculture in the United States associated with the alumni of old private Northeastern college preparatory schools. The terms are used to denote a perso ...
look.
Leggings and exercise-wear
* From 1991 on, sports bras, hoodies,shortalls
Overalls, also called bib-and-brace overalls or dungarees, are a type of garment usually used as protective clothing when working. The garments are commonly referred to as a "pair of overalls" by analogy with "pair of trousers".
Overalls were ...
, Leotards
A leotard () is a unisex skin-tight one-piece garment that covers the torso from the crotch to the shoulder. The garment was made famous by the French acrobatic performer Jules Léotard (1838–1870). There are sleeveless, short-sleeved, and lo ...
and bodysuit
A bodysuit is a one-piece form-fitting or skin-tight garment that covers the torso and the crotch, and sometimes the legs, hands, and feet, and cannot be used as a swimsuit. The style of a basic bodysuit is similar to a one-piece swimsuit a ...
s worn as tops with jeans, a sweatshirt especially Champion brand over a turtleneck with jeans rolled up to show off their slouch socks were popular with young girls, teens, college girls, and young women in the UK, Europe and America. A common outfit was to wear a skirt, dress shorts, babydoll
A babydoll is a short, sleeveless, loose-fitting nightgown
A nightgown, nightie or nightdress is a loosely hanging item of nightwear, and is commonly worn by women and girls. A nightgown is made from cotton, silk, satin, or nylon and may be ...
or minidress with black opaque tights, white slouch socks, and white Keds athletic sneaker
Sneakers (also called trainers, athletic shoes, tennis shoes, gym shoes, kicks, sport shoes, flats, running shoes, or runners) are shoes primarily designed for sports or other forms of physical exercise, but which are now also widely used fo ...
s. It was not uncommon to see mothers dressed right along with their daughters in white slouch socks worn over black leggings or sweatpants (especially heather grey color), an oversized T-shirt, sweater or sweatshirt worn over a turtleneck, and Keds, Converse All Stars, or unisex aerobic, basketball or Nike Air or gold Reebok hi-top running shoes. A dressed up leggings outfit was leggings with an oversized v-neck sweater over a turtleneck, slouch socks, Keds (shoes) or Sperrys boat shoes, and bangs with a headband band or ponytail
A ponytail is a hairstyle in which some, most or all of the hair on the head is pulled away from the face, gathered and secured at the back of the head with a hair tie, clip, or other similar accessory and allowed to hang freely from that point ...
and scrunchie. Leggings worn over pantyhose or tights with a pair of flats
Flat or flats may refer to:
Architecture
* Flat (housing), an apartment in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and other Commonwealth countries
Arts and entertainment
* Flat (music), a symbol () which denotes a lower pitch
* Flat (soldier), ...
were also common. Leggings and slouch socks with oversized tops and casual sneakers especially Keds continued to be worn as lounge wear and everyday comfortable and fashionable casual wear until the late 1990s. In Israel, Britain and the US, Gottex
Gottex is an Israeli goods designer swimwear manufacturer based in Tel Aviv.
History
Gottex was founded in Tel Aviv, Israel, in 1956 by Lea Gottlieb, who headed the design team until 1998. She adapted her expertise as a raincoat manufacturer to ...
swimsuit
A swimsuit is an item of clothing designed to be worn by people engaging in a water-based activity or List of water sports, water sports, such as swimming, Diving (sport), diving and surfing, or sun-orientated activities, such as sun bathing. Di ...
s became popular among female celebrities Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales (born Diana Frances Spencer; 1 July 1961 – 31 August 1997) was a member of the British royal family. She was the first wife of King Charles III (then Prince of Wales) and mother of Princes William and Harry. Her ac ...
, Brooke Shields
Brooke Christa Shields (born May 31, 1965) is an American actress and model. She was initially a child model and gained critical acclaim at age 12 for her leading role in Louis Malle's film ''Pretty Baby'' (1978). She continued to model into ...
, and Elizabeth Taylor
Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor (February 27, 1932 – March 23, 2011) was a British-American actress. She began her career as a child actress in the early 1940s and was one of the most popular stars of classical Hollywood cinema in the 1950s. ...
.
Grunge
* In mid-1992, grunge fashion broke into the mainstream for both sexes. For younger American, Australian and Latina women, grunge fashion consisted of flannel shirts, ripped jeans,mom jeans
Mom jeans is an informal term for high-waisted women's jeans that were first fashionable in the late 1980s and early 1990s. In the late 1990s and 2000s they were mainly worn by adult American women and considered "old" by younger women. High ...
, shortalls
Overalls, also called bib-and-brace overalls or dungarees, are a type of garment usually used as protective clothing when working. The garments are commonly referred to as a "pair of overalls" by analogy with "pair of trousers".
Overalls were ...
, Doc Martens
Dr. Martens, also commonly known as Doc Martens, Docs or DMs, is a German-founded British footwear and clothing brand, headquartered in Wollaston in the Wellingborough district of Northamptonshire, England. Although famous for its footwear, D ...
, combat boots, band t-shirts, oversized knit sweaters, long and droopy skirts, ripped tights, Birkenstocks, hiking boots, and eco-friendly clothing made from recycled textiles or fair trade
Fair trade is an arrangement designed to help producers in developing countries achieve sustainable and equitable trade relationships. The fair trade movement combines the payment of higher prices to exporters with improved social and enviro ...
organic cotton. A prominent example of the popularity of grunge fashion is the teen drama television series " My So Called Life". Grunge fashion peaked in late 1993 and early 1994.
Mid 1990s (1993–1996)
Glamour wear
* In 1994, grunge clothing rapidly declined as fashion became more feminine and form-fitting. Young women in the UK and America wore tailored skirt and trouser suits, short skirts and dresses, baby doll dresses, skater dresses, animal prints, hot pants,Fashions: Year In Review 1995 (accessed 9 May 2014)/ref> slim pants, high waisted ankle length jeans (aka mom jeans) and pants both styled plain or pleated, bright colors (even in colder months),
long
Long may refer to:
Measurement
* Long, characteristic of something of great duration
* Long, characteristic of something of great length
* Longitude (abbreviation: long.), a geographic coordinate
* Longa (music), note value in early music mensur ...
and short skirts, and high heels. High-shine fabrics, such as satin, metallics, sequins, microfiber, vinyl, and silk became very prominent on both clubwear and work wear
Workwear is clothing worn for work, especially work that involves manual labour. Often those employed within trade industries elect to be outfitted in workwear because it is built to provide durability and safety.
The workwear clothing industry i ...
. The most common look among young women that year was the short black slip dress
A slip dress is a woman's dress that closely resembles an underslip or petticoat. It is traditionally cut on the bias, with spaghetti straps. The slip dress looked like an undergarment, but was intended to be seen, and through the use of lace an ...
worn over a tight, undersized white T-shirt. Loungewear generally consisted of black Lycra
Spandex, Lycra, or elastane is a synthetic fiber known for its exceptional elasticity. It is a polyether-polyurea copolymer that was invented in 1958 by chemist Joseph Shivers at DuPont's Benger Laboratory in Waynesboro, Virginia, US.
The g ...
leggings or bike shorts, large T-shirts, oversized sweatshirt
A sweatshirt is a long-sleeved pullover shirt fashioned out of thick, usually cotton cloth material. Sweatshirts are almost exclusively casual attire and hence not as dressy as some sweaters. Sweatshirts may or may not have a hood. A sweatshirt w ...
s, turtleneck
A polo neck, roll-neck (United Kingdom, South Africa), turtleneck (United States, Canada), or skivvy (Australia, New Zealand, United States) is a garment—usually a sweater—with a close-fitting collar that folds over and covers the n ...
s, and baggy sweaters, slouch socks, Keds, white Sperry sneakers or athletic sneakers and hair in bangs and a ponytail with a scrunchie while at home running errands, at kids sporting events or other clubs and activities or relaxing during the weekends.
* A very popular look among young women from 1994 to 1995 was the "sexy school girl" look. This trend consisted of tartan minikilts, sometimes with bike shorts underneath, undersized sweaters, short slip dresses, baby doll tees, knee highs
Knee highs are hosiery that cover the feet and legs up to the knee. A fashion accessory for casual and classic cool or warm weather apparel. Typically worn by women in many societies, they are sometimes worn with modern semi-formal attire. Unlike ...
, pulled all the way up or rolled or folded at the top, thigh highs
Hold-ups or stay-ups (in the United States also referred to as thigh-high stockings or simply thigh highs) are stockings with an elasticized band at the top, designed to hold the stockings up when worn, without the use of a garter belt or gart ...
, miniature backpacks, overalls, tights, pantyhose, shirts and dresses with peter pan style collars and chunky shoes, mary janes, ballet flats, or boat shoes. Hair was down or in a high ponytail with a scrunchie. The sexy school girl look was prominently portrayed in films with female leads such as '' Clueless'', ''Empire Records
''Empire Records'' is a 1995 American coming-of-age comedy-drama film directed by Allan Moyle, starring Anthony LaPaglia, Maxwell Caulfield, Debi Mazar, Rory Cochrane, Johnny Whitworth, Robin Tunney, Renée Zellweger, and Liv Tyler. The fil ...
'', and '' The Craft''.
* Among women over 30, 1950s ladylike fashions made a comeback in the United States. This included pencil skirts, cardigans, girdles, petticoats, satin or lace Wonderbra lingerie, and fitted suits. Popular accessories that went hand-in-hand with this revival included brooches, white gloves, sheer stockings, diamonds, sequins, and red lipstick. For more casual occasions, women opted for lean capri pants, polka dot
Red polka dots on a yellow background
Girl wearing polka dot dress
Polish ceramics
German ceramics
Polka dot is a pattern consisting of an array of large filled circles of the same size.
Polka dots are commonly seen on children's clothing, ...
blouses, belted trench coats, 1940s style sandals, white canvas shoes especially Keds, leggings with oversized tops, slouch socks with leggings, rolled jeans or khakis or shorts or shortalls, shortalls
Overalls, also called bib-and-brace overalls or dungarees, are a type of garment usually used as protective clothing when working. The garments are commonly referred to as a "pair of overalls" by analogy with "pair of trousers".
Overalls were ...
, sweaters, sweatshirts, tunic tops, shorts suit with dress shorts with tights underneath, ballet flats
Ballet flats are women's shoes for everyday wear which are similar to/inspired by a women's ballet shoes, with a very thin heel or the appearance of no heel at all. The style sometimes features a ribbon-like binding around the low tops of the slip ...
and a top and jacket, above the knee dresses sometimes worn with bike shorts underneath, mom jeans
Mom jeans is an informal term for high-waisted women's jeans that were first fashionable in the late 1980s and early 1990s. In the late 1990s and 2000s they were mainly worn by adult American women and considered "old" by younger women. High ...
, and leather jackets.
* Popular shoes and accessories during the mid-1990s in Europe and North America included loafers, Mary Janes
Mary Jane (also known as bar shoes or doll shoes) is an American term ( formerly a registered trademark) for a closed, low-cut shoe with one or more straps across the instep.
Classic Mary Janes for children are typically made of black leather ...
, suede sneakers, mules
A mule is the offspring of a female horse and a male donkey.
Mule, Mules, MULE or The Mule can also refer to:
Animals
* Mule (sheep), in British sheep farming, a cross between a meat ram and a hardy mountain ewe
* Mule deer (''Odocoileus hemio ...
, clog
Clogs are a type of footwear made in part or completely from wood. Used in many parts of the world, their forms can vary by culture, but often remained unchanged for centuries within a culture.
Traditional clogs remain in use as protective f ...
s, knee high boots
Knee-high boots are boots that rise to the knee, or slightly thereunder or over. They are generally tighter around the leg shaft and ankle than at the top. Originally made of leather, versions made of a synthetic rubber (PVC, Neoprene, etc.), th ...
, jelly shoe
Jelly shoes or jellies are a type of shoe made of PVC plastic. Jelly shoes come in a large variety of brands and colours and the material is sometimes infused with glitter. Its name comes from the French company called Jelly Shoes, founded by Ton ...
s, go-go boots, black court shoe
A court shoe (British English), or pump (American English), is a shoe with a low-cut front, or vamp, with either a shoe buckle or a black bow as ostensible fastening. Deriving from the 17th and 18th century dress shoes with shoe buckles, the vam ...
s, Keds, ballet flats, silver jewelry, dainty earrings and necklaces, conch shell necklaces, berets, straw hats, floppy hats, gold jewelry, and hipster belts. Navel piercings had started to gain popularity around this time.
Work wear
*For much of the early and mid 1990s, power dressing was the norm for women in the workplace: navy blue, grey or pastel colored skirt suits withshoulder pad
Shoulder pads are a type of fabric-covered padding used in men's and women's clothing to give the wearer the illusion of having broader and less sloping shoulders. In the beginning, shoulder pads were shaped as a semicircle or small triangle and ...
s, pussy bow
A lavallière, also called a pussycat bow or pussybow, is a style of neckwear worn with women's and girls' blouses and bodices. It is a bow tied at the neck, which has been likened to those sometimes put on "pussy cats".
History
While bows at th ...
blouses, silk scarves, pointed shoes, stretchy miniskirts, polka dot
Red polka dots on a yellow background
Girl wearing polka dot dress
Polish ceramics
German ceramics
Polka dot is a pattern consisting of an array of large filled circles of the same size.
Polka dots are commonly seen on children's clothing, ...
blouses, and brightly colored short dresses worn with a dark brocade
Brocade is a class of richly decorative shuttle-woven fabrics, often made in colored silks and sometimes with gold and silver threads. The name, related to the same root as the word "broccoli", comes from Italian ''broccato'' meaning "embos ...
blazer, bare legs and metallic open toed shoes. Other 1980s fashion
Fashion of the 1980s was characterized by a rejection of 1970s fashion. Punk fashion began as a reaction against both the hippie movement of the past decades and the materialist values of the current decade. The first half of the decade was relat ...
s such as chunky jewelry, gold hoop earrings
An earring is a piece of jewelry attached to the ear via a piercing in the earlobe or another external part of the ear (except in the case of clip earrings, which clip onto the lobe). Earrings have been worn by people in different civilizations an ...
with horn of life pendants, smoky eye make-up, hairspray, Alice bands, and brightly painted nails remained common. Shorts suits were also very popular. They consisted of a regular suit top and jacket and dress shorts with tights underneath worn with ballet flats
Ballet flats are women's shoes for everyday wear which are similar to/inspired by a women's ballet shoes, with a very thin heel or the appearance of no heel at all. The style sometimes features a ribbon-like binding around the low tops of the slip ...
.
*By 1996, professional women in Britain, Australia and America wore more relaxed styles and muted colors, such as black floral print dresses, plain kaftan style blouses, Mary Janes
Mary Jane (also known as bar shoes or doll shoes) is an American term ( formerly a registered trademark) for a closed, low-cut shoe with one or more straps across the instep.
Classic Mary Janes for children are typically made of black leather ...
, maxi skirts, knee length dresses, boots, smart jeans, big floppy hats, culottes, capri pants and chunky platform shoes. Trouser suit
A pantsuit, also known as a trouser suit outside the United States, is a woman's suit of clothing consisting of pants and a matching or coordinating coat or jacket.
Formerly, the prevailing fashion for women included some form of a coat, pai ...
s began to replace skirts, black or white tights and nude pantyhose made a comeback.
Late 1990s (1997–1999)
Asian influences
*Beginning in 1997 and continuing into the mid-2000s, Southeast Asian and Indian fashion began to influence and gain greater recognition from the global media due to the establishment of theFashion Design Council of India
The Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) is an organisation in India. FDCI is a non-profit independent association of fashion designers formed to propagate the Business of Fashion in India in December 1998. Currently, the office is based in ...
, and the hosting of India Fashion Week in Delhi. Inspired by Bollywood cinema
Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry based in Mumbai, engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood, is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (fo ...
and a resurgence of interest in 1970s fashion
Fashion in the 1970s was about individuality. In the early 1970s, ''Vogue'' proclaimed "There are no rules in the fashion game now" due to overproduction flooding the market with cheap synthetic clothing. Common items included mini skirts, bel ...
, designers in India adapted and repurposed the saree
A sari (sometimes also saree or shari)The name of the garment in various Languages of South Asia, regional languages include:
* as, শাৰী, xārī, translit-std=ISO
* bn, শাড়ি, śāṛi, translit-std=ISO
* gu, સાડી ...
, churidar and kurta into the Anarkali ballgown from the early 1990s onwards. By the late 1990s, kurta tunics were turned into short dresses, and Manish Arora
Manish Arora is an Indian fashion designer based in New Delhi. In early 2011, he was appointed creative director of the womenswear collection of the French fashion house Paco Rabanne, although he left the company in May 2012.
Born and brought ...
designed garish Hindu "God printed T-shirts" for both locals and global tourists. British, Asian and American designers also incorporated ethnic chic
Boho-chic is a style of fashion drawing on various bohemian and hippie influences, which, at its height in late 2005 was associated particularly with actress Sienna Miller, model Kate Moss in the United Kingdom and actress/businesswoman Mary-Kate ...
fabrics, such as khadi, paisley, silk or Indonesian Batik into Western-inspired clothing patterns such as shirts and blouses featuring traditional embroidery. This type of clothing was worn not only by the immigrant Bangladeshi, Pakistani and Indian diaspora in Britain, but also by many non-Indian women.
1970s revival
*From 1997 onwards, many British and American designers started to take cues from thedisco fashion
Fashion in the 1970s was about individuality. In the early 1970s, Vogue (magazine), ''Vogue'' proclaimed "There are no rules in the fashion game now" due to overproduction flooding the market with cheap synthetic clothing. Common items included ...
of the mid–late 1970s. Particularly common were black or dark red pleather
Artificial leather, also called synthetic leather, is a material intended to substitute for leather in upholstery, clothing, footwear, and other uses where a leather-like finish is desired but the actual material is cost
prohibitive or unsuitab ...
pants, animal print clothing, halter tops, metallic clothing, crop tops, tube top
A tube top, colloquially known in the UK as a boob tube, is a shoulderless, sleeveless women's garment that wraps around the upper torso. It is generally tight over the breasts, and usually uses elastic bands at its top and bottom to prevent it fr ...
s, maxi coats, maxi skirt
A skirt is the lower part of a dress or a separate outer garment that covers a person from the waist downwards.
At its simplest, a skirt can be a draped garment made out of a single piece of fabric (such as pareos). However, most skirts are fi ...
s, knee boots sometimes with knee socks slouch at the top, and boot-cut dress pants. By 2001, popular mainstream trends included tight shirts, bell bottoms
Bell-bottoms (or flares) are a style of trousers that become wider from the knees downward, forming a bell-like shape of the trouser leg. These are similar to flared jeans.
History Naval origins
In the early 19th century, when a standardized uni ...
, platform shoes, fleeces, cropped
Cropping is the removal of unwanted outer areas from a photographic or illustrated image. The process usually consists of the removal of some of the peripheral areas of an image to remove extraneous trash from the picture, to improve its framin ...
tank tops, Union jack motifs inspired by the Cool Britannia
Cool Britannia was a name for the period of increased pride in the culture of the United Kingdom throughout the mid and second half of the 1990s, inspired by Swinging London from 1960s pop culture. This loosely coincided with John Major's conse ...
movement, and military inspired clothing, such as flak jackets with camouflage patterns.
*In the late 1990s, bright colors began to make a comeback in mainstream fashion, as a backlash against the darker tones associated with the grunge
Grunge (sometimes referred to as the Seattle sound) is an alternative rock genre and subculture that emerged during the in the American Pacific Northwest state of Washington, particularly in Seattle and nearby towns. Grunge fuses elements of p ...
and skater subculture. Popular colors included plum
A plum is a fruit of some species in ''Prunus'' subg. ''Prunus'.'' Dried plums are called prunes.
History
Plums may have been one of the first fruits domesticated by humans. Three of the most abundantly cultivated species are not found i ...
, chocolate, and navy, all of which replaced black, which had become ubiquitous. Other fashion trends popular from 1997 to 1999 included glamour wear, high-waisted miniskirts, plastic choker
A choker is a close-fitting necklace worn around the neck, typically 14 inch to 16 inch in length. Chokers can be made of a variety of materials, including velvet, plastic, beads, latex, leather, metal, such as silver, gold, or platinum, etc. The ...
s, knee socks
Knee highs are hosiery that cover the feet and legs up to the knee. A fashion accessory for casual and classic cool or warm weather apparel. Typically worn by women in many societies, they are sometimes worn with modern semi-formal attire. Unlike ...
associated with the school girl look, tight pants
Slim-fit pants or skinny jeans (when made of denim) are tight trousers that have a snug fit through the legs and end in a small leg opening that can be anywhere from 9" to 20" in circumference, depending on size. Other names for this style includ ...
, slip dress
A slip dress is a woman's dress that closely resembles an underslip or petticoat. It is traditionally cut on the bias, with spaghetti straps. The slip dress looked like an undergarment, but was intended to be seen, and through the use of lace an ...
es, turtle-neck
A polo neck, roll-neck (United Kingdom, South Africa), turtleneck (United States, Canada), or skivvy (Australia, New Zealand, United States) is a garment—usually a sweater—with a close-fitting collar that folds over and covers the ...
sweaters, conservative chic, capri pants, high-waisted trousers, and cardigans.
*More formal styles intended for the workplace or special occasions (such as a cocktail party
A cocktail party is a party at which cocktails are served. It is sometimes called a cocktail reception. A cocktail party organized for purposes of social or business networking is called a mixer.
A cocktail hour is sometimes used by manag ...
) included silk blouse
A blouse (blau̇s, 'blau̇z, ) is a loose-fitting upper garment that was worn by workmen, peasants, artists, women, and children.The Concise Oxford English Dictionary It is typically gathered at the waist or hips (by tight hem, pleats, parter ...
s in neutral colors or animal prints, tailored pantsuits and skirt suits inspired by the 1980s, collarless coats, and the little black dress, with or without subtle embroidery.
Casual chic
* From 1998 to 2001, the unisex casual chic look gained mainstream appeal, with dark stonewash
Stone washing is a textile manufacturing process used to give a newly manufactured cloth garment a worn-in (or worn-out) appearance. Stone-washing also helps to increase the softness and flexibility of otherwise stiff and rigid fabrics such as ca ...
jeans, shortalls
Overalls, also called bib-and-brace overalls or dungarees, are a type of garment usually used as protective clothing when working. The garments are commonly referred to as a "pair of overalls" by analogy with "pair of trousers".
Overalls were ...
, spaghetti strap crop tops, tracksuits, sweatpants
Sweatpants are a casual variety of soft trousers intended for comfort or athletic purposes, although they are now worn in many different situations. In the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa they are known as ...
, and other athletic clothing. Denim's popularity was at an all-time high in Europe, with designer denim jackets and matching jeans rocketing in prices. Other common, more affordable brands included Mudd
Mudd is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Daniel Mudd (born 1956), American CEO, son of Roger Mudd
* David Mudd (1933–2020), English politician
* Harvey Seeley Mudd (1888–1955), American mining engineer, namesake of Harvey ...
, JNCO
JNCO, short for "Judge None Choose One", is a Los Angeles, California-based clothing company specializing in boys' and men's jeans.
History
JNCO was founded in 1985 by Moroccan-born, French-raised brothers Jacques Yaakov Revah and Haim Milo Re ...
, and Evisu, a Japanese denim brand which launched in the 1980s. The most popular trainers were white or black and manufactured by Adidas
Adidas AG (; stylized as adidas since 1949) is a German multinational corporation, founded and headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Bavaria, that designs and manufactures shoes, clothing and accessories. It is the largest sportswear manufactur ...
, Skechers, and Nike. Running shoes with built in air pumps were popular among both sexes. Leather had largely replaced canvas, and soles were made of foam rather than solid rubber.
* In the US and Britain, popular accessories included large hoop earring
An earring is a piece of jewelry attached to the ear via a piercing in the earlobe or another external part of the ear (except in the case of clip earrings, which clip onto the lobe). Earrings have been worn by people in different civilizations an ...
s, shoes with rounded toes, flip flops
Flip-flops are a type of light sandal, typically worn as a form of casual footwear. They consist of a flat sole held loosely on the foot by a Y-shaped strap known as a toe thong that passes between the first and second toes and around both side ...
, jelly shoe
Jelly shoes or jellies are a type of shoe made of PVC plastic. Jelly shoes come in a large variety of brands and colours and the material is sometimes infused with glitter. Its name comes from the French company called Jelly Shoes, founded by Ton ...
s, rhinestone-encrusted hip belts, embellished slippers, beaded wristbands and lariats, Alice bands, pashminas, fascinators, gold jewelry, moccasin loafers, running shoes, jelly bracelets, bandanas, and novelty Wellington boots
The Wellington boot was originally a type of leather boot adapted from Hessian boots, a style of military riding boot. They were worn and popularised by Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington. The "Wellington" boot became a staple of pr ...
with leopard print or zebra stripe patterns.
Men's fashion
Early 1990s (1990–1992)
Casual clothing
* Continuing on from the late 1980s, many young men in the US, UK and Europe wore tapered and cuffedhigh waisted jeans
A high-rise or high-waisted garment is one designed to sit high on, or above, the wearer's hips, usually at least 8 centimetres (3 inches) higher than the navel. In western cultures, high-rise jeans were especially common in the 1970s, la ...
or pants styled plain or pleated with matching denim jackets, Champion brand, Stone Island or Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren, ( ; ; born October 14, 1939) is an American fashion designer, philanthropist, and billionaire businessman, best known for the Ralph Lauren Corporation, a global multibillion-dollar enterprise. He has become well known for his co ...
sweatshirts, polo shirts with contrasting collars, short Harrington jacket
A Harrington jacket (originally known only as a Baracuta jacket or a G9) is a lightweight, waist-length jacket made of cotton, polyester, wool or suede. Designs often incorporate traditional Fraser tartan or checkerboard-patterned lining.
His ...
s, grey Tommy Hilfiger sweaters with prominent logos, oversized Guess
A guess (or an act of guessing) is a swift conclusion drawn from data directly at hand, and held as probable or tentative, while the person making the guess (the guesser) admittedly lacks material for a greater degree of certainty. A guess is als ...
denim shirts, brightly colored windcheater
A windbreaker, or a windcheater, is a thin fabric jacket designed to resist wind chill and light rain, making it a lighter version of the jacket. It is usually of lightweight construction and characteristically made of a synthetic material. A ...
s especially in yellow or green, Hush Puppies
Hush Puppies is an American brand of casual footwear. A division of Wolverine World Wide, Hush Puppies is headquartered in Rockford, Michigan. Wolverine also licenses the Hush Puppies name for apparel, toys and accessories.
Hush Puppies uses a ...
shoes, Sperrys boat shoes, white Sperrys sneakers, V neck sweaters, soccer
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
shorts, white athletic socks worn with black or brown loafers, triple striped tube socks usually folded over at the top, slouch socks, pastel colored three button sportcoat
A sport coat, also called a sport jacket (or sports coat or sports jacket in American English), is a men's smart casual lounge jacket designed to be worn on its own without matching trousers, traditionally for sporting purposes. Styles, fabric ...
s, graphic print T-shirts, tracksuit tops with a vertical contrasting stripe down the sleeve, sweatpants
Sweatpants are a casual variety of soft trousers intended for comfort or athletic purposes, although they are now worn in many different situations. In the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa they are known as ...
, bomber jacket
A flight jacket is a casual jacket that was originally created for pilots and eventually became part of popular culture and apparel. It has evolved into various styles and silhouettes, including the "letterman" jacket and the fashionable "bomber ...
s, pale denim
Stone washing is a textile manufacturing process used to give a newly manufactured cloth garment a worn-in (or worn-out) appearance. Stone-washing also helps to increase the softness and flexibility of otherwise stiff and rigid fabrics such as ca ...
drainpipe jeans
Slim-fit pants or skinny jeans (when made of denim) are tight trousers that have a snug fit through the legs and end in a small leg opening that can be anywhere from 9" to 20" in circumference, depending on size. Other names for this style includ ...
as worn by Ewan McGregor in ''Trainspotting
Trainspotting may refer to:
* Trainspotting (hobby), an amateur interest in railways/railroads
* ''Trainspotting'' (novel), a 1993 novel by Irvine Welsh
** ''Trainspotting'' (film), a 1996 film based on the novel
*** ''Trainspotting'' (soundtr ...
'', shiny red or blue rayon
Rayon is a semi-synthetic fiber, made from natural sources of regenerated cellulose, such as wood and related agricultural products. It has the same molecular structure as cellulose. It is also called viscose. Many types and grades of viscose f ...
monkey jackets, grey or tan leather jackets with shoulder pad
Shoulder pads are a type of fabric-covered padding used in men's and women's clothing to give the wearer the illusion of having broader and less sloping shoulders. In the beginning, shoulder pads were shaped as a semicircle or small triangle and ...
s, and wool baseball jacket
In sports or activities in the United States, a letterman is a high school or college student who has met a specified level of participation or performance on a varsity team.
Overview
The term comes from the practice of awarding each such parti ...
s with contrasting sleeves. Short shorts were popular in the early years of the decade, but were replaced with looser and baggier basketball shorts in 1993 when hip-hop fashion went mainstream. Teva sandals were popular in 1993, its trend even endured to early 2000s.
Grunge look
* From 1991 until 1997, flannel shirts became very popular in the US and Australia, due to their use among the skater subculture and grunge
Grunge (sometimes referred to as the Seattle sound) is an alternative rock genre and subculture that emerged during the in the American Pacific Northwest state of Washington, particularly in Seattle and nearby towns. Grunge fuses elements of p ...
bands including Nirvana or Mudhoney
Mudhoney is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1988, following the demise of Green River. Its members are singer and rhythm guitarist Mark Arm, lead guitarist Steve Turner, bassist Guy Maddison and drummer Dan Peters. Orig ...
,. Unlike the fitted Western shirt
Western wear is a category of men's and women's clothing which derives its unique style from the clothes worn in the 19th century Wild West. It ranges from accurate historical reproductions of American frontier clothing, to the stylized garmen ...
s of the 1970s which fastened with pearl snaps, the flannel shirts of the 1990s were padded and loose-fitting for optimum warmth. Men also wore acid wash
Stone washing is a textile manufacturing process used to give a newly manufactured cloth garment a worn-in (or worn-out) appearance. Stone-washing also helps to increase the softness and flexibility of otherwise stiff and rigid fabrics such as ca ...
jeans, patterned wool sweaters with turtlenecks underneath, black Schott Perfecto
Perfecto is a secondary brand of "lancer fronted" leather motorcycle jackets designed by Irving Schott and manufactured by American clothing company Schott NYC. The first jacket was introduced in 1928,Fashion in Popular Culture: Literature, Me ...
leather jackets, sheepskin coats, olive green anoraks, corduroy sportcoat
A sport coat, also called a sport jacket (or sports coat or sports jacket in American English), is a men's smart casual lounge jacket designed to be worn on its own without matching trousers, traditionally for sporting purposes. Styles, fabric ...
s, grey sweatpants
Sweatpants are a casual variety of soft trousers intended for comfort or athletic purposes, although they are now worn in many different situations. In the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa they are known as ...
and fingerless glove
A glove is a garment covering the hand. Gloves usually have separate sheaths or openings for each finger and the thumb.
If there is an opening but no (or a short) covering sheath for each finger they are called fingerless gloves. Fingerless glov ...
s.
* In the US, popular accessories included Converse All Stars
Chuck Taylor All-Stars or Converse All Stars (also referred to as "Converse", "Chuck Taylors", "Chucks", "Cons", "All Stars", and "Chucky Ts") is a model of casual shoe manufactured by Converse (a subsidiary of Nike, Inc. since 2003) that was i ...
, hi-top Nike's, trapper hat
An ushanka ( rus, уша́нка, p=ʊˈʂankə, from , "ears"), also called an ''ushanka-hat'' ( rus, ша́пка-уша́нка, p=ˈʂapkə ʊˈʂankə), is a Russian fur cap with ear-covering flaps that can be tied up to the crown of the cap, ...
s, bucket hats, baseball caps
A baseball cap is a type of soft cap, hat with a rounded crown and a stiff bill projecting in front.
The front of the hat typically displays a design or a logo (historically, usually only a sports team, namely a baseball team, or names of releva ...
, baggy, graphic T-shirts, oversized sweatshirts, tuques, combat boots, Dr. Martens
Dr. Martens, also commonly known as Doc Martens, Docs or DMs, is a German-founded British footwear and clothing brand, headquartered in Wollaston in the Wellingborough district of Northamptonshire, England. Although famous for its footwear, Dr ...
, and Aviator sunglasses.
Mid 1990s (1993–1996)
Cool Britannia and 1970s revival
* Around 1995/1996, 1960smod
Mod, MOD or mods may refer to:
Places
* Modesto City–County Airport, Stanislaus County, California, US
Arts, entertainment, and media Music
* Mods (band), a Norwegian rock band
* M.O.D. (Method of Destruction), a band from New York City, US ...
clothing and longer hair were popular in Britain, Canada, and the US due to the success of Britpop. Men wore Aloha shirts, brown leather jackets, velvet blazers, paisley shirts, throwback pullover baseball jerseys, and graphic-print T-shirts (often featuring dragon
A dragon is a reptilian legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as ...
s, athletic logos or numbers). Real fur went out of fashion and fake fur became the norm.
* The 1970s became a dominant theme for inspiration on men's apparel in 1996. Among these clothing styles were coats with fur- or faux fur-trimmings, jackets with bold shoulders and wide lapels, and boot-cut slacks. This continued into the 2000s (decade). Casual clothes such as trousers, sweaters, and denim jackets were worn with shirts made of satin, PVC, and terry cloth. Both pastel colors and bold patterns were popular and successfully replaced black.
* Desirable accessories during the mid-1990s included loafers, desert boots, chelsea boots, gold jewellery, boat shoes, chunky digital watch
A watch is a portable timepiece intended to be carried or worn by a person. It is designed to keep a consistent movement despite the motions caused by the person's activities. A wristwatch is designed to be worn around the wrist, attached by ...
es, solid colored ties, shoulder bags, and black/neon colored high-top sneakers replaced combat boots.
Modern preppy
*Preppy
Preppy (also spelled preppie) or prep (all abbreviations of the word ''preparatory'') is a subculture in the United States associated with the alumni of old private Northeastern college preparatory schools. The terms are used to denote a perso ...
clothing was popular in the US, where wealthy young men wore khaki slacks, canvas boat shoes, and navy blue blazers with breast-pocket monogram
A monogram is a motif made by overlapping or combining two or more letters or other graphemes to form one symbol. Monograms are often made by combining the initials of an individual or a company, used as recognizable symbols or logos. A series o ...
or gold buttons bearing a family crest. In general, 1990s preppy was more casual than the almost dandified look of the 1980s as young men abandoned ascots and Oxford shoes in favor of Nantucket Reds
Nantucket Reds are a style of trousers distributed by Murray's Toggery Shop on the island of Nantucket. The pants were featured in '' The Official Preppy Handbook''.
Description
''Nantucket Reds'' were originally inspired by cotton trousers worn i ...
, nautical-striped T-shirts, boat shoes i.e. Sperrys, loafers, white style casual sneakers, slouch socks, and madras cloth or gingham short-sleeved shirts. Desirable brands included Gap, Old Navy and Abercrombie & Fitch
Abercrombie & Fitch (A&F) is an American lifestyle retailer that focuses on casual wear. Its headquarters are in New Albany, Ohio. The company operates three other offshoot brands: Abercrombie Kids, Hollister Co., and Gilly Hicks. As of Februar ...
.
Hip-Hop
* In Europe and North America, hip-hop fashion went mainstream in 1992, with oversizedbaseball jacket
In sports or activities in the United States, a letterman is a high school or college student who has met a specified level of participation or performance on a varsity team.
Overview
The term comes from the practice of awarding each such parti ...
s, baggy jeans
Wide-leg jeans, colloquially called baggy pants, are a style of clothing that were popular from the early 1990s to the early 2010s. The quintessential brand of " hip-hop"-style wide-leg jeans comes from the Los Angeles–based JNCO ("Judge None ...
, bomber jacket
A flight jacket is a casual jacket that was originally created for pilots and eventually became part of popular culture and apparel. It has evolved into various styles and silhouettes, including the "letterman" jacket and the fashionable "bomber ...
s, Baja Jackets, and tracksuits popular among young men as casual wear. Simultaneously, industrial and military styles crept into mainstream fashion, with machinery pieces becoming accessories. Baseball caps started being worn forwards again.
* The eight-ball jacket
The eight-ball or 8-ball jacket is a style of leather jacket created by San Francisco–based designer Michael Hoban in 1990. The style is characterized by bright color-blocking and large black and white decals on the back and sleeves, made to l ...
created by designer Michael Hoban
Brian Michael Stanislaus Hoban (7 October 1921 in British Guiana – 6 July 2003), was a teacher of classics, and Headmaster of Harrow School from 1971–81.
His father died when he was a small child and he spent two years in an orpha ...
became popular in hip-hop fashion, particularly the East Coast hip hop scene of New York City. The style is characterized by bright color-blocking
Color-blocking is thought of as the exploration of taking colors that are opposites on the color wheel and pairing them together to make interesting and complementary color combinations. It is commonly associated in fashion as a trend that originat ...
and large black and white decals on the back and sleeves, made to look like the eight ball used in some cue sports.
* Southern hip hop provided a platform for Fashion designers and musical artists to collaborate forming an influential subculture
A subculture is a group of people within a culture that differentiates itself from the parent culture to which it belongs, often maintaining some of its founding principles. Subcultures develop their own norms and values regarding cultural, poli ...
of anti fashion and alternative fashion
Alternative fashion or Alt fashion is fashion that stands apart from mainstream commercial fashion. Alternative fashion includes the fashions of specific subcultures such as emo, scene, goth subculture, hip hop, cyberpunk, kawaii, cottagecore, ...
designs, especially the popular recycled clothing worn by Arrested Development and Goodie Mob.
* Due to its association with rappers, sportswear became acceptable to wear in public throughout the mid to late 1990s, especially oversized T-shirts, baseball caps and sweaters bearing the New York Yankees logo, tennis shoes, hoodies, jean shorts, khaki cargo pants, baggy basketball shorts, chinos, tracksuits and black bomber jacket
A flight jacket is a casual jacket that was originally created for pilots and eventually became part of popular culture and apparel. It has evolved into various styles and silhouettes, including the "letterman" jacket and the fashionable "bomber ...
s with orange linings. From 1995 onwards, men wore overalls, straight leg jeans, plaid pants, flat-front chinos, khaki pants, and camouflage pants worn ironically by anti-war protesters.
* In the late 1990s ski goggles became a popular accessory in hip hop fashion.
Late 1990s (1997–1999)
African fashion
*During the mid and late 1990s, the silk Madiba shirt became popular in South Africa and the wider global community. From 1996 to 1998, traditional African clothing began to face serious competition from cheap imported mitumba clothing as a consequence of the Kenyan and Tanzanian government's easing of trade restrictions during the early to mid 1990s. By the end of the decade, the safari jacket associated withkleptocrat
Kleptocracy (from Greek κλέπτης ''kléptēs'', "thief", κλέπτω ''kléptō'', "I steal", and -κρατία -''kratía'' from κράτος ''krátos'', "power, rule") is a government whose corrupt leaders (kleptocrats) use political ...
dictator Mobutu Sese Seko
Mobutu Sese Seko Kuku Ngbendu Wa Za Banga (; born Joseph-Désiré Mobutu; 14 October 1930 – 7 September 1997) was a Congolese politician and military officer who was the president of Zaire from 1965 to 1997 (known as the Democratic Republic o ...
of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the previous South African Apartheid regime had declined in popularity, and was replaced as formal wear by the dashiki suit. Variants in green, yellow and black were worn as an alternative to the business suit by many African-Americans for Kwanzaa. African art began to influence and gain greater recognition on account of the Festival de la Mode Africaine (FIMA). These influences started to make their way into fashion shows all over, for reference New York fashion week, 1998. In this show models were wearing sheath-like dresses made of loosely knitted yarn and denim jackets
A denim jacket, also called a jean jacket or trucker jacket, is a jacket made from denim. Introduced in the United States in the late 19th century, it has been a popular type of casual apparel with both men and women and has been described as an ...
with large fake fur collars. Loose threads dangled from some of the garment's seams and other garments had the labels sewn on the outside of the collars.
Streetwear
* By the late 1990s, the grunge look became unfashionable, and there was a revival of interest in more stylish clothes, with name brand designers such as Calvin Klein
Calvin Richard Klein (born November 19, 1942) is an American fashion designer who launched the company that would later become Calvin Klein Inc., in 1968. In addition to clothing, he also has given his name to a range of perfumes, watches, and ...
and Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren, ( ; ; born October 14, 1939) is an American fashion designer, philanthropist, and billionaire businessman, best known for the Ralph Lauren Corporation, a global multibillion-dollar enterprise. He has become well known for his co ...
making a comeback. In Europe, jeans were more popular than ever before. From 1997 to 1998 brighter colors came into style, including plum
A plum is a fruit of some species in ''Prunus'' subg. ''Prunus'.'' Dried plums are called prunes.
History
Plums may have been one of the first fruits domesticated by humans. Three of the most abundantly cultivated species are not found i ...
, charcoal
Charcoal is a lightweight black carbon residue produced by strongly heating wood (or other animal and plant materials) in minimal oxygen to remove all water and volatile constituents. In the traditional version of this pyrolysis process, cal ...
, olive
The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'', meaning 'European olive' in Latin, is a species of small tree or shrub in the family Oleaceae, found traditionally in the Mediterranean Basin. When in shrub form, it is known as ''Olea europaea'' ...
, wine, and shades such as "camillia rose", "blazing orange", "whisper pink", "hot coral", and a light-grayish blue called "wind chime".
* Much of men's fashion in 1997 was inspired by the 1996 film Swingers, leading to the popularization of the "dressy casual" look. Such apparel included blazers, black or red leather jackets and bowling shirt
Bowling is a target sport and recreational activity in which a player rolls a ball toward pins (in pin bowling) or another target (in target bowling). The term ''bowling'' usually refers to pin bowling (most commonly ten-pin bowling), thoug ...
s in either a variety of prints or a solid color, and loose-fitting flat-front or pleated khaki chinos or jeans. Around this time it became fashionable to leave shirts untucked.
Business wear
* In Europe, single-breasted three and four button notch lapel suits in grey or navy blue, together with leather jackets based on the same cut as blazers, began to replace the double breasted 1980s power suits. The wide neckties of the early 1990s remained the norm, but the colors became darker and stripes and patterns were less common. In India andChina
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
, the Nehru suit
The Nehru jacket is a hip-length tailored coat for men or women, with a mandarin collar, and with its front modelled on the Indian achkan or sherwani, a garment worn by Jawaharlal Nehru, the prime minister of India from 1947 to 1964.
History ...
and Mao suit declined in popularity in favor of conventional Western business wear. Tweed cloth
Tweed is a rough, woollen fabric, of a soft, open, flexible texture, resembling cheviot or homespun, but more closely woven. It is usually woven with a plain weave, twill or herringbone structure. Colour effects in the yarn may be obtained ...
and houndstooth sportcoat
A sport coat, also called a sport jacket (or sports coat or sports jacket in American English), is a men's smart casual lounge jacket designed to be worn on its own without matching trousers, traditionally for sporting purposes. Styles, fabric ...
s went out of fashion due to their association with older men. Dress shoes (usually in black) included chelsea boot
Chelsea boots are close-fitting, ankle-high boots with an elastic side panel. They often have a loop or tab of fabric on the back of the boot, enabling the boot to be pulled on. The boot dates back to the Victorian era, when it was worn by both me ...
s with rounded or square toes, wingtips, and monkstraps.
* In America, an increasing number of men began to dress smart-casual
Smart casual is an ambiguously defined Western dress code that is generally considered casual wear but with smart (in the sense of "well dressed") components of a proper lounge suit from traditional informal wear. For men, this interpretati ...
and business casual, a trend kickstarted by Bill Gates of Microsoft. At more formal events such as weddings or proms, men often wear boxy three or four button, single-breasted suits with a brightly colored Necktie, tie and an often matching dress shirt. Another trend was to wear black shirts, black ties, and black suits. Black leather reefer jackets and trenchcoats were also fashionable in the late 1990s, the latter inspired by The Matrix.
Youth fashion
General trends
* The dominant youth clothing fad at the beginning of the 1990s was fluorescent clothing, Hoop earrings, and plaid shirts. Popular colors for girls included coral, hot pink, bright mint, hot red, yellow, orange, and turquoise. In Britain and the US, girls wore oversized tee shirts, mid calf dresses with leggings, oversized v-neck sweaters over a turtleneck, slouch socks, triple striped tube socks usually folded over at the top, black or white lace trimmed bike shorts with babydoll
A babydoll is a short, sleeveless, loose-fitting nightgown
A nightgown, nightie or nightdress is a loosely hanging item of nightwear, and is commonly worn by women and girls. A nightgown is made from cotton, silk, satin, or nylon and may be ...
dresses, belts worn with dresses, skater dresses, dress shorts worn with tights and ballet flats
Ballet flats are women's shoes for everyday wear which are similar to/inspired by a women's ballet shoes, with a very thin heel or the appearance of no heel at all. The style sometimes features a ribbon-like binding around the low tops of the slip ...
, tights with slouch socks, crew neck T-shirts, Keds, Converse Chuck Taylor All-Stars, boat shoes, shortalls
Overalls, also called bib-and-brace overalls or dungarees, are a type of garment usually used as protective clothing when working. The garments are commonly referred to as a "pair of overalls" by analogy with "pair of trousers".
Overalls were ...
, leotards, bodysuit
A bodysuit is a one-piece form-fitting or skin-tight garment that covers the torso and the crotch, and sometimes the legs, hands, and feet, and cannot be used as a swimsuit. The style of a basic bodysuit is similar to a one-piece swimsuit a ...
s and pantywaist (clothing), pantywaist tops worn with jeans
Jeans are a type of pants or trousers made from denim or dungaree cloth. Often the term "jeans" refers to a particular style of trousers, called "blue jeans", with copper-riveted pockets which were invented by Jacob W. Davis in 1871 and paten ...
or skirts, long sleeved T-shirts, Nike Tempo athletic shorts, Mom jeans, Mom Jeans and colored jeans
Jeans are a type of pants or trousers made from denim or dungaree cloth. Often the term "jeans" refers to a particular style of trousers, called "blue jeans", with copper-riveted pockets which were invented by Jacob W. Davis in 1871 and paten ...
especially in medium and dark green, red, and purple, and leggings with slouch socks, oversized tops, and sneakers especially Keds. It was not uncommon to see mothers dressed right along with their daughters in the leggings outfits and jeans outfits. Boys wore soccer
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
shorts, jean jackets, tartan shirts, tapered acid wash jeans
Jeans are a type of pants or trousers made from denim or dungaree cloth. Often the term "jeans" refers to a particular style of trousers, called "blue jeans", with copper-riveted pockets which were invented by Jacob W. Davis in 1871 and paten ...
, colored jeans
Jeans are a type of pants or trousers made from denim or dungaree cloth. Often the term "jeans" refers to a particular style of trousers, called "blue jeans", with copper-riveted pockets which were invented by Jacob W. Davis in 1871 and paten ...
in bright and light mint green, red, and purple colors sweatpants
Sweatpants are a casual variety of soft trousers intended for comfort or athletic purposes, although they are now worn in many different situations. In the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa they are known as ...
, slouch socks and single, double or triple stripe athletic socks sometimes folded down at the top especially the triple striped ones worn with everything from shorts to rolled jeans and khakis. In the Southern Suburbs of Chicago during the late 1980s and early 1990s, Z Cavaricci pants and IOU sweatshirts were worn by members of the middle/upper-middle class.
* For much of the 1990s, particularly the middle years, teenage boys and girls bought and wore very simple clothes, such as overalls, shortalls, athletic shorts, dress shorts, high waisted ankle length jeans and pants plain or pleated. flannel shirts, grey knitted sweaters, and backpacks. Popular stores selling these items included Gap and Urban Outfitters. In the late 1990s, American teenage girls imitated the look of British girl group All Saints (group), All Saints, which consisted of baggy jeans
Wide-leg jeans, colloquially called baggy pants, are a style of clothing that were popular from the early 1990s to the early 2010s. The quintessential brand of " hip-hop"-style wide-leg jeans comes from the Los Angeles–based JNCO ("Judge None ...
, T-shirts, sweatshirts, Tank top (shirt), tanktops, and trainers, as well as cargo pants, and crop tops.
* For many younger children, the 1990s was the Disney Renaissance, Golden Age of Disney films with T-shirts and sweaters featuring characters such as Simba, Mickey Mouse, Belle (Disney), Belle, Aladdin (Disney character), Aladdin, and Winnie the Pooh (character), Winnie the Pooh. Tartan trousers, striped shirts, long sleeved polo shirt, Champion (sportswear) crew neck sweatshirts worn over a turtleneck, colored jeans
Jeans are a type of pants or trousers made from denim or dungaree cloth. Often the term "jeans" refers to a particular style of trousers, called "blue jeans", with copper-riveted pockets which were invented by Jacob W. Davis in 1871 and paten ...
in bright mint, red, aqua and purple colors, d high waisted ankle length jeans and pants plain or pleated. athletic shorts especially soccer
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
shorts, slouch socks, continuing from the 80s triple striped tube socks usually folded over at the top through the early 90s, and sweaters were worn by young boys and girls in the UK and the US. Blue denim and railroad stripe overalls and shortalls
Overalls, also called bib-and-brace overalls or dungarees, are a type of garment usually used as protective clothing when working. The garments are commonly referred to as a "pair of overalls" by analogy with "pair of trousers".
Overalls were ...
were also popular for girls, as seen on television and commercials throughout the decade, and for teenagers, some of whom would leave either strap hanging loose. Common outfits for tween (demographic), tweens and teenage girls, was to wear an oversized tee, a Champion (sportswear), Champion brand sweatshirt
A sweatshirt is a long-sleeved pullover shirt fashioned out of thick, usually cotton cloth material. Sweatshirts are almost exclusively casual attire and hence not as dressy as some sweaters. Sweatshirts may or may not have a hood. A sweatshirt w ...
over a turtleneck, a babydoll
A babydoll is a short, sleeveless, loose-fitting nightgown
A nightgown, nightie or nightdress is a loosely hanging item of nightwear, and is commonly worn by women and girls. A nightgown is made from cotton, silk, satin, or nylon and may be ...
dress with opaque tights or bike shorts, shorts with black opaque tights or leggings, white slouch socks, and either Keds, boat shoes such as the Sperry Top-Sider or Eastland brands, white Sperry sneakers, Rockport dress sneakers or Converse (shoe), Converse sneakers
Sneakers (also called trainers, athletic shoes, tennis shoes, gym shoes, kicks, sport shoes, flats, running shoes, or runners) are shoes primarily designed for sports or other forms of physical exercise, but which are now also widely used fo ...
.
Subcultures of the 1990s
Grunge
* The New wave music, new wave and heavy metal fashion of the 1980s lasted until 1992, when Grunge and hip hop fashion took over in popularity. By the mid-1990s the grunge style had gone mainstream in Britain and the US, resulting in a decline in bright colors from 1995 until late 1999, and was dominated by tartan flannel shirts, stonewashed blue jeans
Jeans are a type of pants or trousers made from denim or dungaree cloth. Often the term "jeans" refers to a particular style of trousers, called "blue jeans", with copper-riveted pockets which were invented by Jacob W. Davis in 1871 and paten ...
, and dark colors such as maroon (color), maroon, forest green, indigo, brown, white and black.
* Grunge fashion remained popular among the skater subculture until the late 1990s as the hard-wearing, loose-fitting clothing was cheap and provided good protection. Members of the subculture were nicknamed grebos or moshing, moshers and included those who did not skate.
Psychobilly, punk and skater
* hardcore punk, Hardcore punk fashion, which began in the 1970s, was very popular in the 1990s, especially among the skater subculture. Common items for pop punk and nu metal fans included bright colored/blond tipped spiky hair, long under sleeves, black hoodies, and baggy pants in black, mint blue, or red Royal Stewart tartan.
* In the US, psychobilly bands Reverend Horton Heat and Rocket from the Crypt popularized brothel creepers, gas station shirts and dark-colored bowling shirts during the late 1990s.
Rave culture and clubwear
* Popular fashion themes of the rave subculture during the early 1990s included plastic aesthetics, various fetish fashions especially PVC miniskirts and tops, DIY and tie dye outfits, vintage 1970s clothing, second-hand optics, Retro style#Fashion design, retro sportswear (such as Adidas tracksuits), and outfits themed around sex (showing much skin and nudity, e.g. wearing transparent or crop tops), war (e.g. in the form of combat boots or camouflage trousers), postmodernism and science fiction themes. In the early 1990s the first commercial rave fashion trends developed from the underground scene, which were quickly taken up by the fashion industry and marketed under the term ''clubwear''. Common raver fashion styles of the 1990s included tight-fitting nylon shirts, tight nylon quilted vests, bell-bottoms, neoprene jackets, studded belts, platform shoes, jackets, scarves and bags made of flokati fur, Fluffy (footwear), fluffy boots and phat pants, often in bright and neon colors.
* Common unisex hairstyles included neon colored spiky hair, natural dreadlocks, undercut hairstyles, and synthetic hairpieces, and many ravers in the US and Europe wore tattoos and body piercing
Body piercing, which is a form of body modification, is the practice of puncturing or cutting a part of the human body, creating an opening in which jewelry may be worn, or where an implant could be inserted. The word ''piercing'' can refer to ...
s. Widespread accessories included wristbands and collars, whistles, pacifiers, feather boas, cyberpunk inspired goggles, glow sticks, and record bags made of truck tarpaulins.(PDF version)/ref>
Hip-Hop
* The early 1990s saw widespread interest in hip hop and gangsta rap due to the influences of MC Hammer, Tupac Shakur, Eazy-E, Dr. Dre, N.W.A, Wu-Tang Clan, and Public Enemy (group), Public Enemy. The sagging (fashion), sagging trend began in the early 1990s and continued until the 2010s in fashion, 2010s. Wide leg jeans, Full plaid, Plaid, Khakis, Locs glasses, bomber jacket
A flight jacket is a casual jacket that was originally created for pilots and eventually became part of popular culture and apparel. It has evolved into various styles and silhouettes, including the "letterman" jacket and the fashionable "bomber ...
s, tracksuits and baseball caps and snapback hats worn backwards became popular among hip hop fans together with gold chains, sovereign rings, and FUBU T-shirts. By the end of the decade, hip hop fashion had influenced many global subcultures, especially the British chavs with their tracksuits and white trainers, the sneakerheads of America and Asia, and the Insane Clown Posse, ICP fans known as Juggalos with their all-black outfits and evil clown corpse paint.
Britpop
* In the mid-1990s, indie rock, Madchester, and Britpop bands Blur (band), Blur, Stone Roses, and Oasis (band), Oasis resulted in a revival of 1970s fashions, including Mod haircuts, aviator sunglasses, denim jackets, green parkas, harrington jackets, velvetsportcoat
A sport coat, also called a sport jacket (or sports coat or sports jacket in American English), is a men's smart casual lounge jacket designed to be worn on its own without matching trousers, traditionally for sporting purposes. Styles, fabric ...
s, striped shirts, Ben Sherman polo shirts, T-shirts bearing the RAF roundel, and Union Jack motifs including the Union Jack dress, dress worn by the Spice Girls' Geri Halliwell.
Goth
*During the mid to late 1990s, gothic fashion peaked in popularity among American, German and British teenagers seeking to break from the mainstream. Black leather trenchcoats, frilly poet shirts, winklepickers, velvet blazers, long black hair, fetish clothing, and tight pants
Slim-fit pants or skinny jeans (when made of denim) are tight trousers that have a snug fit through the legs and end in a small leg opening that can be anywhere from 9" to 20" in circumference, depending on size. Other names for this style includ ...
were a common sight on both sexes, and girls often wore Victorian inspired corsets, lace gloves, Demonia (brand), Demonia boots, and short leather skirts.
Preppy
* The conservativepreppy
Preppy (also spelled preppie) or prep (all abbreviations of the word ''preparatory'') is a subculture in the United States associated with the alumni of old private Northeastern college preparatory schools. The terms are used to denote a perso ...
look of the 1980s remained popular among wealthy teenagers in the Eastern US until the late 1990s, when Ghetto prep, many members of the subculture began adopting elements of hip hop fashion. Typical clothing for preppies of the 1990s included khaki chinos, and high waisted ankle length jeans and pants plain or pleated. navy blue, vy blue blazers, Oxford shirts, brogues, Keds worn with everything especially leggings, slouch socks and oversized sweatshirts, sweaters and tees, boat shoes, ballet flats
Ballet flats are women's shoes for everyday wear which are similar to/inspired by a women's ballet shoes, with a very thin heel or the appearance of no heel at all. The style sometimes features a ribbon-like binding around the low tops of the slip ...
, coach jackets, baseball jacket
In sports or activities in the United States, a letterman is a high school or college student who has met a specified level of participation or performance on a varsity team.
Overview
The term comes from the practice of awarding each such parti ...
s, mom jeans
Mom jeans is an informal term for high-waisted women's jeans that were first fashionable in the late 1980s and early 1990s. In the late 1990s and 2000s they were mainly worn by adult American women and considered "old" by younger women. High ...
, shortalls
Overalls, also called bib-and-brace overalls or dungarees, are a type of garment usually used as protective clothing when working. The garments are commonly referred to as a "pair of overalls" by analogy with "pair of trousers".
Overalls were ...
, jeans worn with a leotard or bodysuit
A bodysuit is a one-piece form-fitting or skin-tight garment that covers the torso and the crotch, and sometimes the legs, hands, and feet, and cannot be used as a swimsuit. The style of a basic bodysuit is similar to a one-piece swimsuit a ...
as a top, shorts or skirts worn with blazers (for girls), shorts suit with dress shorts with tights underneath, ballet flats
Ballet flats are women's shoes for everyday wear which are similar to/inspired by a women's ballet shoes, with a very thin heel or the appearance of no heel at all. The style sometimes features a ribbon-like binding around the low tops of the slip ...
and a top and jacket, sweater over a turtleneck
A polo neck, roll-neck (United Kingdom, South Africa), turtleneck (United States, Canada), or skivvy (Australia, New Zealand, United States) is a garment—usually a sweater—with a close-fitting collar that folds over and covers the n ...
, and Champion (sportswear), Champion crew neck sweatshirts worn over a turtleneck
A polo neck, roll-neck (United Kingdom, South Africa), turtleneck (United States, Canada), or skivvy (Australia, New Zealand, United States) is a garment—usually a sweater—with a close-fitting collar that folds over and covers the n ...
. A typical outfit included leggings with an oversized v neck sweater over a turtleneck, slouch socks, and Keds (shoes), Keds, Sperrys boat shoes or Sperrys white sneakers. Neat, well-groomed hairstyles were popular among upper elementary, middle school, high school and college age girls, including the bangs (hair), bangs, straightened hime cut side bunches, or high regular ponytails worn with scrunchies and headbands many times in combination with bangs.
Hairstyles of the 1990s
Women's hairstyles
Women's hair in the early 1990s continued in the big, curly style of the 1980s. High and High sided ponytail
A ponytail is a hairstyle in which some, most or all of the hair on the head is pulled away from the face, gathered and secured at the back of the head with a hair tie, clip, or other similar accessory and allowed to hang freely from that point ...
s continued through most of the decade, especially when playing sports and at the gym. These were worn with a scrunchie until the mid-1990s when hair ties began to replace scrunchies. Scrunchies became popular once again in the late 2010s. Bangs (hair), Bangs remained big throughout the decade, especially the "mall bangs" poofy style associated with the early 1990s. From 1994 and through 2000s they got smaller and somewhat flatter and less poofy and laid closer to the forehead.
The pixie cut and Rachel haircut, based on the hairstyles of Jennifer Aniston in ''Friends'' and Marlo Thomas in ''That Girl'', were popular in America from 1995 onwards. Around the same time red hair also became a desirable color for women, as well as feathered bangs, and mini hair-buns. From 1995 until 2008, dark-haired women tended to dye their hair a lighter color with blonde highlights (popularized by Jennifer Aniston).
In the late 1990s, the Bob cut was well-desired, popularized and rejuvenated by Victoria Beckham of the Spice Girls. This late 90s-style bob cut featured a center, side, or zig-zag parting, as opposed to the thick bangs of the early 1990s. The feathered hair, Farrah Fawcett hairstyle made a comeback, with highlights going hand-in-hand with this revival. Other late 1990s haircuts included "Felicity curls" (popularized by Keri Russell in the hit TV show ''Felicity (TV series), Felicity''), the Fishtail Half-Up, and pigtails, as well as the continuation of mid 1990s hairdos.
Children's and teenager's hairstyles
For teenage boys longer hair was popular in the early to mid-1990s, including collar-length curtained hair, Long, unkempt grunge hair, blond surfer hair popular among some Britpop fans, and dreadlocks. During the mid-1990s, 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.
For teenage girls and younger children, hair was worn long with heavily teased bangs called "mall bangs" which were long fringes covering the forehead. From 1994 and through 2000s they got smaller and somewhat flatter and less poofy and laid closer to the forehead. Alice bands, headbands and scrunchies of various styles and colors (especially red, navy blue polka dot, plaid and neon) were popular with American girls throughout the early and mid 1990s, and they frequently wore them with twin pigtails, or high or high side ponytail
A ponytail is a hairstyle in which some, most or all of the hair on the head is pulled away from the face, gathered and secured at the back of the head with a hair tie, clip, or other similar accessory and allowed to hang freely from that point ...
s and bangs (hair), bangs. Beginning in the late 1990s and continuing into the 2010s, straightened hair and variants of the French braid became popular in Europe.
Men's hairstyles
The 1990s generally saw the continued popularity of longer hair on men, especially in the United States, Scandinavia and Canada. In the early 1990s, curtained hair, Mullet (haircut), mullets, and ponytail
A ponytail is a hairstyle in which some, most or all of the hair on the head is pulled away from the face, gathered and secured at the back of the head with a hair tie, clip, or other similar accessory and allowed to hang freely from that point ...
s were popular. Other trends included flattops, hi-top fades, and cornrows.
In the mid-1990s, men's hairstyle trends90s Outfits/ref> went in several different directions. Younger men who were more amenable had adopted the Caesar cut, either natural or dyed. This style was popularized by George Clooney on the hit TV show ER (TV series), ER in season two, which premiered in mid 1995. More rebellious young men went for longer, unkempt "grunge" hair, often with a center parting. The curtained hairstyle was at its peak in popularity, and sideburns went out of style. Meanwhile, most professional men over 30 had conservative 1950s style bouffant haircuts, regular haircuts, or the Caesar cut. In the late 1990s, it was considered unstylish and unattractive for men and boys to have longer hair. As a result, short hair completely took over. From 1997 onwards, aside from curtained hair (which was popular throughout the decade), spiky hair, bleached hair, crew cuts, and variants of the quiff became popular among younger men. Dark haired men dyed their spikes blonde or added wavy blonde streaks, a trend which continued into the 2000s. Variants of the surfer hair was popular among rock musicians during that time period. For African-American men, the cornrows (popularized by former NBA player Allen Iverson) and buzz cut were a popular trend that continued into the 2000s.
Makeup and cosmetic trends
Women's makeup in the early 1990s primarily consisted of dark red lipstick and neutral eyes. Around 1992 the "grunge look" came into style among younger women and the look was based on dark red lipstick and smudged eyeliner and eyeshadow. Both styles of makeup continued into 1994, but went out of style the next year.
The trends in makeup shifted in the mid-1990s. In 1995, nude shades became desirable and women had a broader color palette in brown. Another makeup trend that emerged was matte lipsticks, with deep shades of red and dark wine colors worn as part of night makeup. Blue-frosted eye shadow became fashionable, and was eventually integrated into the Y2K makeup of the late 1990s/early 2000s (decade). Gothic makeup had broken into the mainstream, having been made up of vamp lipstick (or even black lipstick), heavy mascara and eyeliner, often purple-tinted eye shadow (or else very dark blue), and extremely pale foundation. The Gothic makeup remained relevant in the later years of the decade.
By 1999, glittery, sparkling makeup had come into style. This was called "Y2K makeup", consisting of facial glitter and lip gloss. Blue-frosted eye shadow remained a staple of late 1990s makeup, although silver was ideal look. Dark eyeliner was considered bodacious. Pale, shiny lips became desirable, as lip gloss largely replaced lipstick. An alternative for those who did not like metallics were purples and browns. Goth makeup and Y2K makeup continued into the early 2000s (decade), 2000s.
Gallery
A selection of images related to the period.maxi skirt
A skirt is the lower part of a dress or a separate outer garment that covers a person from the waist downwards.
At its simplest, a skirt can be a draped garment made out of a single piece of fabric (such as pareos). However, most skirts are fi ...
, top and hat, 1995.
File:Hip-Hop Mode Beispiel 1.jpg, Baseball jackets were popular among hip-hop fans in the mid-1990s
File:Dress Loafers Women's Mid '90s.JPG, Women's side gusset shoes popular during the mid and late 1990s among preppy and hip-hop subculture.
File:Mid '90s Go-go Boot.jpg, Go-go boots became fashionable again in 1995. They were worn by women of the hip-hop, alternative, and dance subcultures.
File:Heavy shoe style 1997.JPG, Block-heeled shoes, popular from 1995 until 2001.
File:Black Barbour bucket hat.jpg, Black Barbour bucket hat.
File:Aintzane Esther and Estitxu (cropped).jpg, Woman wearing cropped top and bell-bottomed pants, 1997.
File:Sallie Ann Glassman wall.jpg, Woman with Rachel haircut, late 1990s.
File:Eduardo Frei 1998.jpg, Double breasted Office suit, power suit with large shoulder pad
Shoulder pads are a type of fabric-covered padding used in men's and women's clothing to give the wearer the illusion of having broader and less sloping shoulders. In the beginning, shoulder pads were shaped as a semicircle or small triangle and ...
s worn in the European workplace, 1998
File:Assyrian youth, 1998.jpg, Group of young children displaying various fashion trends, Amman, 1998
File:Amman evangelical church, 1999.jpg, Church members exhibiting assorted fashion trends, Amman, 1998
File:TwoWomeninGlassesandBandanas.jpg, Two women wearing bandanas, 1999.
File:Spijkerbroek van gebleekt blauw katoenen denim met scheuren bij het zitvlak en omgeslagen pijpen “Levi’s”, objectnr 25677(1).JPG, Blue wide-leg jeans.
File:British Knights.JPG, A pair of British Knights
File:Pinkpolo.jpg, Polo shirt with popped collar.
File:1970s maxi skirt in Liberty print, with tooled leather shoulder bag and black T-shirt (cropped).jpg, Long maxi skirt
A skirt is the lower part of a dress or a separate outer garment that covers a person from the waist downwards.
At its simplest, a skirt can be a draped garment made out of a single piece of fabric (such as pareos). However, most skirts are fi ...
in a Liberty floral print.
See also
*2000s in fashion *1980s in fashionReferences
{{DEFAULTSORT:1990s In Fashion 1990s fashion, 1990s decade overviews