1990s in fashion


Fashion in the 1990s was defined by a return to minimalist fashion, in contrast to the more elaborate and flashy trends of the 1980s. One notable shift was the mainstream adoption of tattoos, body piercings aside from ear piercing and, to a much lesser extent, other forms of body modification such as branding.
In the early 1990s, several late 1980s fashions remained very stylish among men and women. However, the popularity of grunge and alternative rock music helped bring the simple, unkempt grunge look to the mainstream by that period. This approach to fashion led to the popularization of the casual chic look, which included T-shirts, jeans, hoodies, and sneakers, a trend which would continue into the 2000s. Additionally, fashion trends throughout the decade recycled styles from previous decades, most notably the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s.
Unlike the 1980s, when fashion with volume was commonplace, the 1990s was more characterized as time when fashion was decidedly low maintenance. The 1990s was also time when more people began to value fashion as an intellectual form. During this period, alternative fashion strategies become part of the commercial format. Resistance to generally accepted fashion trends became one of the basic principles of fashion in the 1990s. Elements of deconstruction in costume became an important element of commercial fashion.
Due to increased availability of the Internet and satellite television outside the United States, plus the reduction of import tariffs under NAFTA, fashion became more globalized and homogeneous in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Women's fashion

Early 1990s (1990–1993)

Supermodels and high fashion

Neon colors

Leggings and exercise-wear

Grunge

Mid-1990s (1994–1996)

Glamour wear

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 with shoulder pads, pussy bow blouses, silk scarves, pointed shoes, stretchy miniskirts, polka dot blouses, and brightly colored short dresses worn with a dark brocade blazer, bare legs and metallic open toed shoes. Other 1980s fashions such as chunky jewelry, gold hoop earrings 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 in short or bermuda length with tights underneath worn with ballet flats. Also seen were stirrup pants worn over tights or pantyhose with flats and an oversized top.
  • 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, maxi skirts, knee length dresses, boots, smart jeans, big floppy hats, culottes, capri pants and chunky platform shoes. Trouser suits 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 the Fashion Design Council of India, and the hosting of India Fashion Week in Delhi. Inspired by Bollywood cinema and a resurgence of interest in 1970s fashion, designers in India adapted and repurposed the saree, 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 designed garish Hindu "God printed T-shirts" for both locals and global tourists. British, Asian and American designers also incorporated ethnic chic 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

Casual chic

  • From 1998 to 2001, the unisex casual chic look gained mainstream appeal, with dark stonewash jeans, shortalls, spaghetti strap crop tops, tracksuits, sweatpants, 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, JNCO, and Evisu, a Japanese denim brand which launched in the 1980s. The most popular trainers were white or black and manufactured by Adidas, 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 earrings, shoes with rounded toes, flip flops, jelly shoes, 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 with leopard print or zebra stripe patterns.

Men's fashion

Early 1990s (1990–1993)

Casual clothing

Grunge look

Mid-1990s (1994–1996)

Cool Britannia and 1960s–70s revival

  • Around 1995/1996, 1960s mod 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. 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. 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 watches, solid colored ties, shoulder bags, and black/neon colored high-top sneakers replaced combat boots.

Modern preppy

Hip-hop

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 with kleptocrat dictator Mobutu Sese Seko 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. 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 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 streetwear clothing, with name brand designers such as Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren making a comeback. In Europe, jeans were more popular than ever before. From 1997 to 1998 brighter colors came into style, including plum, charcoal, olive, wine, and shades such as "camellia 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 shirts 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 and China, the Nehru suit and Mao suit declined in popularity in favor of conventional Western business wear. Tweed cloth and houndstooth sportcoats went out of fashion due to their association with older men. Dress shoes included chelsea boots with rounded or square toes, wingtips, and monkstraps.
  • In America, an increasing number of men began to dress smart-casual 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 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

  • For much of the 1990s, particularly the middle years, teenage boys and girls bought and wore very simple clothes, such as shortalls, flannel shirts, athletic shorts, dress shorts short or bermuda length, track suits, high-waisted ankle length jeans and pants usually at least to the belly button, plain or pleated, leggings, bike shorts, stretch pants and stirrup pants, oversized shirts, sweaters and sweatshirts, slouch socks, striped tube socks sometimes folded down at the top, above the knee slip dresses with a capped sleeved tee usually white or capped sleeved bodysuit underneath, babydoll dresses above the knee with opaque tights, leggings or bike shorts showing, bodysuits as tops, jogger pants and turtlenecks. Popular shoe brands or styles included Keds, canvas and leather Converse Chuck Taylor All-Stars, ballet flats, and boat shoes. Popular stores selling these items included Gap, Old Navy, Urban Outfitters, JCPenney and Kohls.
  • The 1990s was the Golden Age of Disney films. T-shirts and sweaters featuring characters such as Simba, Mickey Mouse, Belle, Aladdin, and Winnie the Pooh were popular among young children.

Subcultures of the 1990s

Grunge

  • The 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, and was dominated by tartan flannel shirts and stonewashed blue jeans.
  • 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 moshers and included those who did not skate.

Psychobilly, punk and skater

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 sportswear, and outfits themed around sex, war, 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 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 piercings. Widespread accessories included wristbands and collars, whistles, pacifiers, feather boas, cyberpunk inspired goggles, glow sticks, and record bags made of truck tarpaulins.

Hip-hop

Britpop

Goth

Preppy

Hairstyles

Women's hairstyles

Women's hair in the early 1990s continued in the big, curly style of the 1980s. High and high sided ponytails 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 they were replaced by hair ties. Bangs remained big throughout the decade, especially the poofy "mall bangs" style associated with the early 1990s. From 1994 and through 2000s they got smaller and somewhat flatter 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.
In the late 1990s, the Bob cut was well-desired, popularized and rejuvenated by Victoria Beckham of the Spice Girls. This late 1990s style bob cut featured a center, side, or zig-zag part, as opposed to the thick bangs of the early 1990s. The Farrah Fawcett hairstyle made a comeback, with highlights going hand-in-hand with this revival. Other late 1990s haircuts included "Felicity curls", 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 and unkempt grunge hair, the 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 through the 2000s they got smaller, somewhat flatter, and laid closer to the forehead. Alice bands, headbands and scrunchies of various styles and colors were popular with American girls throughout the early and mid-1990s, and they frequently wore them with twin pigtails, or high or high side ponytails and 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, mullets, and ponytails were popular. Other trends included flattops, hi-top fades, and cornrows.
In the mid-1990s, men's hairstyle trends 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 in season two, which premiered in mid-1995. More rebellious young men went for longer, unkempt "grunge" hair, often with a center part. 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, 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 were popular among rock musicians during that time period. For African-American men, the cornrows 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. Gothic makeup had broken into the mainstream, having been made up of vamp lipstick, heavy mascara and eyeliner, often purple-tinted eye shadow, 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.