by Clara Tipper

1990 was a complex decade, full of rapid changes, both in the political sphere and the world of fashion. Alongside these pivotal events, the nineties quickly became an era that would always be remembered for its fashion.

Grunge was saw its terminus a quo in the 90s, with the growing popularity of punk rock and heavy metal bands such as Nirvana. Kurt Cobain’s signature look consisted of baggy ripped jeans, an over-sized jumper or flannel shirt, and an iconic pair of Converse.

The grunge obsession was also emulated by the likes of Drew Barrymore; in the 1992 film, Poison Ivy, she sported a black leather jacket, denim shorts, and other thrifted-looking items. Winona Ryder was another grunge icon, but like Barrymore, added an element of sexiness and femininity, with some dark lipstick, leather and velvet.

The next most iconic fashion trend of the nineties emerged in 1994, and has been coined by Vogue as ‘bombshell’. The quintessential bombshell look was epitomised by the ‘Big Five’: Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Christy Turlington, Linda Evangelista and Tatjana Patitz (Although Tatjana was later replaced by Claudia Schiffer, and Kate Moss shortly joined to make it the Big Six). This style was characterised by satin, sequins, silk, and slip dresses.

Although the 90s bombshell look was most prominent on the runway, its minimalism and glamor was attractive to mainstream media. The slip dress is a good example of this; originating in the 1930s, the elegant yet shapeless garment reemerged in the 90s, and after a lull in popularity in the early 2000s, has once again become a staple on catwalks and in wardrobes. Christina Ricci’s iconic baby blue dress in Buffalo 66 has to be a personal favourite.

The fashion of the nineties was not all glitz, glamour and grunge. By the second half of the decade, Kate Moss was one of the most recognisable models on Earth, and with her rise to fame, the infamous ‘heroin chic’ found itself firmly rooted in British culture. Fashion publications have since termed this style as ‘waifish’, though this does not detract from its detrimental influence. 90s catwalks were white-washed and characterised by homogeneity. Unfortunately, the fashion industry still has far to go.

Although I have only discussed three major fashion trends of the 90s, there a few others which deserve a mention. The preppy, school girl look made popular by the 90s cult classic, Clueless, starring Alicia Silverstone, has of course made its comeback in the form of collars and blazers. Athleisure also caught on, and was a famous favourite of Princess Diana. This style is of particular prominence today, including big puffer jackets and white tennis shoes, often seen on the Princess of Wales. In the later 1990s, brighter colours made a comeback, low-rise jeans were on trend, and brands such as Juicy Couture, Von Dutch and Ed Hardy were topping sales: Y2K was within reach.

So why have these styles started to reemerge 30 years later? For many of us, 90s resemble a period of relative catharsis, of childish ignorance to the wider world, where the fixed gaze of social media was yet to exist. Having said this, I was born in 2001, so nostalgia doesn’t quite suffice. For me, the 90s marked the end of an era where ‘being fashionable’ meant only one thing, and instead being adventurous became cool.

ST.ART does not own the rights to any images used in this article.