In a recent post on how 80’s fashion redeemed itself I also mentioned my general distaste for 90’s fashion. The beginning of the decade had an overflow of bad 80’s looks and this was followed by a long stint of grunge, flat black from head-to-toe, ice-cream toned power suits, pastels, short tops worn with low rise jeans, long flowing skirts, lots of beige, ditsy floral prints and opaque tights. Think of TV shows like Beverly Hills 90210, Friends, Seinfeld, Ally McBeal and Melrose Place to get an idea of what we wore back then. Not so fab.
However, my general aversion for 90’s fashion is not entirely fair and one of our readers made an excellent point when she said:
“Angie, I can’t wait to read your post in a few years eating your words about the 90s! I didn’t think the 90s were THAT bad. What I liked: minimal shoulders (this suits me well), chunky heels (they are practical) with boxy toes (forgiving on the feet), and minimalist make-up (no clownish blush)”
The 90’s had its great fashion moments for sure. Apart from toning down the big hair and clownish make-up looks of the 80’s, the decade brought back the tailored silhouettes of the 40’s and 50’s. Bootcut jeans and trousers were a fashion revelation. Freeing garments from gigantic shoulder pads was another revelation. Square-toed shoes are fun and I’m a big chunky heel fan myself. And stretch! Fabric technology exploded in the 90’s when woven fabrics included a very welcome spandex component. This was unheard of before then.
The 90’s paved the way for the truly modern and versatile fashion of the 00’s (pronounced “the noughties”) and for that I am grateful. But I am still very averse to strong 90’s looks like maxi skirts, short tops, low rises, beige and most elements of grunge. As we head for a 90’s fashion revival, I’m champing at the bit to see how designers improve on these trends.
What does 90’s fashion mean to you? Did you enjoy the looks of that decade? Which 90’s trends, if any, would you like to see revived?
