If you’re anything like I am, the 90s (specifically, the 90s in Hollywood) have always appealed to you for some reason. Whether it be the lack of the internet that made everyone seem more open yet able to retain their privacy or the fact that there seem to be no bad movies made in the 90s. Or, you too cannot stop thinking about the Brangelina and Bennifer scandals (yes, technically that was in the early 2000s, but it still counts in my heart). But, for me, the thing that really ties the 90s together is fashion.
Whenever I need fashion inspiration or simply want to look at some pretty red carpet dresses on Pinterest, my go-to is to always put in “90s” after whatever I am looking for. After spending, most likely, hours scouring the internet and looking at pictures and watching many style videos, I think I finally get what makes 90s fashion so appealing—at least to me. The key is basics.
While there were definitely a lot of bold choices happening in fashion during the 90s, the looks that remain relevant today are the one that feature basic items of clothing.
My favorite 90s basic item is loose jeans. In recent years, loose jeans have become popular, but even before that they have been a staple. There’s a reason why Levi’s 501s have remained popular for so many years.
Another staple in 90s fashion is the basic t-shirt/tank top. Sure, a lot of people wore bold patterns in the 90s, just like people do today, but the outfits that remain appealing and tend to have a lot of people draw inspiration for are the ones that feature a basic top. My personal favorite? A simple button down. In my opinion, everyone needs at least one button down in their closet. They look good with jeans and you can always throw it on.
Now that we’ve covered jeans and tops, it’s time to move on to more literally and figuratively dressy clothing. Throughout my time scouring the internet for 90s inspiration, I have stumbled upon many different styles of dresses. But, the dress that reappears the most frequently is the slip dress. A simple google search of “slip dresses 90s” will reveal the many different ways that slip dresses were worn. Whether it be over a t-shirt or on a red carpet, every well-dressed person in the 90s wore a slip dress.
So, to sum up, I think the part of 90s fashion that makes it so appealing and relevant all these years later is the fact that people in the 90s were not afraid to go back to the basics.