The resurgence of ‘90s fashion has resulted in a truly mixed bag of emotions. While the decade can be credited with providing us now-favourable slip dresses and kitten heels, there’s also a raft of trends we’d like to keep in the past. After reaching out to the rest of the Who What Wear team, we reminisced about all the pieces we used to be so proud to own but can’t imagine ever wearing again (we think) and the celebrity looks we’ll happily revisit.
Just when you think all of the forgotten looks from the 1990s will remain in the past, along comes another one. How badly do you want a really ridiculously small bag right now? And how much better would it be if it had tiny handles and was rendered in silk-satin? (See Kate Beckinsale below.) Or what about those ’90s Kate Moss images you come back to time and again for inspiration for what to wear on a night out? We’ve recently rediscovered a love for old-school Sarah Jessica Parker looks and combat trousers, too. The revivals are coming in thick and fast, people. Thick and fast.
Keep scrolling for our guide to the ’90s fashion items, trends and combinations we wore to death and then forgot about—until now.
Style Notes: Perhaps one of the most iconic fashion moments of the ’90s, Dionne’s and Cher’s checked skirts have come back around in high-fashion circles.
Such an elegant jacket cut.
Style Notes: From very revealing bras and bikinis worn as tops through to more demure unbuttoned styles like Gwyneth Paltrow’s in Great Expectations, there was a lot of stomach action during the ’90s.
So pretty with jeans.
Style Notes: Slip dresses will be popular forever and ever, but there’s something about the slinky bias cut that feels so right now. Kate Moss has long been an advocate of the simple style, but she was a particularly strong figurehead for them in the ’90s.
This buttermilk hue is so good.
Style Notes: Cassette tapes are long gone, but Mariah Carey’s monogrammed Louis Vuitton rucksack feels as current as ever.
Fendi’s iconic baguette bag will forever be in style.
Style Notes: From the midi length to the snakeskin fabric, we can totally imagine this Cindy Crawford dress being worn by someone on Instagram this season. It might’ve had a bit of a dip in the intervening years, but animal print is currently still very cool.
A dress that really makes a statement.
Style Notes: This stunning blush-pink red carpet look remains one of the most iconic dresses of all time.
Just stunning.
Style Notes: Helena Bonham Carter rocked the gothic look in this sheer-sleeved red carpet gown, which she styled with a gold chain necklace (also very on-trend right now). There are plenty of copycat sheer dresses and tops around this season.
This sheer blouse is seriously stylish when worn with a bralette and jeans or over a dress.
Style Notes: Velvet was the fabric of the ’90s, and this Sarah Michelle Gellar look is representative of the slinky styles popular during the decade.
The velvet fabrication adds to the luxurious feel of this dress.
Style Notes: Elizabeth Hurley will forever be remembered for that safety-pin dress from Versace, but let us not forget this stunning chain-mail number, please. The fabric became popular after Gianni Versace created a more wearable version, and the idea has returned yet again with chain-mail tops popping up all over the high street, including at Mango.
You’d never guess this was from the high-street.
Style Notes: If you saw this in Dalston today, you wouldn’t bat an eyelid. So many men and women are adopting the sportswear staples of the ’90s, especially when they come logo-emblazoned like Whitney Houston’s visor. We’ve currently got our eyes on the Pangaia set below.
The oversized fit adds to the 90’s appeal.
A loungewear set we’d happily wear out.
Style Notes: If your top wasn’t a vest or a corset in the ’90s, then you were living in a bubble! SJP was a strong supporter of boned and bodiced bandeaus, wearing them with everything from short suits to fancy red carpet skirts. In 2023, it feels very Bridgerton.
I love the tie details.
Style Notes: If you weren’t grunge or super polished, you probably spent the ’90s trying to imitate Lisa Bonet and her artfully thrown-together NYC hippy look. The mini sunglasses and sneakers still stand up today, and we all know celebs continue to love a “naked” dress.
Style with chunky boots and a knitted bucket hat.
Style Notes: Printed leggings started in the ’80s and went well on into the ’90s. It’s not a look we often reach for these days, but there’s no denying that Naomi Campbell pulled it off with ease.
You can never go wrong with black and white checks.
Style Notes: Will denim shorts ever die out? Probably not. Here’s Halle Berry wearing them in the most ’90s ensemble possible: with a black belt, socks with hiking boots, and a crop top.
A wardrobe staple.
Style Notes: Tell us the truth: You want a mini bag again, right? Kate Beckinsale’s little fabric bag (and pink skirt) look so right for now. We wonder if she still has the pieces she wore to this film premiere. Also, props to Clare Danes on the very au courant tiger-print top.
Bottega Veneta’s iconic clutch bag is an icon.
Style Notes: Take a glance over any sandal collection from the current season, and you’ll journey back to 1995 when strappy heels were the only option. Here’s Jennifer Lopez giving an excellent “business casual” look in hers.
Style with shorts, dresses, trousers and more.
Style Notes: While this trend might have started with Liam Gallagher and the Manchester music scene, the likes of Allsaints and Naomi Campbell were seen promoting this look, too. Most recently, Justin Bieber tried to bring it back again. Opinions are split.
It’s always a good time to invest in an outfit-elevating accessory.
Style Notes: This item’s popularity probably has a lot to do with the fact that The Matrix was such a huge hit—everyone wanted to wear Neo’s long leather coat. But because that maxi silhouette isn’t exactly practical, it evolved into this shorter form as seen on Winona Ryder and Kate Moss.
Wear over dresses for a chic autumnal look.
Style Notes: As modelled here by Victoria Beckham, pedal pushers weren’t shorts or trousers, and they definitely weren’t cropped kick-flares. They sat somewhere in no man’s land. (They were very popular at Tammy Girl.) These were filed under “never to wear again,” but never say never…
Ease into this style with a slightly longer version.
Style Notes: The halterneck and the handkerchief were the official tops of the ’90s, and they were always paired with boot-cut jeans (probably from Miss Sixty).
We’ll take one in every colour.
Style Notes: Seriously, though, who didn’t own a pair of combat trousers? Thanks to Allsaints, these baggy “dad” trousers actually looked pretty sassy when combined with a crop top. Now, everyone from celebrities to influencers has been seen sporting cargo pants.
Frankie Shop proves just how relevant this style is today.
Style Notes: The waistcoat was often worn during the ’90s as a piece all by itself rather than as part of a suit. Ideally, it should be worn à la Drew Barrymore with a denim skirt and a bum bag. Today’s version is most likely to be worn over a big-collared blouse or simply on it’s own.
Stylish women are wearing theirs with tailored trousers today.
Style Notes: Kurt Cobain was a style icon for many reasons. His baggy cardigans and love for the general grunge look inspired a whole generation of fashion. We still love the oversized red sunnies he wore on the red carpet for the MTV Video Music Awards in 1993. While they’ve just started to come back into fashion, we’d forgotten about them for so long.
As seen on celebs like Hailey Bieber and Bella Hadid.
Style Notes: Trust Liv Tyler to really remind us of our youth. The strapless top was a must for any ’90s wardrobe. Preferably accessorised with an oversized necklace.
This is still a wardrobe staple.
Style Notes: There are many reasons to love the Gwyneth-and-Brad era. For starters, they always managed to do the couples-dressing thing without appearing tacky. But they also did casual dressing like no one else.
Buy now and wear all winter.
Style Notes: Thanks to The Craft, there wasn’t a group of friends in the ’90s that didn’t try the “light as a feather, stiff as a board” game. (If you know, you know.) But trying out spells isn’t the only thing this goth movie inspired—it also impacted our wardrobes. Cue lots of layered necklaces and black.
It’s all in the accessories.
Style Notes: Plaid and checked shirts were a real grunge ’90s vibe, but they didn’t just belong to the likes of Kurt Cobain. In My So-Called Life, Claire Danes’s Angela Chase often wears these shirts over cute floral dresses—a classic ’90s look.
Shackets come back every winter.
Style Notes: Sure, the LBD hasn’t exactly disappeared, but in the ’90s, it was all about the super-short and sassy version. No one did it better than Jennifer Aniston’s Rachel from Friends.
The square neckline will forever be chic.
Style Notes: Blossom, played by The Big Bang Theory star Mayim Bialik, was probably single-handedly responsible for our obsession with ridiculous, quirky hats. While we’re much more for a cute beret these days, back then, the school of thought was “the bigger, the better.”
For unique hats look no further than Ruslan Baginskiy.
Style Notes: Oversized denim dungarees were hugely popular amongst hip-hop stars in the early ’90s, and it wasn’t long before everyone from TLC to Dawson’s Creek’s Joey Potter had a pair, too.
Layer over a check shirt for more ’90s appeal.
Style Notes: After ’80s fashion gifted us with acid brights and neon bum bags, ’90s style icons like Goldie Hawn and Drew Barrymore gave the look an altogether cooler vibe with black leather bum bags slung around high-waisted jeans.
Wear as a crossbody or a classic belt bag.
Style Notes: Ahh, the baby-doll dress. They were mainly considered lingerie, and it wasn’t until Emma Bunton aka Baby Spice started wearing them as eveningwear that they became such a trend.
Off-set the cutesy style with chunky trainers.
Style Notes: Tinted sunglasses may be popular Instagram fare amongst the likes of Gigi and Bella Hadid right now, but has anyone really worn them better than fashion’s original sister duo Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen?
This fun pink pair is sure to sell out.
Style Notes: If you didn’t have a tie-dye T-shirt like the original Destiny’s Child lineup, were you really living through the ’90s? These were truly everywhere, with even grunge icons like Kurt Cobain getting involved.
A resurgence we can really get behind.
Next Up, The Autumn/Winter 2023 Fashion Trends That Really Matter
This piece was published at an earlier date and has since been updated.