90s inspired fashion looks

The 90s was full of different styles that expressed different personalities and characters from this era. We have grunge, girly, on-trend, and even Princess Diana’s iconic casual looks that are still obsessed over to this day.

Where to get 90s style clothing

Vintage stores and Depop shops are amazing for finding 90s inspired bits, and, there is a high chance they are from the 90s themselves. Clothes from the 90s were made at a high quality, meaning they have a long life and can still be loved to this day. Vintage stores everywhere offer a wide range of clothing, there is plenty to choose from for everybody.

Band tees, mom jeans and every type of jacket under the sun are pretty easy to find in vintage/Depop stores. Many Depop shops offer tennis skirts and sweatshirts that give that sporty and casual Princess Diana feel.

The latest trend that is coming back is the funky afghan style coats. These coats are very 90s and also incorporate a little bit of y2k fashion. Afghan coats are popping up more and more on Depop vintage shops lately.

• What does the fall of the high street mean for sustainable fashion?

• 70s Aesthetics Making a Return to the Limelight

90s Fashion Inspiration

From our classic TV show, Friends, to our favourite 90s movies, we are presented with an array of different styles that open our eyes to the world of 90s fashion.

What were the most popular trends? Grunge fashion, inspired by the music genre, thrived during the 90s. It was the most popular time for grunge fashion and music. High fashion and glamour also took the throne. Designer fashion brands, such as Versace, Chanel, Prada and Gucci were adored in the 90s. These particular designer brands were iconic in the eye of mainstream fashion and gave much inspiration.

Grunge Fashion: A Closer Look

Grunge music originated in Seattle around the late 1980s. Although grunge originated in the 80s, its popularity carried on into the 90s. Bands, such as Nirvana, became the king of and the main identity of grunge, creating inspiration for the music and fashion culture.

Thrift shopping was very popular for this genre; in a sense, grunge fashion is a self-expressing style that strives to go against mainstream societal expectations. As many of these grunge bands hit the spotlight, the fashion industry had its eyes on it. “As these bands developed a need for marketing, ‘grunge’ changed from descriptor to ultimate promoter, especially in fashion. That industry, from Macy’s to Marc Jacobs, started creating items that mimicked the style of these bands and their Seattle audiences, namely flannel shirts, combat boots and wool ski hats, often worn with unwashed hair.”

There are also makeup looks inspired by this particular genre. Brow laminations and fluffy soap brows were not on their radar in the 90s; thin eyebrows were where it was at. Smokey eyeshadow and dark lipstick was the complete grunge makeup look.

Want to embrace the grunge aesthetic? Grab a pair of docs, your favourite band tee and layer over an oversized denim or plaid jacket, and you’re good to go! There are many celebrities take inspiration from to achieve this look, such as Kurt Cobain, Sky Ferreira and Frances-Bean Cobain.

Glamour Fashion

Spice Girls, Christina Aguilera, Gwen Stefani, and Britney Spears: hands down the icons of 90s glamour fashion. What did these looks entail? These looks were bold and daring. In my opinion, these looks were creative and the attention to groovy hairstyles and accessories added more to the look aside from the clothes themselves.

The five-piece girl band, Spice Girls, illustrated 90s fashion, and each had their own way of showing off their 90s look. Sporty Spice brings us back to the athletic Adidas look, sporting baggy tracksuit bottoms while incorporating halter tops which make the casual done-up look complete. Baby Spice style includes adorable pastel colours, she specifically goes for dresses as her go-to while styling her hair, typically half up and half down. Scary Spice gives us leopard print looks that are to die for, her looks are exciting and extravagant. Posh Spice is the epitome of glamour 90s fashion, her classy designer-esque style reminds us of the runway. Last but not least, Ginger Spice. She had rocked the money piece hairstyle, which has made a major comeback. Ginger Spice was notorious for her Union Jack dress styled with heeled boots.

Spice Girls each give examples of the various looks in the 90s, incorporating sporty brands, colourful pinks and fashionable animal print.

Friends Fashion that is now on trend

Leather blazer jackets are certainly hot on-trend right now. These jackets have gained major popularity and are being styled in many different ways. Almost every main character of Friends had one of these in their wardrobes.

Goodbye skinny jeans, hello baggy jeans. Mom jeans and boyfriend jeans have taken over. Not only are they super stylish, but they are also the most comfortable type of jeans there is. They are also a perfect match for the leather blazer look.

Dungarees and knit jumpers are also a look styled in Friends. Dungarees were a popular outfit seen on Monica (Courtney Fox), Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) and Rachel (Jennifer Anniston), this specific piece in their wardrobe adds a casual theme while keeping it unique and cute.

The best places to find 90s era Friends-inspired clothing are definitely vintage shops on Depop, these stores are hand-selected vintage which means finding clothing bits is made much more accessible. There is always a wide selection of knit jumpers and oversized sport style jumpers that are totally 90s inspired. Also, vintage stores like Dublin Vintage Factory and Tola Vintage are great for finding similar jackets, jeans and dungarees.