From GRUNGE to GLAMOROUS: How Style has Changed from the 1990's
Originally Published: Aug 2018, Gracious Magazine
OUR eyebrows are fuller and outfits more polished, but the echo of the 90’s still haunts the fashionistas of today. After all, we couldn’t all have Alicia Silverstone’s self-outfit making closet from Clueless, we had to do it ourselves.
Jennifer Anniston’s character Rachel Green on Friends became a huge trendsetter for the minimalism trend of the 1990’s. This trend came as a backlash from the over-the-top extravaganza that was the 1980’s and was simple and basic in fashion choices and makeup.
In particular, the minimalism trend made use of sheer fabrics like mesh to layer outfits in block colours though primarily black and darker colours. This use of sheer fabrics was as a result of lingerie companies expanding in popularity, like the Victoria’s Secret boom of the late 90’s and as it became more acceptable for lingerie to be seen in public, see through fabric pieces came more into trend.
Minimalism ‘bronzed supermodel’ trend as seen on 90’s legend Cindi Crawford commonly consisted of light faced makeup, dark and thick or overplucked eyebrows, neutral brown eyeshadow, mascara with no liner and satin neutral lipstick colours. Some of these trends can be seen today with sheer blouses, thick eyebrows and natural lipstick colour choices, though we don’t line with a colour way darker than our lipstick. We’ve also replaced our trendsetters
less with actresses and supermodels and more Instagram fame like that of Kylie Jenner and her makeup empire (though we thank for selling lipsticks with the perfect liner!).
More minor trends included that of the Chinoiserie and sportswear trends of the later 90’s Chinoiserie or Chinese inspired fashion was pushed by the wide focus on East-Asian politics especially after Britain relinquished control over Hong Kong after 156 years of British rule.
This trend saw the rise of people starting to adopt and incorporate traditional Chinese style dresses, satin printed shoes, dragon featured cuffed t-shirts and using chopsticks as a hair accessory. This trend especially would (and has) caused much trouble online with many claiming it as a cultural appropriation. So keep those chopsticks in your noodles and out of
your hair.
The most applicable 90’s trend that has made a return is the sporty trend. Sporty Spice of the Spice Girls was well known for rocking the cropped singlet and branded tracksuit bands during the 90’s, with of course the 90’s signature scrunchie. Activewear worn outside of sport began to make headway in the 80’s but it wasn’t until the 90’s when it became socially acceptable to be hanging out in fully branded Nike or Adidas wear. The sportswear worn as loungewear has remade its debut in fashion today thanks to the often-pushed versatility of the
items. You wouldn’t be hard pressed to find an Instagram model decked out in Nike stripped yoga pants and a Calvin Klein sports bra.
Finally, the most 90’s of all 90’s trends is the grunge trend. It’s kind of just...whatever, I don’t care. Different from the minimalism trend, the dressing down of the grunge trend was seen as an extension of the rebellious trend of the 1970’s punk scene with the ‘messy hair, don’t care’ look.
Often comprised of chunky Doc Martens, baggy skater pants a la Natalie Imbruglia, oversized flannels and stressed band t-shirts. Dark brown lipstick, ‘racoon eyeliner’ and messy chucked up hair often completed the look with a black tattoo choker.
This grunge also further extended with the rise of grunge artists such as Courtney Love and supermodel Kate Moss leading the trend of ‘heroin chic’ as more artists attributed their art success to their addiction. Not just in music and magazines but films like Pulp Fiction and Trainspotting were crucified by the media as glamourizing this ‘dangerous’ trend to the younger generation.
This surprisingly is one of the most popular trends still today with oversized flannels and Doc Martens still being as much in fashion now as then and celebrities making brown lipstick, this time branded with that Kylie Jenner ‘True Brown k’ name. Racoon eyes are thankfully scrubbed from the minds of makeup today replaced with the must have skill of a killer cut winged liner.
Chokers remade an appearance around 2013 however replacing the cheap plastic with felt 'shoestring’ layered chokers. And messy ‘I just threw it up’ hair has definitely made a rebound even though it still takes 5 attempts and sadly no butterfly clips to secure it. RIP the true MVP and most missed fashion item.
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