1990s in fashion
Encyclopedia
The 1990s was the genesis of two sweeping shifts in Western fashion: the beginning of the rejection of fashion
which continues into the present decade
among a large section of the population, and the beginning of the mainstream adoption of tattoos , body piercing
s aside from ear piercing and to a lesser extent, other forms of body modification
such as branding
. This started the indifferent, anti-conformist approach to fashion which was popular throughout the 1990s, leading to the popularisation of the casual chic look, including T-shirt
s, jeans
and trainer
s. The popularity of grunge
and alternative rock
music also helped bring the simple, unkempt grunge look mainstream. In general, the 1990s saw a general minimalist
aesthetic in fashion, contrasted to the more elaborate and flashy trends of the 1970s and 80s. Additionally, fashion trends throughout the decade started recycling styles from previous decades, notably the 1950s, 60s and 70s, a trend which would continue into the 2000s and 2010s.
colors, drainpipe jeans, oversized sweaters, T-shirts, sweatshirts, and black leather jackets. Women also wore court shoes, cowboy boot
s, colored tights, bike shorts, tartan
skirts, baby doll
dresses, matching jeans
and denim jackets (in dark shades rather than the bleached acid wash of the 1980s), headscarves, leggings
, trenchcoats lined with fake fur, and penny loafers
(associated with the preppy
look). Many women wore black leggings
with white slouch socks, athletic sneakers and oversized T-shirts as exercise wear. It was not uncommon to see mothers dressed right along with their daughters in slouch socks worn over leggings
or sweatpants, oversized shirt or sweater and sneakers especially Keds
.
-style floral dresses, turtleneck shirts, lace blouses, conch shell necklaces, straw hat
s, Gypsy tops, long floral skirt
s and chunky wedge heeled shoes. Around this time in Europe and America it was also fashionable to dress entirely in black or wear designer clothing
displaying Italian or French labels (such as Lacoste, Yves Saint-Laurent
, Armani, Gucci
, or Chanel
) as a way of demonstrating one's apparent social status and wealth. A common outfit was to wear a skirt, dress shorts, baby doll dress or short dress with black opaque tights
, white slouch socks and white sneakers. In America olive green dresses and yellow denim
shortalls, a version of overalls in which the legs of the garment resemble those of shorts, were very popular.
s, miniskirt
s, sweatpants
, tank tops revealing the midriff (crop top), capri pants
, low-waisted jeans inspired by the designs of Alexander McQueen
, thong underwear popularised by contemporary R&B
and jungle music
, and Union jack motifs inspired by the Cool Britannia
movement. This continued into the 2000s.
became popular and lasted through most of the decade. Unlike the fitted Western shirts of the 70s which fastened with pearl snaps, the flannel shirts of the 1990s were padded and loose-fitting for optimum warmth. Preppy
clothing was popular in the US, where wealthy young men wore khaki slacks
, navy blue blazer
s and canvas boat shoes. Men also wore Converse All Stars, Acid wash denim jackets, straight-leg jeans like Levi 501s, wool sweater
s, black leather jackets, sheepskin
coats, Members Only jackets, corduroy
, anorak
s, polo shirts, white Adidas
trainers and Aviator sunglasses
popularized by rock star Freddie Mercury
.
. Men also wore Aloha shirt
s, brown leather jackets, loafers
, paisley
shirts, throwback pullover baseball jerseys, graphic-print t-shirts (often featuring dragon
s, athletic logos or numbers), and neon-colored trainers (sometimes incorporating flashing lights and elastic self-tying laces). In America hip-hop fashion went mainstream, with oversized letterman jackets, bomber jackets, gold jewellery, baggy carpenter jeans
, tracksuits and overalls popular among young men as casual wear.
, leather jackets based on the same cut as blazer
s, duster coats, bowling shirt
s, black bomber jackets with orange linings, preppy brands like Old Navy
, tracksuit
s, and various types of sportswear manufactured by Adidas
, Reebok
, Hitec
and Nike
. At this time it became fashionable to leave shirts untucked. In Europe single-breasted three and four button suits began to replace the 1980s power suits. In America suit
s went out of fashion as men began to dress smart-casual and business casual
, a trend kickstarted by Bill Gates
of Microsoft
..
and heavy metal influenced fashion of the 1980s lasted until early 1992, when Grunge
fashion and hip hop fashion
took over in popularity. The sagging
trend began in the early-1990s and continued until the mid 2000s but faded into the 2010s
. Hardcore
Punk fashion
, which began in the 1970s, was very popular in the 1990s, and Goth fashion reached its peak. The dominant youth clothing fad at the beginning of the 1990s was fluorescent clothing in blue, green, orange, pink, and yellow. Hoop earrings were also a popular accessory for teenaged girls and women in the first years of the 1990s. Popular colors for girls included coral, hot pink, and turquoise. In Britain and the USA, Girls wore leggings in many colors, especially black with slouch socks, oversized shirts and athletic sneakers like Keds
. They also wore oversized tee shirts, sweat shirts, or sweaters, slouch socks worn over sweatpants, black or white lace trimmed bike shorts with babydoll
dresses, flats, shortalls and athletic shorts. Boys wore soccer shorts, jean jackets, Converse Chuck Taylor All-Stars
, tartan
shirts, tapered acid wash jeans
, and sweatpants
.
flannel
shirts, stonewashed blue jeans
, and dark colors like maroon
, forest green, indigo
, brown
, white
and black
. For younger children, the mid-1990s was the Golden Age
of Disney films with T-shirts and sweaters featuring characters like Simba
from the Lion King, Mickey Mouse
, Aladdin
, and Winnie the Pooh. Tartan trousers, striped shirts, long sleeved polo shirts, and sweaters (often knitted by the child's grandmother) were worn by young boys in the UK. Overalls were also popular for females as seen on television and commercials throughout the decade, and for teenagers who would leave either strap hanging loose. Wide leg jeans
, bomber jackets, tracksuits and baseball cap
s worn backwards became popular among hip hop
fans, and flared trousers were worn by teenage girls.
subculture, an offshoot of the casuals
, a football fan subculture of the 1980s. Psychobilly
bands popularised brothel creepers, gas station shirt
s and dark-colored bowling shirts
, and pop punk
fans opted for spiky hair, black hoodies and baggy pants in black or red Royal Stewart tartan
. Popular American fashions included capri pants
, ponchos, bootcut jeans, hoodie
s, and cut off denim
shorts.
and Rachel haircut, inspired by a character from the TV show Friends
, were popular among women in as early as 1995. Straight hair was also styled with a short fringe
cut just above the eyebrows and those with Afro-styled or naturally curly hair would rely on a Relaxer
to keep the sleek straight hair. This style would continue further into the 2000s decade as well.
Mens hair became increasingly shorter from the early 1990s onwards. In the early 90s curtained hair
(sometimes dyed blond) and small ponytail
s were popular among yuppies. Side-partings were briefly popular in the mid-1990s before head-shaving had become an acceptable way of dealing with male pattern baldness. In the late 1990s variants of the quiff
became popular among young professional men.
For teenagers longer hair was popular in the early to mid-1990s, including collar-length curtained hair
, shaggy surfer hair
popular among some Britpop
fans, and dreadlocks. This changed in the mid-1990s when the much-ridiculed bowl cut
became a fad among skaters, while hip-hop fans wore a variant of the flattop
known as the Hi-top fade
. In the late 1990s hair was usually buzzed very short for an athletic look although a few grunge fans grew their hair long in reaction to this. Headbands and scrunchie
s of various styles and colors were popular with girls throughout most of the 1990s who frequently wore them with side ponytail
s and bangs.
Anti-fashion
Anti-fashion is an umbrella term for various styles of dress which are explicitly contrary to the fashion of the day. Anti-fashion styles may represent an attitude of indifference or may arise from political or practical goals which make fashion a secondary priority...
which continues into the present decade
2010s
The 2010s, pronounced "twenty-tens" or "two thousand tens", is the current decade which began on January 1, 2010 and will end on December 31, 2019...
among a large section of the population, and the beginning of the mainstream adoption of tattoos , body piercing
Body piercing
Body piercing, a form of body modification, is the practice of puncturing or cutting a part of the human body, creating an opening in which jewelry may be worn. The word piercing can refer to the act or practice of body piercing, or to an opening in the body created by this act or practice...
s aside from ear piercing and to a lesser extent, other forms of body modification
Body modification
Body modification is the deliberate altering of the human body for any non-medical reason, such as aesthetics, sexual enhancement, a rite of passage, religious reasons, to display group membership or affiliation, to create body art, shock value, or self expression...
such as branding
Branding
Branding may refer to:* Livestock branding, the marking of animals to indicate ownership* Human branding, as body modification or punishment* Branding , bonding of the partners and marking of a submissive...
. This started the indifferent, anti-conformist approach to fashion which was popular throughout the 1990s, leading to the popularisation of the casual chic look, including T-shirt
T-shirt
A T-shirt is a style of shirt. A T-shirt is buttonless and collarless, with short sleeves and frequently a round neck line....
s, jeans
Jeans
Jeans are trousers made from denim. Some of the earliest American blue jeans were made by Jacob Davis, Calvin Rogers, and Levi Strauss in 1873. Starting in the 1950s, jeans, originally designed for cowboys, became popular among teenagers. Historic brands include Levi's, Lee, and Wrangler...
and trainer
Trainer
-Entertainment:*Trainer , an album released by Plaid in 2000*Trainer , a British TV series*The Trainer, a 2009 British play written by David Wilson and Anne Aylor-Equipment:...
s. The popularity of grunge
Grunge music
Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...
and alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
music also helped bring the simple, unkempt grunge look mainstream. In general, the 1990s saw a general minimalist
Minimalism
Minimalism describes movements in various forms of art and design, especially visual art and music, where the work is set out to expose the essence, essentials or identity of a subject through eliminating all non-essential forms, features or concepts...
aesthetic in fashion, contrasted to the more elaborate and flashy trends of the 1970s and 80s. Additionally, fashion trends throughout the decade started recycling styles from previous decades, notably the 1950s, 60s and 70s, a trend which would continue into the 2000s and 2010s.
Early 1990s
The early 1990s saw a continuation of 1980s fashion: women wore tight-fitting trousers with elastic boot-straps (stirrup pants/leggings), denim button down shirts, neonNeon
Neon is the chemical element that has the symbol Ne and an atomic number of 10. Although a very common element in the universe, it is rare on Earth. A colorless, inert noble gas under standard conditions, neon gives a distinct reddish-orange glow when used in either low-voltage neon glow lamps or...
colors, drainpipe jeans, oversized sweaters, T-shirts, sweatshirts, and black leather jackets. Women also wore court shoes, cowboy boot
Cowboy boot
Cowboy boots refer to a specific style of riding boot, historically worn by cowboys. They have a Cuban heel, rounded to pointed toe, high shaft, and, traditionally, no lacing...
s, colored tights, bike shorts, tartan
Tartan
Tartan is a pattern consisting of criss-crossed horizontal and vertical bands in multiple colours. Tartans originated in woven wool, but now they are made in many other materials. Tartan is particularly associated with Scotland. Scottish kilts almost always have tartan patterns...
skirts, baby doll
Baby Doll
Baby Doll is a 1956 black comedy /drama film directed by Elia Kazan. It was produced by Kazan and Tennessee Williams, and adapted by Williams from his own one-act play 27 Wagons Full of Cotton...
dresses, matching jeans
Jeans
Jeans are trousers made from denim. Some of the earliest American blue jeans were made by Jacob Davis, Calvin Rogers, and Levi Strauss in 1873. Starting in the 1950s, jeans, originally designed for cowboys, became popular among teenagers. Historic brands include Levi's, Lee, and Wrangler...
and denim jackets (in dark shades rather than the bleached acid wash of the 1980s), headscarves, leggings
Leggings
Leggings are a type of fitted clothing covering the legs, which can be worn by both men and women.Originally leggings were two separate garments, one for each leg....
, trenchcoats lined with fake fur, and penny loafers
Penny Loafers
The Penny Loafers was founded in 1986 as a co-ed a cappella group from the University of Pennsylvania focusing on pop and rock music. They have performed at many events around campus, throughout the East Coast, and most recently in Beijing, China at the Greenpeace International Charity Concert...
(associated with the preppy
Preppy
Preppy, preppie, or prep refers to a modern, widespread United States clique, often considered a subculture...
look). Many women wore black leggings
Leggings
Leggings are a type of fitted clothing covering the legs, which can be worn by both men and women.Originally leggings were two separate garments, one for each leg....
with white slouch socks, athletic sneakers and oversized T-shirts as exercise wear. It was not uncommon to see mothers dressed right along with their daughters in slouch socks worn over leggings
Leggings
Leggings are a type of fitted clothing covering the legs, which can be worn by both men and women.Originally leggings were two separate garments, one for each leg....
or sweatpants, oversized shirt or sweater and sneakers especially Keds
Keds
Keds is a brand of canvas shoe with rubber soles, introduced in 1916 by U.S. Rubber , later acquired by Stride Rite, and currently owned by Collective Brands....
.
Mid 1990s
The mid 1990s saw a revival of 1960s and 1970s fashion, including hippieHippie
The hippie subculture was originally a youth movement that arose in the United States during the mid-1960s and spread to other countries around the world. The etymology of the term 'hippie' is from hipster, and was initially used to describe beatniks who had moved into San Francisco's...
-style floral dresses, turtleneck shirts, lace blouses, conch shell necklaces, straw hat
Straw hat
A straw hat is a brimmed hat that is woven out of straw or reeds. The hat is designed to protect the head from the sun and against heatstroke, but straw hats were also used in fashion and as a decorative element of a uniform.- Manufacture :...
s, Gypsy tops, long floral skirt
Skirt
A skirt is a tube- or cone-shaped garment that hangs from the waist and covers all or part of the legs.In the western world, skirts are usually considered women's clothing. However, there are exceptions...
s and chunky wedge heeled shoes. Around this time in Europe and America it was also fashionable to dress entirely in black or wear designer clothing
Designer clothing
Designer clothing is clothing that bears the logo of a recognizable fashion designer.The 'designer' whose name is on the label may be:* A European couturier, e.g. Chanel, Christian Dior* A European luxury goods house, e.g. Armani, Gucci, Louis Vuitton...
displaying Italian or French labels (such as Lacoste, Yves Saint-Laurent
Yves Saint Laurent (brand)
Yves Saint Laurent or YSL is a luxury fashion house founded by Yves Saint Laurent and his partner, Pierre Bergé. Today, its chief designer is Stefano Pilati. Yves Saint Laurent, founder of the brand, died in 2008.-History:...
, Armani, Gucci
Gucci
The House of Gucci, better known simply as Gucci , is an Italian fashion and leather goods label, part of the Gucci Group, which is owned by French company PPR...
, or Chanel
Chanel
Chanel S.A. is a French fashion house founded by the couturier Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel, well established in haute couture, specializing in luxury goods . She gained the name "Coco" while maintaining a career as a singer at a café in France...
) as a way of demonstrating one's apparent social status and wealth. A common outfit was to wear a skirt, dress shorts, baby doll dress or short dress with black opaque tights
Tights
Tights are a kind of cloth leg garment, most often sheathing the body from about the waist to the feet with a more or less tight fit, hence the name....
, white slouch socks and white sneakers. In America olive green dresses and yellow denim
Denim
Denim is a rugged cotton twill textile, in which the weft passes under two or more warp threads. This produces the familiar diagonal ribbing identifiable on the reverse of the fabric, which distinguishes denim from cotton duck. Denim has been in American usage since the late 18th century...
shortalls, a version of overalls in which the legs of the garment resemble those of shorts, were very popular.
Late 1990s
In the late 1990s women wore flared trousers, pastel colors, fleecePolar fleece
Polar fleece, usually referred to simply as "fleece," is a soft napped insulating synthetic fabric made from Polyethylene terephthalate or other synthetic fibers. One of the first forms was Polar Fleece created in 1979 by Malden Mills, now Polartec LLC., a new, light and strong pile fabric meant...
s, miniskirt
Miniskirt
A miniskirt, sometimes hyphenated as mini-skirt, is a skirt with a hemline well above the knees – generally no longer than below the buttocks; and a minidress is a dress with a similar meaning...
s, sweatpants
Sweatpants
Sweatpants are a casual variety of soft trousers intended for comfort or athletic purposes.In Britain, Australia and New Zealand they are known as "jogging bottoms" or "track pants".- Design :...
, tank tops revealing the midriff (crop top), capri pants
Capri pants
Capri pants are mid-calf pants worn in warm weather. Variants end below the knee and calf...
, low-waisted jeans inspired by the designs of Alexander McQueen
Alexander McQueen
Lee Alexander McQueen, CBE was a British fashion designer and couturier best known for his in-depth knowledge of bespoke British tailoring, his tendency to juxtapose strength with fragility in his collections, as well as the emotional power and raw energy of his provocative fashion shows...
, thong underwear popularised by contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
and jungle music
Oldschool jungle
Jungle is a genre of electronic music that incorporates influences from genres including breakbeat hardcore, and reggae/dub/dancehall. There is debate as to whether jungle is a separate genre from drum and bass as many use the terms interchangeably...
, and Union jack motifs inspired by the Cool Britannia
Cool Britannia
Cool Britannia is a media term that was used during the late 20th century to describe the contemporary culture of the United Kingdom. The term was prevalent during the 1990s and later became closely associated with the early years of "New Labour" under Tony Blair...
movement. This continued into the 2000s.
Early 1990s
In the early 1990s flannelFlannel
Flannel is a soft woven fabric, of various fineness. Flannel was originally made from carded wool or worsted yarn, but is now often made from either wool, cotton, or synthetic fibre. Flannel may be brushed to create extra softness or remain unbrushed. The brushing process is a mechanical process...
became popular and lasted through most of the decade. Unlike the fitted Western shirts of the 70s which fastened with pearl snaps, the flannel shirts of the 1990s were padded and loose-fitting for optimum warmth. Preppy
Preppy
Preppy, preppie, or prep refers to a modern, widespread United States clique, often considered a subculture...
clothing was popular in the US, where wealthy young men wore khaki slacks
Trousers
Trousers are an item of clothing worn on the lower part of the body from the waist to the ankles, covering both legs separately...
, navy blue blazer
Blazer
A blazer is a type of jacket. The term blazer occasionally is synonymous with boating jacket and sports jacket, two different garments. A blazer resembles a suit coat cut more casually — sometimes with flap-less patch pockets and metal buttons. A blazer's cloth is usually durable , because it is an...
s and canvas boat shoes. Men also wore Converse All Stars, Acid wash denim jackets, straight-leg jeans like Levi 501s, wool sweater
Sweater
A sweater, jumper, pullover, sweatshirt, jersey or guernsey is a garment intended to cover the torso and arms. It is often worn over a shirt, blouse, T-shirt, or other top, but may also be worn alone as a top...
s, black leather jackets, sheepskin
Sheepskin
Sheepskin is the hide of a sheep, sometimes also called lambskin or lambswool.Sheepskin may also refer to:* Parchment, a thin material made from calfskin, sheepskin or goatskin** Diploma, originally made of sheepskin...
coats, Members Only jackets, corduroy
Corduroy
Corduroy is a textile composed of twisted fibers that, when woven, lie parallel to one another to form the cloth's distinct pattern, a "cord." Modern corduroy is most commonly composed of tufted cords, sometimes exhibiting a channel between the tufts...
, anorak
Anorak
An anorak or parka is a type of heavy jacket with a hood, often lined with fur or fake fur, so as to protect the face from a combination of freezing temperatures and wind...
s, polo shirts, white Adidas
Adidas
Adidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer and parent company of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas golf company , and Rockport...
trainers and Aviator sunglasses
Aviator sunglasses
Aviator sunglasses are a style of sunglasses that were developed by Bausch & Lomb and branded as Ray-Ban. They are characterized by dark, often reflective lenses having an area two or three times the area of the eye socket, and metal frames with bayonet earpieces or flexible cable temples that hook...
popularized by rock star Freddie Mercury
Freddie Mercury
Freddie Mercury was a British musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band Queen. As a performer, he was known for his flamboyant stage persona and powerful vocals over a four-octave range...
.
Mid 1990s
In the mid 1990s mod clothing and longer hair were popular in Britain due to the success of BritpopBritpop
Britpop is a subgenre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom. Britpop emerged from the British independent music scene of the early 1990s and was characterised by bands influenced by British guitar pop music of the 1960s and 1970s...
. Men also wore Aloha shirt
Aloha shirt
The Aloha shirt commonly referred to as a Hawaiian shirt is a style of dress shirt originating in Hawaii. It is currently the premier textile export of the Hawaii manufacturing industry. The shirts are printed, mostly short-sleeved, and collared. They usually have buttons, sometimes as a complete...
s, brown leather jackets, loafers
Loafers
Slip-ons are typically low, lace-less shoes. The style most commonly seen, known as a loafer or Slippers in American culture, has a moccasin construction. First appearing in the mid-1930s from Norway, they began as casual shoes, but have increased in popularity to the point of being worn in America...
, paisley
Paisley (design)
Paisley or Paisley pattern is a droplet-shaped vegetable motif of Indian, Pakistani and Persian origin. The pattern is sometimes called "Persian pickles" by American traditionalists, especially quiltmakers,The Persian Pickle Club, Sandra Dallas. St. Martin's Press,...
shirts, throwback pullover baseball jerseys, graphic-print t-shirts (often featuring dragon
Dragon
A dragon is a legendary creature, typically with serpentine or reptilian traits, that feature in the myths of many cultures. There are two distinct cultural traditions of dragons: the European dragon, derived from European folk traditions and ultimately related to Greek and Middle Eastern...
s, athletic logos or numbers), and neon-colored trainers (sometimes incorporating flashing lights and elastic self-tying laces). In America hip-hop fashion went mainstream, with oversized letterman jackets, bomber jackets, gold jewellery, baggy carpenter jeans
Carpenter jeans
Carpenter jeans are jeans with many pockets and loops which can be used to carry objects such as tools and are often loose around the leg to be able to accommodate the affixed items...
, tracksuits and overalls popular among young men as casual wear.
Late 1990s
In the late 1990s men wore khaki cargo pantsCargo pants
Cargo pants are loosely-cut pants designed for tough, outdoor activities distinguished by multiple cargo pockets.A cargo pocket is a form patch pocket with accordion folds for increased capacity closed with a flap secured by snap, button, or Velcro common on battledress and hunting clothing.Cargo...
, leather jackets based on the same cut as blazer
Blazer
A blazer is a type of jacket. The term blazer occasionally is synonymous with boating jacket and sports jacket, two different garments. A blazer resembles a suit coat cut more casually — sometimes with flap-less patch pockets and metal buttons. A blazer's cloth is usually durable , because it is an...
s, duster coats, bowling shirt
Bowling shirt
A bowling shirt is a men's shirt that resembles an Aloha shirt in construction, but not appearance, typically being more conservative and not incorporating tropically themed prints. They are loose-fitting, collared, short sleeved, buttoned shirts, with a straight hem designed to be worn not tucked...
s, black bomber jackets with orange linings, preppy brands like Old Navy
Old Navy
Old Navy is an American clothing brand as well as a chain of stores owned by Gap, Inc., with corporate operations in San Francisco and San Bruno, California. It is one of the first major corporations to house headquarters in the new Mission Bay district of San Francisco.Gap, Inc. was run by...
, tracksuit
Tracksuit
A tracksuit is an article of clothing consisting of two parts: trousers and a jacket usually with front zipper. It was originally intended for use in sports, mainly as what athletes wore over competition clothing and would take off before competition. In modern times, it has become commonly worn...
s, and various types of sportswear manufactured by Adidas
Adidas
Adidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer and parent company of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas golf company , and Rockport...
, Reebok
Reebok
Reebok International Limited, a subsidiary of the German sportswear company Adidas since 2005, is a producer of Athletic shoes, apparel, and accessories. The name comes from the Afrikaans spelling of rhebok, a type of African antelope or gazelle...
, Hitec
Hitec
Hitec is a company based in South Korea that manufactures radio control devices, including transmitters, receivers, servos, electronics and model aircraft. Later products include robotics, servos with Karbonite gears and the Robonova--a humanoid robot accepted in the Robo one robot competition....
and Nike
Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
. At this time it became fashionable to leave shirts untucked. In Europe single-breasted three and four button suits began to replace the 1980s power suits. In America suit
Suit (clothing)
In clothing, a suit is a set of garments made from the same cloth, consisting of at least a jacket and trousers. Lounge suits are the most common style of Western suit, originating in the United Kingdom as country wear...
s went out of fashion as men began to dress smart-casual and business casual
Business casual
Business casual is a popular dress code in professional and white-collar workplaces in Western countries. In the United States, 43% of non-self-employed workers commonly wear casual business attire. Casual street wear is the next most common work attire , closely followed by uniforms...
, a trend kickstarted by Bill Gates
Bill Gates
William Henry "Bill" Gates III is an American business magnate, investor, philanthropist, and author. Gates is the former CEO and current chairman of Microsoft, the software company he founded with Paul Allen...
of Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
..
Early 1990s
The new waveNew Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
and heavy metal influenced fashion of the 1980s lasted until early 1992, when Grunge
Grunge
Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...
fashion and hip hop fashion
Hip hop fashion
Hip hop fashion is a distinctive style of dress originating with African American youth on the scene of New York City, Los Angeles, Orlando, Chicago, Philadelphia, the San Francisco Bay Area, Detroit, Memphis, Atlanta, St. Louis, Jersey City, Miami, Toronto and Vancouver among others. Each city...
took over in popularity. The sagging
Sagging (fashion)
Sagging is a manner of wearing trousers below the waist, hanging below the waist area and therefore revealing much of the underwear. Sagging is predominantly a male fashion...
trend began in the early-1990s and continued until the mid 2000s but faded into the 2010s
2010s in fashion
The early 2010s have thus far been defined by the hipster subculture, a mix of 1980s-inspired neon colors, and a revival of 1930s, 1950s and 1980s fashions.-General trends:...
. Hardcore
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
Punk fashion
Punk fashion
Punk fashion is the clothing, hairstyles, cosmetics, jewelry, and body modifications of the punk subculture. Punk fashion varies widely, ranging from Vivienne Westwood designs to styles modeled on bands like The Exploited. The distinct social dress of other subcultures and art movements, including...
, which began in the 1970s, was very popular in the 1990s, and Goth fashion reached its peak. The dominant youth clothing fad at the beginning of the 1990s was fluorescent clothing in blue, green, orange, pink, and yellow. Hoop earrings were also a popular accessory for teenaged girls and women in the first years of the 1990s. Popular colors for girls included coral, hot pink, and turquoise. In Britain and the USA, Girls wore leggings in many colors, especially black with slouch socks, oversized shirts and athletic sneakers like Keds
Keds
Keds is a brand of canvas shoe with rubber soles, introduced in 1916 by U.S. Rubber , later acquired by Stride Rite, and currently owned by Collective Brands....
. They also wore oversized tee shirts, sweat shirts, or sweaters, slouch socks worn over sweatpants, black or white lace trimmed bike shorts with babydoll
Babydoll
A babydoll is a short, sometimes sleeveless, loose fitting nightgown or negligee intended as nightwear for women. It sometimes has formed cups called a bralette for cleavage with an attached loose fitting skirt falling in length usually between the upper thigh and the belly button...
dresses, flats, shortalls and athletic shorts. Boys wore soccer shorts, jean jackets, Converse Chuck Taylor All-Stars
Chuck Taylor All-Stars
Chuck Taylor All Stars, or Converse All Stars, also referred to as "Chuck Taylors", "Converses", "All Stars", "Chucks" or "Cons", are canvas and rubber shoes produced by Converse. They were first produced in 1917 as the "All Star," Converse's attempt to capture the basketball shoe market...
, tartan
Tartan
Tartan is a pattern consisting of criss-crossed horizontal and vertical bands in multiple colours. Tartans originated in woven wool, but now they are made in many other materials. Tartan is particularly associated with Scotland. Scottish kilts almost always have tartan patterns...
shirts, tapered acid wash jeans
Jeans
Jeans are trousers made from denim. Some of the earliest American blue jeans were made by Jacob Davis, Calvin Rogers, and Levi Strauss in 1873. Starting in the 1950s, jeans, originally designed for cowboys, became popular among teenagers. Historic brands include Levi's, Lee, and Wrangler...
, and sweatpants
Sweatpants
Sweatpants are a casual variety of soft trousers intended for comfort or athletic purposes.In Britain, Australia and New Zealand they are known as "jogging bottoms" or "track pants".- Design :...
.
Mid 1990s
In the mid-1990s the grunge style resulted in a decline in bright colors from 1995 until the late 2000s, and was dominated by tartanTartan
Tartan is a pattern consisting of criss-crossed horizontal and vertical bands in multiple colours. Tartans originated in woven wool, but now they are made in many other materials. Tartan is particularly associated with Scotland. Scottish kilts almost always have tartan patterns...
flannel
Flannel
Flannel is a soft woven fabric, of various fineness. Flannel was originally made from carded wool or worsted yarn, but is now often made from either wool, cotton, or synthetic fibre. Flannel may be brushed to create extra softness or remain unbrushed. The brushing process is a mechanical process...
shirts, stonewashed blue jeans
Jeans
Jeans are trousers made from denim. Some of the earliest American blue jeans were made by Jacob Davis, Calvin Rogers, and Levi Strauss in 1873. Starting in the 1950s, jeans, originally designed for cowboys, became popular among teenagers. Historic brands include Levi's, Lee, and Wrangler...
, and dark colors like maroon
Maroon
Maroon, marooning, or marooned may refer to:* Maroon , a dark shade of red* Maroon , runaway slaves, of African origin, in the Americas* Marooning, the act of leaving someone on a deserted island-Music:...
, forest green, indigo
Indigo
Indigo is a color named after the purple dye derived from the plant Indigofera tinctoria and related species. The color is placed on the electromagnetic spectrum between about 420 and 450 nm in wavelength, placing it between blue and violet...
, brown
Brown
Brown is a color term, denoting a range of composite colors produced by a mixture of orange, red, rose, or yellow with black or gray. The term is from Old English brún, in origin for any dusky or dark shade of color....
, white
White
White is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light that stimulates all three types of color sensitive cone cells in the human eye in nearly equal amounts and with high brightness compared to the surroundings. A white visual stimulation will be void of hue and grayness.White light can be...
and black
Black
Black is the color of objects that do not emit or reflect light in any part of the visible spectrum; they absorb all such frequencies of light...
. For younger children, the mid-1990s was the Golden Age
Disney Renaissance
The Disney Renaissance refers to an era beginning roughly in the late 1980s and ending in the late 1990s, during which Walt Disney Animation Studios returned to making successful animated films mostly based on stories that were known to many, restoring public and critical interest in Disney.The...
of Disney films with T-shirts and sweaters featuring characters like Simba
Simba
Simba is a lion character and the protagonist of Disney's most successful animated feature film, The Lion King. He is the son of Mufasa and Sarabi, nephew of Scar, mate of Nala, and father of Kiara. He has golden fur and when he grows into an adult, he has an auburn mane...
from the Lion King, Mickey Mouse
Mickey Mouse
Mickey Mouse is a cartoon character created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks at The Walt Disney Studio. Mickey is an anthropomorphic black mouse and typically wears red shorts, large yellow shoes, and white gloves...
, Aladdin
Aladdin
Aladdin is a Middle Eastern folk tale. It is one of the tales in The Book of One Thousand and One Nights , and one of the most famous, although it was actually added to the collection by Antoine Galland ....
, and Winnie the Pooh. Tartan trousers, striped shirts, long sleeved polo shirts, and sweaters (often knitted by the child's grandmother) were worn by young boys in the UK. Overalls were also popular for females as seen on television and commercials throughout the decade, and for teenagers who would leave either strap hanging loose. Wide leg jeans
Wide leg jeans
Wide leg jeans or baggy pants are a style of clothing popularized in the mid-to-late 1990s, while recently revived. The quintessential brand of 'hip-hop' style wide leg jeans was JNCO, though other youth and ethnic oriented clothing companies manufacture them as well.-History:Baggy jeans were first...
, bomber jackets, tracksuits and baseball cap
Baseball cap
A baseball cap is a type of soft cap with a rounded stiff brim. The front of the cap typically contains designs or logos of sports teams ,...
s worn backwards became popular among hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
fans, and flared trousers were worn by teenage girls.
Late 1990s
The late-1990s saw the rise of the British chavChav
A chav is a term that is used in the United Kingdom to describe a stereotype of teenagers and young adults from an underclass background.-Etymology:...
subculture, an offshoot of the casuals
Casuals
The casual subculture is a subsection of association football culture that is typified by football hooliganism and the wearing of expensive European designer clothing. The subculture originated in the United Kingdom in the early 1980s when many hooligans started wearing designer labels and...
, a football fan subculture of the 1980s. Psychobilly
Psychobilly
Psychobilly is a fusion genre of rock music that mixes elements of punk rock, rockabilly, and other genres. It is one of several subgenres of rockabilly which also include thrashabilly, trashabilly, punkabilly, surfabilly and gothabilly...
bands popularised brothel creepers, gas station shirt
Shirt
A shirt is a cloth garment for the upper body. Originally an undergarment worn exclusively by men, it has become, in American English, a catch-all term for almost any garment other than outerwear such as sweaters, coats, jackets, or undergarments such as bras, vests or base layers...
s and dark-colored bowling shirts
Aloha shirt
The Aloha shirt commonly referred to as a Hawaiian shirt is a style of dress shirt originating in Hawaii. It is currently the premier textile export of the Hawaii manufacturing industry. The shirts are printed, mostly short-sleeved, and collared. They usually have buttons, sometimes as a complete...
, and pop punk
Pop punk
Pop punk is a fusion music genre that combines elements of punk rock with pop music, to varying degrees. Allmusic describes the genre as a strand of alternative rock, which typically merges pop melodies with speedy punk tempos, chord changes and loud guitars...
fans opted for spiky hair, black hoodies and baggy pants in black or red Royal Stewart tartan
Royal Stewart Tartan
The Royal Stewart Tartan is the best known tartan of the royal House of Stewart, and is also the personal tartan of Queen Elizabeth II. It is appropriate for all subjects of Elizabeth II to wear the Royal Stewart tartan , in much the same way that clansmen may wear the tartan of their clan chief...
. Popular American fashions included capri pants
Capri pants
Capri pants are mid-calf pants worn in warm weather. Variants end below the knee and calf...
, ponchos, bootcut jeans, hoodie
Hoodie
A hoodie is a sweatshirt with a hood. The characteristic design includes large frontal pockets, a hood, and a drawstring to adjust the hood opening. They are sometimes worn with sweatpants. Some hoodies have zippers on them to allow easy removal much like a jacket...
s, and cut off denim
Denim
Denim is a rugged cotton twill textile, in which the weft passes under two or more warp threads. This produces the familiar diagonal ribbing identifiable on the reverse of the fabric, which distinguishes denim from cotton duck. Denim has been in American usage since the late 18th century...
shorts.
Hairstyles of the 1990s
Women's hair changed from the teased curls popular in the 1980s to straight, smooth hair, gradually between 1989 and 1995. The pixie cutPixie cut
A pixie cut refers to a short woman's hairstyle generally short on the back and sides of the head and slightly longer on the top. Women began exploring shorter hairstyles in the 1920s and was widely popular by rebelling women known as flappers...
and Rachel haircut, inspired by a character from the TV show Friends
Friends
Friends is an American sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994 to May 6, 2004. The series revolves around a group of friends in Manhattan. The series was produced by Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
, were popular among women in as early as 1995. Straight hair was also styled with a short fringe
Fringe (hair)
Fringe are a shaped cutting of the front part of the hair so that it is combed forward and hangs or curls over the forehead. A classic fringe is cut fairly straight at or above the eyebrows, but fringes can also be ragged or ruffled, spiked up with hair gel, swept to one side or the other, and...
cut just above the eyebrows and those with Afro-styled or naturally curly hair would rely on a Relaxer
Relaxer
A relaxer is a type of lotion or cream generally used by people with afro textured hair, which makes hair less curly and also easier to straighten by chemically "relaxing" the natural curls...
to keep the sleek straight hair. This style would continue further into the 2000s decade as well.
Mens hair became increasingly shorter from the early 1990s onwards. In the early 90s curtained hair
Curtained hair
Curtained hair is the term given to the hairstyle featuring a long fringe divided in either a middle parting or a side parting. When used, it generally applies to males...
(sometimes dyed blond) and small ponytail
Ponytail
A ponytail is a hairstyle in which most or all of the hair on the head is pulled away from the face, gathered and secured at the back of the head with a hair tie, clip or similar device, and allowed to hang freely from that point. It gets its name from its resemblance to the undocked tail of a...
s were popular among yuppies. Side-partings were briefly popular in the mid-1990s before head-shaving had become an acceptable way of dealing with male pattern baldness. In the late 1990s variants of the quiff
Quiff
The quiff is a hairstyle that combines the 1950s pompadour hairstyle, the 50s flattop, and sometimes a mohawk. The etymology of the word is uncertain but may derive from the French word "coiffe" which can mean either a hairstyle or, going further back, the mail knights wore over their heads and...
became popular among young professional men.
For teenagers longer hair was popular in the early to mid-1990s, including collar-length curtained hair
Curtained hair
Curtained hair is the term given to the hairstyle featuring a long fringe divided in either a middle parting or a side parting. When used, it generally applies to males...
, shaggy surfer hair
Surfer hair
Surfer hair is a tousled type of hairstyle, popularized by surfers from the 1950s onwards, traditionally long, thick and naturally bleached from high exposure to the sun and salt water of the sea. In the late 1960s and 1970s, the long hair and general lack of personal grooming was closely...
popular among some Britpop
Britpop
Britpop is a subgenre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom. Britpop emerged from the British independent music scene of the early 1990s and was characterised by bands influenced by British guitar pop music of the 1960s and 1970s...
fans, and dreadlocks. This changed in the mid-1990s when the much-ridiculed bowl cut
Bowl cut
A bowl cut, also known as a pot haircut, or a mushroom cut, is a haircut where the hair is cut short on the sides and back and looking as though someone put a bowl on the head and cut off all the visible hair....
became a fad among skaters, while hip-hop fans wore a variant of the flattop
Flattop
A flattop is a type of very short hairstyle similar to the crew cut, with the exception that the hair on the top of the head is deliberately styled to stand up and is cut to be flat, resulting in a haircut that is square in shape...
known as the Hi-top fade
Hi-top fade
A hi-top fade is a style of haircut where hair on the sides is cut off or kept very short and hair on the top of the head is very long . The hi-top has been a trend symbolizing the Golden Era of hip hop and urban contemporary music during the late 1980s and the early 1990s...
. In the late 1990s hair was usually buzzed very short for an athletic look although a few grunge fans grew their hair long in reaction to this. Headbands and scrunchie
Scrunchie
A scrunchie is a fabric-covered elastic hair tie, commonly used to fasten long hair. Large, elaborate styles and diminutive, unassuming forms are available in many different colors, fabrics, and designs....
s of various styles and colors were popular with girls throughout most of the 1990s who frequently wore them with side ponytail
Ponytail
A ponytail is a hairstyle in which most or all of the hair on the head is pulled away from the face, gathered and secured at the back of the head with a hair tie, clip or similar device, and allowed to hang freely from that point. It gets its name from its resemblance to the undocked tail of a...
s and bangs.