There was a time when every teenage use to imagine in those Govinda style oversized colorful shirts or Karishma Kapoor’s jim-dandy outfits from ‘Dil Toh Pagal Hai’, 90’s Bollywood was said to be ahead of its time. Even Hollywood films stars had a great impact all over the world regarding their fashion sense. Cindy Crawford, Julia Roberts, The Spice Girls and so many more celebrities inspired many youngsters in the 90’s and early 2000’s to experiment with their outfits. It just feels like yesterday when our bedroom walls were covered with Micheal Jackson’s and Madonna’s posters, when almost everyone use to own a walkman and listen to Backstreet Boys on loop, when ‘We’re Going To Ibiza’ by VengaBoysd used to be a summer vacation anthem. 90’s was a golden era, the time which cannot be returned nor can be replaced. Whenever we hear the word 90’s, the very first emotion we feel is nothing but nostalgia. An era in which we all grew up. Back in the day; movies, songs, fashion, hairstyles, etc., were an amalgamation of class and royalty.
In 1990, the leather jackets during the day time were a trend setter. Chanel was said to be the leading brand for such jackets. It introduced the famous vertical slit in the jacket which till date is considered an iconic outfit. Not all leather jackets were black; some of them were also on the brighter side of the vibgyor like, hot pink, tangerine, and neon green. Other leading brands of such outfits were Giorgio Armani and Calvin Klein. The major difference between today’s outfits and the outfits from 90’s was the combination of bright colours used in one outfit. Like bright yellow, orange, red, purple and green were prime colours. Miniskirts with thigh high boots were every young girl’s go-to outfit for almost every occasion. Fringes or bouncy haircut with shorts flicks or bangs were also a sign of latest trending fashion. To the women whose lifestyle did not require official clothing, usually went for baggy t-shirts paired up with sweat pants or jeans. Baggy t-shirts with workout shorts were very much in vogue during those days.
When it came to nailing the street style, no other women seemed to pull off the outfit like Princess Diana, who, till date, is considered a fashion icon for many young ladies. Be it the baggy clothes or the skin-fit satin dresses, she wore those to ballroom meetings and get together, when was the part of the royal family, that woman graced every outfit effortlessly. The satin dresses were originally designed in the early 50’s and 60’s. Actresses like Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn were much seen in skin fit outfits in movies and even off-set. Animal prints were in a very high demand in the year 1992, which were often worn with a bright coloured high neck and a fur coat. Later in time, prints like tigers, giraffes and leopards also started to be manufactured in shirts, shoes, boots, handbags and even scarfs. Finally came, my personal favourite, bell bottom jeans with platform shoes in the year 1993.
Designers looked up to supermodels for their suggestion regarding what women like to wear on a daily basis and in which clothing they feel most confident. The American fall collection fashion shows in 1993 designed and presented long black fitted winter coats, which was heard to a huge success in the fashion industry for women. Green canvas, military style jackets became famous among men in no time. By the end of 1994, high with satin dresses became the talk of the town, the 1972 night glam made a return! Day time weekend outfits came with a little more comfort than glamour, stretchable tights made of spandex and lose t shirts was seen to be worn by both men and women. Giorgio Armani was yet again in the lead as the brand figured out how to tailor clothes which were in favour of all the genders. 1995 was more of a casual year of every generation. Of course people wore fancy attires in weddings and formals to their work, but loose t-shirts were mostly seen worn by almost everyone. In the late year of 1996 and early 1997, men, women and even children were seen wearing baseball caps. Some people were even seen wearing it backwards.
Men’s clothing became more subtle and chic with the combination of monochromatic shirts and tie. For women, in work places, the typical pant-suit was finally replaced by a decent tugged in white shirt with black pencil skirt. Some women even chose to wear knee length black dresses made out silk and cashmere to represent luxury and a fat loaded bank account. Surprisingly, in the 1998, fur coats made a comeback, which were another mark of luxury as they were worn only by the business class crowd. 1999 was the final year of the millennium and was the main focus of the entire world’s fashion industry. Gucci and Louis Vitton were in the lead as the most prized fashion brands. Sportswear remained a universal choice of the young generation, whereas, women started wearing fitted tops over t-shirts with embroidered pants over basic plain blue jeans. Even in India, Bollywood actresses wore polka dot sarees with pearl necklaces, which itself became a fashion statement. Brightly coloured handbags, glittery hair ornaments and jewellery made a huge success across the globe. Its year 2021 and the baggy clothes are back in the game. Baggy jeans are back in the spring collection this year. Corsets, high waisted mom jeans, bell bottomed jeans, oversized neon colour t shirts are making a comeback in 2021. Such outfits can be seen in Instagram reels and tiktok videos. 1990s hip hop style was the most popular among young people.
Few weeks ago Versace relaunched some its boots designed from the 90s. British style floral prints frocks are making a comeback. Beauty always comes from within. No matter what the outfit is, one should ALWAYS feel comfortable in their own body and skin. We are exactly the way we are meant to be, there is no similar human being roaming on this planet. We are all unique, rare and special in our own way. It doesn’t really matter if the 90s fashion is back or not, no one is forcing you to follow the trends. Wear what you like; wear what makes you feel beautiful and comfortable. If you feel good, you look good! As simple as that. So wear whatever you like, sometimes it’s okay to choose your own path instead of following the crowd.