Youth fashion
General trends
The dominant youth clothing fad at the beginning of the 1990s was fluorescent clothing, Hoop earrings, and plaid shirts. Popular colors for girls included coral, hot pink, bright mint, hot red, yellow, orange, and turquoise. It was not uncommon to see mothers dressed right along with their daughters in the leggings outfits and jeans outfits. Boys wore soccer shorts, jean jackets, tartan shirts, tracksuits, tapered acid wash jeans, colored jeans in bright and light mint green, red, and purple colors sweatpants, slouch socks and single, double or triple stripe athletic socks sometimes folded down at the top especially the triple striped ones worn with everything from shorts to rolled jeans and khakis. In the Southern Suburbs of Chicago during the late 1980s and early 1990s, Z Cavaricci pants and IOU sweatshirts were worn by members of the middle/upper-middle class.[citation needed]
For much of the 1990s, particularly the middle years, teenage boys and girls bought and wore very simple clothes, such as shortalls, athletic shorts, dress shorts, high waisted ankle length jeans and pants plain or pleated. flannel shirts, grey knitted sweaters, and backpacks. Popular stores selling these items included Gap and Urban Outfitters.[33] In the US, girls wore oversized T-shirts, mid calf dresses with leggings, oversized v-neck sweaters over a turtleneck, slouch socks, triple striped tube socks usually folded over at the top, black or white lace trimmed bike shorts with babydoll dresses, belts worn with dresses, skater dresses, dress shorts worn with tights and ballet flats, tights with slouch socks, crew neck T-shirts, Keds, Converse Chuck Taylor All-Stars, boat shoes, shortalls, leotards, overalls, bodysuits and pantywaist tops worn with jeans or skirts, long sleeved T-shirts, Nike Tempo athletic shorts, Mom Jeans and colored jeans especially in medium and dark green, red, and purple, stirrup leggings worn over tights or pantyhose with flats and an oversized top and leggings with slouch socks, oversized tops, and sneakers especially Keds. In the late 1990s, American teenage girls imitated the look of British girl group All Saints, which consisted of baggy jeans, T-shirts, sweatshirts, tanktops, and trainers,[104] as well as cargo pants, and crop tops.[105]
For many younger children, the 1990s was the Golden Age of Disney films with T-shirts and sweaters featuring characters such as Simba, Mickey Mouse, Belle, Aladdin, and Winnie the Pooh. Tartan trousers, striped shirts, long sleeved polo shirt, crew neck sweatshirts worn over a turtleneck, colored jeans in bright mint, red, aqua and purple colors, d high waisted ankle length jeans and pants plain or pleated. athletic shorts especially soccer shorts, slouch socks, continuing from the 1980s triple striped tube socks usually folded over at the top through the early 1990s, and sweaters were worn by young boys and girls in the UK and the US. Blue denim and railroad stripe overalls and shortalls were also popular for girls, as seen on television and commercials throughout the decade, and for teenagers, some of whom would leave either strap hanging loose. Common outfits for tweens and teenage girls, was to wear an oversized tee, a Champion brand sweatshirt over a turtleneck, stirrup leggings over tights or pantyhose with flats and an oversized top, a babydoll dress with opaque tights or bike shorts, shorts with black opaque tights or leggings, white slouch socks, and either Keds, boat shoes such as the Sperry Top-Sider or Eastland brands, white Sperry sneakers, Rockport dress sneakers or Converse sneakers.[citation needed]
Subcultures of the 1990s
Grunge
The new wave and heavy metal fashion of the 1980s lasted until 1992, when Grunge and hip hop fashion took over in popularity.[106] By the mid-1990s the grunge style had gone mainstream in Britain and the US, and was dominated by tartan flannel shirts and stonewashed blue jeans.
Grunge fashion remained popular among the skater subculture until the late 1990s as the hard-wearing, loose-fitting clothing was cheap and provided good protection.[107] Members of the subculture were nicknamed grebos or moshers and included those who did not skate.
Psychobilly, punk and skater
Hardcore punk fashion, which began in the 1970s, was very popular in the 1990s,[107] especially among the skater subculture. Common items for pop punk and nu metal fans included bright colored/blond tipped spiky hair, long under sleeves, black hoodies, and baggy pants in black, mint blue, or red Royal Stewart tartan.
In the US, psychobilly bands Reverend Horton Heat and Rocket from the Crypt popularized brothel creepers, gas station shirts and dark-colored bowling shirts during the late 1990s.
Rave culture and clubwear
Popular fashion themes of the rave subculture during the early 1990s included plastic aesthetics, various fetish fashions especially PVC miniskirts and tops, DIY and tie dye outfits, vintage 1970s clothing, second-hand optics, retro sportswear (such as Adidas tracksuits), and outfits themed around sex (showing much skin and nudity, e.g. wearing transparent or crop tops), war (e.g. in the form of combat boots or camouflage trousers), postmodernism and science fiction themes. In the early 1990s the first commercial rave fashion trends developed from the underground scene, which were quickly taken up by the fashion industry and marketed under the term clubwear.[108] Common raver fashion styles of the 1990s included tight-fitting nylon shirts, tight nylon quilted vests, bell-bottoms, neoprene jackets, studded belts, platform shoes, jackets, scarves and bags made of flokati fur, fluffy boots and phat pants, often in bright and neon colors.
.jpg)
Common unisex hairstyles included neon colored spiky hair, natural dreadlocks, undercut hairstyles, and synthetic hairpieces, and many ravers in the US and Europe wore tattoos and body piercings. Widespread accessories included wristbands and collars, whistles, pacifiers, feather boas, cyberpunk inspired goggles, glow sticks, and record bags made of truck tarpaulins.[109][110]
Hip-Hop
The early 1990s saw widespread interest in hip hop and gangsta rap due to the influences of MC Hammer, Tupac Shakur, Eazy-E, Dr. Dre, N.W.A, Wu-Tang Clan, and Public Enemy. The sagging trend began in the early 1990s and continued until the 2010s. Wide leg jeans, Plaid, Khakis, Locs glasses, bomber jackets, tracksuits and baseball caps and snapback hats worn backwards became popular among hip hop fans together with gold chains, sovereign rings, and FUBU T-shirts.[111] By the end of the decade, hip hop fashion had influenced many global subcultures, especially the British chavs with their tracksuits and white trainers, the sneakerheads of America and Asia, and the ICP fans known as Juggalos[112] with their all-black outfits and evil clown corpse paint.[113]
Britpop
In the mid-1990s, indie rock, Madchester, and Britpop bands Blur, Stone Roses, and Oasis[114] resulted in a revival of 1970s fashions, including Mod haircuts, aviator sunglasses, denim jackets, green parkas, harrington jackets, velvet sportcoats, striped shirts, Ben Sherman polo shirts, T-shirts bearing the RAF roundel,[115] and Union Jack motifs including the dress worn by the Spice Girls‘ Geri Halliwell.[116]
Goth
During the mid to late 1990s, gothic fashion peaked in popularity among American, German and British teenagers seeking to break from the mainstream.[117] Black leather trenchcoats, frilly poet shirts, winklepickers, velvet blazers, long black hair, fetish clothing, and tight pants were a common sight on both sexes, and girls often wore Victorian inspired corsets, lace gloves, Demonia boots, and short leather skirts.[118][119]
Preppy
The conservative preppy look of the 1980s remained popular among wealthy teenagers in the Eastern US until the late 1990s, when many members of the subculture began adopting elements of hip hop fashion.[120] Typical clothing for preppies of the 1990s included khaki chinos, and high waisted ankle length jeans and pants plain or pleated. Navy blue blazers, Oxford shirts, brogues, Keds worn with everything especially leggings, slouch socks and oversized sweatshirts, stirrup leggings worn over tights or pantyhose with flats and an oversized top, sweaters and tees, boat shoes, ballet flats, coach jackets, baseball jackets, mom jeans, shortalls, jeans worn with a leotard or bodysuit as a top, shorts or skirts worn with blazers (for girls), shorts suit with dress shorts with tights underneath, ballet flats and a top and jacket, sweater over a turtleneck, and Champion crew neck sweatshirts worn over a turtleneck.[121] A typical outfit included leggings with an oversized v neck sweater over a turtleneck, slouch socks, and Keds, Sperrys boat shoes or Sperrys white sneakers. Neat, well-groomed hairstyles were popular among upper elementary, middle school, high school and college age girls, including the bangs, straightened hime cut side bunches, or high regular ponytails worn with scrunchies and headbands many times in combination with bangs.