1990s men’s fashion came in differently than it came out. It’s spiritually similar to the ‘60s while looking to the future. Here’s why this fun era of style keeps coming back.
Before we dive into 90s men’s fashion, I’m going to unlock a memory for you, fellow elder millennials. Thanks to The Simpsons, we grew up with a lot of good animated sitcoms aimed at teens and adults. Daria, an underrated MTV gem that started as a Beavis & Butthead spin-off, is quintessentially ‘90s.
Bear with me. I promise you this totally connects with nineties men’s fashion.
The titular main character is a grungy, cynical intellectual who wears black combat boots. She constantly feuds with her popular, happy sister, who has a penchant for bubblegum pink. This is the ‘90s style mentality in a nutshell.
And in the midst of this struggle were two other things. There was ‘60s revivalism, coming in right on time to prove fashion’s cyclical nature and futurism in anticipation of the new millennium. The result was one of the most fascinating times in men’s style.
How the Era’s Culture Affected 90s Men’s Fashion
In the ‘80s, a version of punk rock emerged. It was a response to the consumer-driven yuppie culture resulting from the era’s economic prosperity.
But as MTV remixed it, much of it became glossy and mainstream. So, in the early ‘90s, grunge came about as a response to all of that. Born in Seattle, plaid flannels, jeans, and an overall unkempt look arrested the youth.
Even rap got grittier. Gone were the days of Rapper’s Delight and breakdancing, and in came gangster rap. ‘90s hip-hop style was as unfiltered as grunge. Then, grunge commercialized, and the post-grunge world made way for a more playful mix of looks – think ‘90s punk and ska.
Between this and ‘60s revivalism, pop would make a comeback. Mainstream fashion combined all of these looks. Think grunge plaid flannels and the hip-hop-inspired baggy fits, but brighter, happier, and more colorful. Tupac himself was once seen in a ruby shirt and denim overalls.
Towards the millennium, Cool Britannia style opened the door for anime-inspired futurism. Some of this futurism was cool and dark, a la The Matrix, and some involved a lot of metallics and frosted aesthetics.
Meanwhile, James Bond’s style would be less British gentleman and more deal-closing man of the world. Because of this, today, there’s a lot of overlap between the two.
This was also around the time when big fashion brands were becoming household names. People who didn’t care about fashion still knew the names Cindy Crawford and Naomi Campbell. Meanwhile, the film Clueless showed the heartland that privileged coastal teens have been shopping name brands all along.
By the aughts, hip-hop and rocker styles, which started out angry and cynical, would all exude a brighter, more popified look.
90s Grunge Style
Grunge style was, and is, just as much about the clothes as how you wear them. Loose fits, rugged workwear, and combat boots are worn in a nonchalant and often disheveled way. For example, a classic way to approach workwear might be a fitted flannel and jeans with leather work boots.
The grunge guy might wear his “wifebeater” tank, which is usually layered underneath the flannel as his shirt. He might tie his flannel shirt around his waist, with ripped baggy jeans and unlaced combat boots.
Flannel shirts, beanies, oversized sweaters, and ripped denim are all staples of grunge.
In fact, you can even pull a Kurt Cobain. That is, take something inherently preppy and wear it so out of context, you’d never realize it came from Ralph Lauren. Cobain famously wore cardigans.
His MTV Unplugged sweater was pilling to no end, oversized, and worn with an open collared shirt and exposed graphic tee.
If grunge is all about not caring, then you can literally take anything from any closet and wear it disheveled. This means the more beat up your boots, the better. The more patinated and ripped your denim, the better. And, the more pills and rips on your outerwear, the better.
Even though the battle between happy pop and cynical grunge would see pop as the victor, grunge’s influence remained. The schoolgirl look wouldn’t have popularized if not for grunge bringing plaid into the fold, for example.
It’s funny to think that, maybe, the late ‘90s Britney Spears schoolgirl look wouldn’t have come about if not for Pearl Jam and Nirvana. It certainly wouldn’t have if not for Alicia Silverstone featuring in those Aerosmith videos.
90s Hip-Hop Style
Hip-hop was always a meaningful and political movement, even when it was dancier and less gangster. While the playful color didn’t completely disappear from rap-inspired fashion, Tupac and Biggie made hardcore gangster rap style incredibly popular.
In fact, this more rugged, less colorful take on the style overlaps with grunge fashion a bit. Biggie wore a lot of plaid, after all. Plus, the baggier the fit, the better, and there was a focus on wearing garments differently than they were meant to.
One might wear a baggy T-shirt “halfway” with one side of the bottom hem over one’s shoulder, exposing their “wifebeater” tank.
Other important garments included bandanas, yellow Timberland boots, flat-brimmed caps, bucket hats, durags, and chains hanging from your baggy jeans.
90s Aesthetic: Tailoring
When fashion historians think of 90s suiting, they often think of big, boxy jackets and huge ties with small knots. Chandler Bing in the early seasons of Friends is the perfect example.
In general, men’s suits went through an experimental phase. Even celebrity fashion icons at the time would sometimes pair their suit jackets with high-waisted jeans. At best, men were at least having fun with suiting.
Other qualities of the stereotypical ‘90s suit included huge lapels, broad shoulders, long inseams, and even low gorges. For the more luxurious man, it was all about lightweight Italian suits, still in the full American cuts. This was a sartorial testament to the fast-globalizing world of the decade.
Late 90s Style: Anticipating the Millennium
I have a confession. In sixth grade, I had a pair of metallic blue cargo pants. My mother, who strictly curated my closet, allowed me my first (and last) clothing purchase.
As we approached the aughts, Y2K was a buzzword that heavily influenced fashion. Remember, ‘60s and early ‘70s revivalism was in full swing (Austin Powers, the Spice Girls in big platform shoes, and The Brady Bunch movies). Retro-futurism was also back, but in a fully recontextualized way.
The ‘60s silhouettes were reimagined with metallics and frosted aesthetics. Think about all the boy bands in silver and gold flared pants with frosted hair. Spiky, frosted-tip hair proliferated into the masses, as did metallic accents. Gold and silver ties were a prom staple.
The Matrix inspired a darker, tech-driven look. Every wannabe hacker loved their leather jackets and dark, dark sunglasses.
Everyday 90s Style Clothing
When it came to everyday 90s fashion for men, it was often a mix of everything mentioned above. It was less extreme but still undeniably of the era.
A casual outfit could include boot-cut jeans, a plaid flannel, and
A night out at the club may call for cargo pants and a short-sleeve button-up with metallic accents.
Other staples included bowling shirts, huge JNCO jeans, motorcycle jackets, overalls, and casual layers. Watch any early season of Boy Meets World, and you’ll see a world of shirt jackets over crewnecks, vests over flannels, and open button-ups over T-shirts.
Sometimes, men’s fashion in the 1990s was all about drowning in half of your closet.
Even the preppier, Ivy League style wasn’t beyond the conventions of the day. For example, pairing a turtleneck with a cardigan, or wearing crew socks with loafers and jeans, or even a baggy sweater vest.
90s Hair Styles
I can’t think of a more perfect emblematic instance of ‘90s hair than Leonardo Dicaprio. Compare his hair in Titanic to his hair in The Beach. He, like so many of us, went into the ‘90s with that era-defining middle-part. You know the one I’m talking about. It was reminiscent of the McDonald’s golden arches.
Then in the late ‘90s, for some reason, we all chopped it off. Some of us went for a messy wet look that required a lot of gel, and some of us went for a short, spiky style. Again, many of these spikes flaunted frosted tips.
Everyone made that journey. Brad Pitt, Joey and Chandler from Friends, Nick Carter from the Backstreet Boys, Shawn from Boy Meets World. It’s like a memo was sent to the youth of America.
Conclusion: A Fun Mish-Mash
Truly, 90s men’s fashion was a mix of extremes. A lot of the fast-paced ‘80s aesthetics held over. Nostalgia for the ‘60s and ‘70s was remixed with techy futurism. High fashion proliferated into the masses.
And, of course, there was the tension between grunge apathy and pop optimism. This era of fashion provided a toolbox for future trendsetters to constantly pull from.
As the saying goes, history always repeats itself, and it’s undoubtedly going to be fun to see men’s nineties fashion make a comeback.
What are some of your favorite ‘90s trends? Let us know in the comments!
