Nostalgic 90s Outfit Ideas

I grew up in the late 90s in a tiny town, before social media, where fashion moved very slowly for us.

We were wearing 90s trends well into the 2000s. So 90s fashion is very near and dear to me. It’s a style that I like to incorporate in my wardrobe today.

Early 90s

Look 1: The sweater vest

The sweater vest is an 80s staple that continued into the next decade.

Try layering one over a white t-shirt, a turtleneck or a collared shirt.

Sweater vests continued to be popular in the 90s and vests in general are having a comeback!

Look 2: 80s to 90s activewear

The 80s style continued to influence 90s activewear. Think bright, neon colors, windbreakers and spandex.

I didn’t have a windbreaker, so I decided to go with a classic sweatshirt and bike shorts, like Princess Diana, a huge style icon at the time.

I paired this with chunky white sneakers and, of course, a scrunchie.

Look 3: 90s grunge

Grunge was born in the early 90s, becoming popular with bands like Nirvana.

We couldn’t do grunge without a basic, plaid shirt. These grunge looks still hold a place in modern fashion.

I paired this look with converse style shoes – another 90s staple.

The mid 90s

Look 4: Preppy school girl

Here, I’ve channeled this “Rachel” look from the popular TV show, Friends which aired for the first time in 1994.

I paired a pleated, plaid skirt with a thin turtleneck and pulled my hair back with a classic 90s claw clip.

This trend really took off after the 1995 rom-com, Clueless.

Look 5: The Rock

I couldn’t do 90s fashion justice without recreating this iconic photo of the Rock.

This look includes a chain over a black turtleneck and a fanny pack.

It seemed like everybody owned a fanny pack in the 90s!

This look was popular with both men and women at the time, with many celebrities rocking jeans, a black belt and a black turtleneck.

Look 6: The sun dress

Another item that was everywhere in the 90s was the sundress.

Mini or maxi, it didn’t matter, as long as it was layered over a white t-shirt. You could pair this with some Mary Janes, clogs or sneakers.

Also, the perfect accessory was the bucket hat.

Look 7: The leather blazer

Another trend that’s come back around is the leather blazer.

In the 90s, leather blazers were worn by everyone. Especially black leather.

This piece is also very versatile, sometimes being dressed up with formal wear.

And sometimes dressed down with a pair of jeans.

I decided to recreate this Wynona Ryder outfit.

I wish I had mid-rise jeans for this outfit since that fit was becoming more popular at the time.

Look 8: Plaid revisited

Plaid was super popular in the 90s from both the grunge and the preppy styles.

Plaid and checkered styles were worn via skirts and pants.

I decided to combine the plaid pants with the tank top layering trends.

And don’t forget, everything was layered over a white t-shirt!

The late 90s

Look 9: The 90s Ts

Later in the 90s, the t-shirt trend shifted with smaller cuts and graphics.

And the baby T was born! This shrunken style was very popular and usually was paired with mid to low-rise bottoms.

Waistbands traveled slowly downward in the 90s, and by 1999 they were dangerously low.

I paired my crop top with a low-rise maxi skirt and some square heeled sandals.

Look 10: The Spice Girls

This article would be incomplete without mentioning the Spice Girls.

I recreated the Sporty Spice look with a sports bra, Adidas pants and chunky sneakers.

Tearaway snap pants were absolutely everywhere at the time.

90s outfit idea

Let me know in the comments if you would wear any of these 90s outfit ideas today, and which one was your favorite.

For more fashion content, check out my post on Sexy Woven Leggings in 3 Ways: DIY Tutorial.