Nostalgia in an era of TikTok and Depop helps stoke the ’90s fashion revival
Whether you’re Gen X or Gen Z, the 1990s are back - in a big way.
It was a decade of slouchy suiting and slip dresses; Dr Martens and dreamy dresses; grunge and glamour; combat pants and cropped cardigans; minimalism and mesh; miniskirts and midriffs; boyfriend jeans and boxy blazers.
Gwyneth Paltrow, Julia Roberts, Winona Ryder and Jennifer Aniston dominated screens large and small, while single-monikered supermodels prowled runways.
The 1990s may be 30 years ago now but, fashion-wise, those trends read like a must-have list of the past few seasons, with no end to the decade’s influence in sight.
Many of those celebrities and even models continue to have clout, but a new generation of It Girls – Bella, Gigi, Zendaya, Rihanna, et al – have taken up their fashion choices to reinvigorate them on and off the catwalk.
And, while some of the big names of the day – Versace, Armani, Ralph Lauren – are still in play, even now referencing their ’90s heydays, a new generation of brands and designers is being influenced by the styles of the day.
“For us, the ’90s appeal is all in the mix of effortless and gritty,” says Bec & Bridge co-founder Bec Cooper. “There’s something chic about the rawness of the ’90s. It’s definitely an iconic era that we want to relive through fashion.”
Cooper and co-founder Bridget Yorston include the ’90s staple slip dress in most of their collections – where it remains one of their bestsellers each season.
“Bec + Bridge has always had an essence of ’90s minimalism, and the slip dress is the epitome of that,” says Yorston.
“There’s something special about the way a beautiful silk slip drapes on the body, and embraces a woman in their natural state, that we love to see.”
Libby Page, senior market editor at online behemoth Net-a-Porter, says its customers are “gravitating towards an array of ’90s-inspired pieces, including the slip dress, the miniskirt, retro tees and sweatshirts, high-waisted denim, and boxy masculine blazers”.
“The ’90s revival has provided us with a raft of styles,” she says.
“This season is no different, and we foresee designers continuing to adopt this trend in a more refined and elevated way, with modern twists.”
The Rachel Effect
One celebrity – and her television character – are referenced more than any other from the ’90s.
“I predict key pieces such as miniskirts inspired by Rachel from Friends will become investment pieces, while low-slung waists and crop tops feel a tad more seasonal,” says Page.
Emily Nolan, who offers made-to-measure suits under the E.Nolan label in Melbourne, also cites Rachel as an influence, adding that 1990s pop culture and celebrity imagery became a safe escape as global news became bleak and the pandemic took over our way of life.
“Throughout the pandemic I wanted things that were safe, so I started rewatching Friends, Seinfeld. So you’re watching Rachel Green, in her mock turtlenecks, high boots and leather trench – very ’90s. And the slouchy suiting, which comes across with Chandler and Joey moreso than Rachel.”
The Rachel Effect is also cited by David Jones womenswear buyer Rachel White; in particular, her penchant for vests, which have seen a huge resurgence since last season, especially paired with baggy tailored trousers.
Along with these, White says, the department store invested in a number of trends from the era for the current and coming seasons.
“In the suiting space we’ve got a lot of man-style suiting coming through, next spring it’s all about the miniskirt. The mesh top has come through, showing lingerie underneath, which is a play back to the ’90s, and even the little ribbed, fitted cardi is coming through.”
White cites brands such as Anna Quan, Dion Lee and Camilla and Marc as broadly mining the decade; for slouchy suiting and tailoring she suggests Bassike, Frankie Shop and Alexander Wang; and, for party dressing, Rebecca Vallance, Bec & Bridge and Rotate.
She adds that accessories are not to be forgotten, whether those Dr Martens and the myriad luxury combat boot iterations that have cropped up in the past two years, as well as slingbacks, platforms, mules and strappy sandals, while half-moon bags and mini bags are rife.
For Depop, the youth-focused online vintage marketplace app, the ’90s also loom large. Its general manager for Australia and New Zealand, Aria Wigneswaran, says the decade is “one of the most popular style inspirations for the Depop generation”.
“I think that all generations have a nostalgia for fashion from decades before. The ’90s were filled with cultural references – whether it be TV shows like Friends, or athleisure brands such as New Balance – that drive that feeling of nostalgia and resonate across generations.”
In the past three months, Depop reports that searches for miniskirts, corset tops, oversized blazers and tailored trousers have all increased between 38 and 113 per cent.
But it’s cargo pants – an Aniston off-duty favourite from the time, also beloved of music stars including Gwen Stefani – that are really setting the site on fire.
Searches for brand-specific styles from Seventh, G-Star and 194 Local are up between 1600 and 5000 per cent.
According to White, it’s a similar story at David Jones, where the pocketed pants are a bestseller among the youth market, requiring multiple reorders.
Nostalgia to now
Fashion has always been a cyclical beast, with the cycle seeming ever shorter in the era of TikTok. For many it’s the sense of nostalgia that has inspired their current collections and adoption of trends, whether they wore the styles at the time, or appreciated them retrospectively.
“We were both in our teens and early 20s in the ’90s,” says Yorston, “and it’s the era that sparked our interest in fashion design, so we’re always somewhat influenced by those days.”
Although she was only born in that decade, Nolan says her teenage years were spent “completely focused on the ’90s”.
“It was yearning for a time that I wasn’t in, which happens a bit when you look back through rose-coloured glasses.”
Along with celebrity airport paparazzi snaps, Nolan was “fascinated with the menswear then – Giorgio Armani, Ralph Lauren –they are the pillars of my suiting history that I love to nerd out on”.
Page recalls the trends she embraced in her childhood that are now back in vogue – from Adidas tracksuits to Timberland boots, “and combat trousers, which I might even be convinced to try with a simple T-shirt and minimalist sneakers”.
That’s one of the great things about the resurgence of the era, especially for those who lived it the first time. You can always leave the miniskirts to the Gen Zers, should you choose, and embrace the relaxed tailoring such as waistcoats and baggy trousers. The oversized blazer has a place over jeans, as some of Nolan’s customers are now doing in the post-pandemic workplace, or thrown over a slip dress or cut-out dress, says Page.
“We’re getting a big response from 18-20-year-old girls getting into (the ’90s styles ) for the first time, there’s a playfulness of it,” according to White.
“But there’s also something really nostalgic for those in their 40s onwards revisiting the trends.”
So, the question remains, how long will this nostalgia fest last?
Bec & Bridge is currently working on its collection for Australian Fashion Week in May.
“We’ve got silk cami tops, low-rise bottoms and parachute pants on the way, very ’90s,” says Cooper.
“We held on to our favourite fashion mags from back in the day and have recently pulled them out for inspiration for our fashion week show. It’s been fun looking through them and reminiscing.”
Page says trends “do tend to have a longer shelf life than you may think”.
Certainly, if the younger generation has anything to do with it, says Wigneswaran, we should all buckle up and button ourselves into those tailored vests: “Whether it’s taking inspiration from Bella Hadid, the runways or street style, it is evident that the ’90s fashion renaissance is here to stay.”
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