Fashion is cyclical, that’s a given. What was once considered dated will always return to popularity – and this year, style choices from the 1990s are making a huge comeback.
Grunge aesthetic – defined by a nonchalant and uncaring attitude – is especially trendy now. Think flannels, ripped jeans, leather jackets and boots.
It is about celebrating non-conformity. The dressing also emphasises (ironically) the need to rebel against trends.
Perhaps Dsquared2 epitomises this style perfectly. In the Autumn/Winter 2024 show, models walking the runway looked like they live life feeling perpetually moody.
Balenciaga presented a look for the same season comprising a slip dress worn over a T-shirt – something that was popular in the 90s.
Other labels like JuunJ, Junya Watanabe and Haider Ackermann are quickly becoming favourites. These cult brands are gaining mainstream appeal with their clothes worn on the red carpet by celebrities.
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For example, Timothee Chalamet wore overalls (again, a 90s fashion trend) by JuunJ to a Dune 2 premiere in February.
That same month, he was photographed in a hoodie from a Junya Watanabe x Stussy collection, dubbed this year’s biggest streetwear collaboration.
Accessory-wise, 90s chokers are popular again. These necklaces that fit snugly around the neck have captured the attention of stars everywhere.
At the 2024 Grammys, Taylor Swift was spotted wearing one. She also wore a choker in her Fortnight music video released in April.
While there is a raging debate going on about crew versus ankle socks between Millennials and Gen Zs, the knee sock quietly became a trend.
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This look, made famous by Alicia Silverstone’s character Cher Horowitz in the 1995 film Clueless, is appearing everywhere on social media. Singer-songwriter Charli XCX even wore a pair to the recent Wimbledon finals.
For those who have lived through the fashion era, looking back at how you dressed back then may make you want to cringe.
Gen Zs are celebrating the style, but at the same time putting it down. TikTok users are calling it “losercore”, which is defined as intentionally embracing unflattering pieces.
It has also spawned numerous videos by Millennials hitting back at the label, and like the crew and ankle socks argument, is fast becoming an outright war of words between those of the two generations.
On one post where the user says she feels personally attacked by the #losercore tag, a comment in response read: “Picture someone from the 90s who listens to Radiohead.”
So, is the 90s fashion trend coming back for a wrong or right reason? It really depends on your age.
