Life
15 Fashion Essentials Every ‘90s Girl Owned (And May Still Have In Her Closet)
Ahhh the sweet, sweet '90s. It was a time of vanilla cupcake Lip Smackers, pink glittery roller gel, and plenty of talk-to-the-hand ‘tude. Weekends were spent watching TGIF and SNICK before packing up the Jansport and rocking some killer '90s fashion essentials in the middle school hallways. (Which I desperately needed from the dELiA*s and Alloy catalogs that showed up every month, obviously.)
Some of the '90s trends are back in style — like dark vampy lipstick, grungy flannel, and Doc Martens. (Walk into any Forever 21, and you might as well have teleported back to 1998.) And then there are things so quintessentially '90s that never truly went away — think denim-on-denim and knee-high boots. But, of course, the decade was filled with plenty of as if fashion choices that can gladly fade into the land of nostalgia. (Looking at you, wallet chains and sky-high platform shoes.) At some point, all of these trends made their way into your closet, and some may have never left.
So let’s take a trip back in time, shall we? Back to the days of when you swooned over boys in JNCO jeans while dying your hair with Kool-Aid and flipping through YM magazine. Take a look at the hella rad '90s fashion must-haves that had you bugging (and still do to this day.)
1Mini Backpacks
Because you totally wanted to be Cher Horowitz, the mini backpack quickly became the “it” fashion accessory for a brief moment in time.
2Hologram Accessories
Bonus points for anything with aliens, peace signs, and flower power.
3Chunky Heels
Whether you preferred combat boots or Mary Janes, the '90s were all about the big, bulky shoes that clunked beneath your flared jeans.
4 Glitter Jellies
The sweaty feet were worth adding some extra sparkle to your outfit.
5All The Chokers
You couldn’t have existed as a '90s girl without owning at least one plastic choker from Claire’s — most likely with a daisy, peace sign, or yin yang.
6Butterfly Clips
Everyone from Britney Spears to Sabrina the Teenage Witch got in on the trend, and my future daughter will totally carry on the legacy.
7Butterfly Clips That Fly
If you were super cool (as I was ::ahem::), you had a few strategically placed bigger butterfly clips that flapped its wings as you walked.
8Daisy Prints
No '90s girl escaped the daisy print. And if you did, it’s only because you were wearing sunflowers.
9 Floral Babydoll Slip Dresses
Of course, you don’t get away with wearing just this dress to school, so you slipped it over a white baby tee.
10Iridescent Clothes
Because baby you liked to shine.
11All Fur Everything
If you had a puffy fur jacket hanging in your closet, then you were clearly the fashion icon of your class. Bonus points if you had the pen to match.
12The Blossom Hat
The denim fabric combined with the oversized yellow flower made one of the boldest fashion choices of the decade.
13Overall Skorts
Part skirt, part shorts, all '90s awesomeness.
14Pinned Up Denim Jacket
If you weren’t showing off some serious flair, then you were basically a loser, loser, double loser.
15Acid Wash Jeans
If you were really bold, you paired these pants with a matching vest or jacket.
Images: Paramount Pictures; Courtesy of of.an.era, 90skidzmemoriez, bagladychic, echoclubhouse, kunn0ichil3g3nd, becky.spaghetti, msbrittneyblair, rolypolyrecords, sofia61283xx, lydeeloo, andienbonnie, sarriepeele, cheeseandthesphinx, laserkitten, suzecato/Instagram
