Fashion in the 1990s - Overview

The 1990s is sometimes called the 'anti-fashion' decade. Australians could choose from a
diverse range of clothing trends, most of which were a reaction against the materialism and
excess of the 1980s. In particular, young people drew inspiration from a variety of sources,
rather than following one particular 'look.'

Many styles were subdued and minimalist, using simple fabrics and uncluttered designs.
Grunge and retro fashion, allowed the wearer to express their individuality by choosing from
an eclectic mix of styles. Grunge combined the masculine with the feminine and hippie with
punk, while retro mixed new, modern clothes with items from previous decades.

Fashion was truly globalised in the 1990s, as new technology like the internet enabled
fashion trends to rapidly disseminate between cultures. Dressing for comfort was also a key
trend in Australia in the 1990s, as sportswear established itself as a mainstream fashion trend
and new stretchy fabrics became widely used.

The decade of minimalism

Dressing down' became the key fashion trend of the 1990s. The cluttered, over-the-top
glamour of the 1980s was rejected in favour of simple, understated clothes. Neutral colours
like grey, brown, olive green and beige replaced the royal blue, bright fuchsia and emerald
green of the previous decade. Countering the wide shoulders and frills of the 1980s, clothes
in the 1990s were neat, slim fitting and casual and fabrics were softer and more relaxed.

Make-up was generally toned-down and natural and many women's magazines touted the
'less is more' philosophy. Jewellery, too, became more minimal, in contrast to the chunky,
flashy accessories of the 1980s.

Office wear goes casual

The wide-shouldered 'power suit' fell out of fashion in the 1990s. Working from home became
more popular and office attire evolved to become more casual, comfortable and low-key.
Some companies, however, still required formal business attire.

Many women opted for the 'mix-and-match' look, for example, combining a tailored skirt with
a stretch-fabric top and a smart jacket. Mens' office wear also relaxed; swapping formal suits
and ties for casual, light-weight shirts and trousers.

Grunge fashion
The rise of alternative 'grunge' fashion in the early 1990s was one of the most significant
trends of the decade. Grunge was an eclectic trend that combined two very different forms of
rebellion from previous decades - the 1970s 'hippie' and 1980s 'punk' movements. Grunge-
style clothing was often oversized, baggy and torn and featured dark, subdued colours. Hair
was kept deliberately messy and un-styled.

The grunge movement was driven by a rejection of the consumerist, image-obsessed style of
the 1980s and featured a diverse range of styles that soon filtered through to mainstream
clothing. Typical grunge fashion for young women may have included long, straight hair and
flowing, feminine skirts, combined with punk influences like heavy, black Doc Martens boots
and body piercings. Young men also wore their hair long, and sported shabby, baggy pants,
ripped t-shirts and flannelette shirts.

Grunge fashion derived from the Seattle-based grunge music scene which became popular in
Australia in the 1990s. It was led by bands like Nirvana and Pearl Jam (refer to Topic 6,
Chapter 2).

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Body decoration
Body decoration became popular in the 1990s, as young people sought to assert their
individuality. Tattoos and dreadlocks became more common and many young people sported
facial piercings - typically an eyebrow, nose, tongue or lip piercing.

Navel, or belly-button, piercings were also popular with young women. These piercings
spurred the popularity of short cropped tops that exposed the midriff and trousers that were
worn low on the hip, rather than at the waist.

The globalisation of fashion

In the 1990s, technology like satellite television and the internet enabled fashion trends to
quickly spread around the world. Cheaper air travel also meant that people could more easily
travel to other parts of the world and bring overseas cultural influences back to Australia. As a
result, people in London or New York in the 1990s would likely be wearing similar clothes to
people in Sydney or Perth.

Globalisation also led designers to borrow heavily from cultures previously absent from
Western fashion. In particular, Chinese and Japanese clothing styles began to influence
mainstream fashion.

Straight, simple Oriental-style dresses featuring short unfolded `mandarin' collars became
popular. New embroidered Chinese fabrics and decorative beaded bags and purses also
became readily available in Australia throughout the decade.

Retro fashion
Young Australians seeking to define themselves through fashion in the 1990s often turned to
the past for inspiration. Retro, or 'retrospective' clothing, was popular throughout the decade.
As mainstream fashion became more uniform and globalised, young people scoured market
stalls and second-hand clothing shops to find unique, quirky items of clothing from the 1950s,
1960s and 1970s.

Retro fashion drew from the past to create a distinctive new look. Old tie-dyed shirts, knitted
cardigans, polyester dresses and leather jackets would often be teamed with modern clothes
like jeans and cargo pants.

Hairstyles in the 1990s

Hairstyles in the 1990s moved away from the big, bouffant, heavily-styled look popular in the
1980s, towards a more natural look. Throughout the decade, hairstyle trends varied
considerably.

Some women wore their hair long and straight, others opted for a short, textured style. Others
took inspiration from television and film stars. The long, sleek 'Rachel' haircut, for example,
was the most widely-copied female hair style of the decade. The style was worn by Jennifer
Aniston in the American sitcom Friends and was named after her character, Rachel Green.

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Sports clothing
Mainstream Australian fashion in the 1990s was heavily influenced by sports clothing, a trend
that carried over from the fitness craze of the 1980s. Comfortable, stretchy clothing, like
fleecy tracksuits, became common everyday attire. Clothing from brand-name sportswear
companies like Nike and Adidas was considered highly fashionable.

The 1990s sportswear craze was also fuelled by the influence of American rap and hip-hop
artists. Young Australian men flocked to wear back-to-front baseball caps and basketball
jerseys like their favourite hip-hop stars. Extra-baggy trousers, worn low on the waist to reveal
brand-name boxer shorts, were another hip-hop inspired trend.

Chicago Bulls basketball player Michael Jordan also helped popularise sporting attire in the
1990s by putting his name to products like Nike Air Jordan basketball shoes.

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Fabrics in the 1990s

Technological advances saw a number of easy-wear, easy-care fabrics introduced throughout
the decade.

Lycra and spandex was mixed with other fibres like cotton and wool. This improved the
stretch of garments, making them more comfortable to wear and helped to prevent creasing.
These blended fabrics became popular in the production of everyday casual wear.

Plain, natural fabrics like linen, silk and cashmere were popular, reflecting the back-to-basics
mood of the decade. A new, lightweight fabric called tencel, manufactured from wood fibre,
enjoyed a brief period of success.

A revolutionary, yet short-lived textile fad in the 1990s was a heat-sensitive fabric known as
Hypercolour. Hypercolour t-shirts and shorts contained a heat-sensitive pigment that changed
colour, depending on a person's body temperature. The garments quickly lost their ability to
change colour, however, especially when washed in hot water. While initially successful in
Australia, Hypercolour clothes soon waned in popularity.

The 1990s was a time of great change and fashion rebellion.Because of the
recession toward the beginning of the decade and new business philosophies
that proved the importance of employees feeling more comfortable at work,
Casual attire was the name of the decade. Dressing down in every aspect of
life became normal. Going to work in “business casual” clothing was relatively
new on a large scale and for the first time, you couldn’t tell who was rich and
who was a bum.

Another reason for the uprising in casual attire was the influence that 90s
music had on fashion. Grunge, Hip Hop, Alternative, and Boy Bands all
dressed in casual-”chic” attire, influencing fans and non-fans alike. Doc
Martens and flannel, parachute pants and LA Lights, or oversized sweaters
and eyeliner anyone?

In the 1980s, consumers were purchasing products left and right, often
spending more than they had. This is normally called “conspicuous
consumption,” and it was a lesson learned going into the last decade of
the millennium. Minimalism was popular in 1990s fashion, and a rejection of
the large fashion icons became mainstream. In other words, people saw other
people dressing down and decided to save money (or they were too lazy/cool
for fashion!). Overalls, flannel, bright colors that lingered from the 80s,
denim everything, and baggy clothes were all a nonchalant rejection to
expensive fashion.