1990s Fashion & 90s Hair Styles

It is said that 90s fashion basically started an anti-fashion trend. Anything that wasn’t in style became the thing to wear and when that fad became popular, trendsetters would find another undesirable look to make popular. Of course, 90s hair followed a similar pattern of people looking for the road less travelled look, many of which are still worn today. 

1990s Fashion Overview

Coming out of the 80s, people were finally ready to put some of that neon and acid washed apparel away. Early 90s fashion turned beyond casual with frumpy oversized sweaters, leggings, sweatshirts and t-shirts. Then, by the middle of the decade, things cleaned up a bit. The hippie style was making a comeback with long dresses and skirts, paired up with gypsy tops. Of course, this reflected the carefree 90s hair styles that emerged as well.

By the end of the decade, labels were playing a key role in 1990s fashion. Flared jeans, midriff-bearing tops, low-rise bottoms with thongs showing and of course, Ugg boots made their debut.

One must not overlook that television programs and celebrities had a huge influence over both 90s hair and fashion. Beverly Hills 90210, the Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Clueless, Kurt Cobain and Vanilla Ice all come to mind.

90s Hair

The teased look of the 80s gradually diminished into a smooth look for most; however, that doesn’t mean that there weren’t plenty of other extreme styles present as well.

• The Rachel – Anyone who watched Friends wanted Rachel hair. Shoulder-length, straight, long layers and healthy looking was a fresh change from the rock hard bangs of the previous decade. To this day, Jennifer Anniston still has a huge influence over hair and fashion.
    
• Ghost Bob – Demi Moore’s short, straight bob with bangs sparked frenzy when the movie Ghost was released in 1990. This haircut, that would have once been considered a hairdo for a young boy, was suddenly seen as feminine and desirable.
    
• Short and Choppy – This 1990s fashion was appreciated by women with naturally straight or curly hair. Meg Ryan’s short, choppy, super messy look became a favorite and is still a popular choice today.
    
• Posh Spice Bob – Before Victoria Beckham’s pixie/bob look became popular in the noughties, her straight bob caused a stir in the 90s. It was below the chin, parted down the middle and super straight.
    
• The Vanilla Ice – It was hard to find any guys who didn’t take their turn at Vanilla Ice hair during the decade. In addition to this 90s fashion fad, lines shaved in the eyebrow became popular as well.  

Just like any era, both males and females had specific trends they simply had to follow. As girls were busy mimicking celebrities like Julia Roberts, Shannon Doherty and Winona Ryder, the male population wanted the long sideburns of Luke Perry and the goatee that Johnny Depp, Kurt Cobain and Brad Pitt all made popular. 90s hair and fashion were strongly influenced by celebrities; it is amazing after all these years, not much has changed!