Fashion
Back to the Future: Trends from the nineties that are making a comeback. There’s no denying it anymore: the nineties are
back and better than ever. This realisation came to me rather spontaneously last night when I found myself, not for the first time, watching Friends and focusing on Rachel Green’s casual chic style more than anything else that was going on in the episode. For me, this is no new phenomenon. For years I’ve adored Rachel’s baggy jeans and tight graphic tees, but until now I’ve always seen her style as being cool but out of date, chic but not emulatable two decades later. However, last night that all changed when I was drooling over one of her iconic looks and suddenly found myself thinking: I would definitely wear that. And so, the beginnings of this article began to take shape. Inspired by the legendary style of a fictional character, I began by scouring my wardrobe, then online shops and, finally, the Instagram pages of the myriad fashion influencers that comprise my newsfeed, before eventually landing at the final conclusion that the nineties are, most certainly, back. While (thankfully) not every trend has made a comeback, I have gone and compiled a list of some of the most prominent styles of 2021 that have all been plucked straight from the nineties and transformed in some way to conform to the more minimalistic, toned-down tastes of today. Keep reading to see which trends we’ve stolen from the nineties – I guarantee you’ve already succumbed to one of them without even realising its origin.
BUCKET HATS Famous for its artsy, somewhat grungy-hippy vibe, the bucket hat has made a huge comeback in recent months thanks to big-name, high-end brands like Prada and Burberry who have included them in their latest collections. After a two-decade-long period of hibernation, the bucket hat has finally found itself back on the heads of celebrities and arts students alike.
SLIP DRESSES Soft, feminine and effortlessly chic, the slip dress is personally my favourite thing to come out of the nineties (aside from myself of course). Stylish and practical, slip dresses can take you from day to night depending on what you pair them with. I personally like to throw them on over a jumper and tights during the day and wear them with heels and a cute bag at night.
DAD SHOES Probably one of the most iconic trends of the nineties, chunky trainers are back this year with a vengeance. A quick scroll through Instagram will show that seemingly everyone these days owns a pair of New Balance 530s, Adidas Ozweegoes, Balenciaga Triple Ss, or knows somebody who does. Insanely comfortable and amazingly versatile, it’s easy to see why 2021 has
decided to give this trend a new lease of life.
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