When it comes to fashion, the 1990s is said as "The decade that fashion has forgotten." Retro, from the 1960s and 1970s was recycling, and consumers were looking more towards comfortable, inexpensive clothing, even if it meant being underdressed. The style of the 1990s was influenced by popular culture, from the movie Clueless, to hip-hop and grunge. Grunge mainly began in the 1980s due to financial hardship, a backlash to capitalism and the rise of rock music. However, it was not until the 1990s that grunge had become a popular fashion style adopted by the youth. Musicians Kurt Cobain and Eddie Vedder popularized Chuck Taylors, also known as Converse, ripped jeans, sweaters with holes in them, and oversized flannels. Courtney Love took the girly approach to grunge by rocking babydoll dresses with smudged eye makeup. Evidently, thrift store shopping became the norm. 
One designer who made grunge popular was Marc Jacobs, artistic director of Louis Vuitton beginning in 1997. Marc Jacobs was just one of three of the most influential fashion designers in the 1990s. He was also joined by Michael Kors and and Calvin Klein. Michael Kors introduced a lower priced line, which went deemed well for him since consumers were thrift-shopping, rather than spending unnecessary money on clothing. Calvin Klein, among others, started the slip dress, which hit mid-knee. Klein's advertisements were very controversial when they came out because of the lack of clothing and the messages they were sending out. One advertising campaign featuring Kate Moss and Mark Wahlberg stated, "The best protection against AIDS is to keep your Calvins on", Calvins referring to the jeans. This was not the only ad that had consumers in an uproar. Other ads featuring young bare-boned models were compared to a low-budget porn.
For those who could not afford designer brands, or were not swayed by the half-naked advertising, there was always the stars to look to for fashion advice. Jennifer Aniston, actress on Friends debuting in 1994, was looked to by many women for hair styles. Other influences on fashion in the 1990s were Britney Spears, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olson, Will Smith, Mark Wahlberg, and boy bands such as N*Sync and The Backstreet Boys. These stars, especially young ones could be seen in styles such as neon, tie-dye, scrunchies, frosted hair, crop tops, what we now call "high-wasted" jeans, snap backs, overalls and plaid.
Even though some consider the 1990s to be unfashionable and as should be forgotten, it appears as though some of the fashion trends have recycled. Plaid, high-wasted bottoms, and crop tops are some of the few trends that have been adopted by today's youth. However, one can only hope that the frosted tips and scrunchies stay in the past.
Ethical questions to think about:
- Have the 1990s had any influence on today's fashion trends and lifestyle (taking into consideration the decade's role models and the use of drugs)?
- Calvin Klein's advertisements were very provocative, yet he was still Top 25 Most Influential designers, did this have any effect on the next decades fashion, and fashion advertisements?
- Heroin was a low-class, cheap drug that was popularized in the 1990s, did that have any effect on the fashion statements that the youth were making?
Retrieved from
http://www.fashionmagazine.com/spring-fashion-2013/1990s-trend/
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