1990s fashion concluded the 20th century with a collection of trends built on the ’80s and inspired by ’60s fashion.

’60s-inspired mini skirts, baby doll dresses and daisy prints were quintessential staples for every ’90s girl. Plaid shirts, cut-off denim shorts and gothic-length black lace maxis remind us of the era’s birth of “grunge,” a style of androgynous casual dressing that continued to liberate women from more formal day dressing to relaxed and casual looks.

I remember ’90s fashion fondly for its unique take on the trends introduced in the 1980s, like neon brights, abstract prints and workout-gear worn as daywear, including belly revealing crop tops and body con dresses.

Spandex leggings of the ’80s were replaced with spandex biker shorts (often worn under denim cut-offs) and the power suits of the ’80s were replaced with the breakout trend of sexy-but-classic preppy dressing as seen on Cher in 1996’s Clueless. 

1990s fashion may feel like it happened just yesterday, but with vintage definition declaring anything from 1993 or earlier as officially “vintage,” this decade is fast approaching the cultural canon of vintage style. The minimalist, grunge, designer, sportswear, hip hop and preppy looks are most remembered styles from the era, establishing western fashion’s permanent shift toward “casual” versus the more dressy, put-together looks of ’50s-’70s fashion.