Homeboyz makes some noize! (And Homegirlz/Flygirlz too!)
There is not much I miss about 90's fashion, but what I do miss about it makes up for all of the strange experimentation that happened during that era.
The early 90's hip hop scene gave birth to a new kind of sound, some called it bubble-gum hip-hop because of it's light-hearted nature. The music was fun and it was all about having a good time: partying and dancing, hanging with friends. (All I wanted to do was learn how to jump over my leg like Kid from Kid 'n' Play.) Suddenly, we went from a serious song like "Self-Destruction" to something fun like TLC's "Aint Too Proud to Beg."
The wardrobe in those videos, which I watched religiously on the Video Jukebox Network, was alive with confetti, wax print and batik inspired patterns in bursts of primary and secondary colors. This all reflected the energy of that time. Style was still important, of course, but people were not taking it all too seriously (i.e. the TLC "costumes"), and guys with their colorful jeans and exuberant patterned button-ups were clearly not being left out of this fashion party.
It was fun.
Since 90's fashion has been re-emerging for the past few years I've been trying to make the contextual connection to why it's here again. Is it because the millennial generation is adopting past trends applying what millennial expert, Tina Wells, calls "What Everything is Old School is New Again..." in her book Chasing Youth Culture and Getting it Right? Or is it because we have been in an economic downturn, like that time during the late 80's early 90's, and people are looking for simple ways to escape?
I'm not sure. Either way I love seeing teens revisit styles from the past; them rocking gumbies or a jumper with one strap unbuttoned is fun. It's fun to see these crazy styles resurface and how they are reinterpreted.
Here are two collections that pay homage to the crazy-colorful style of that period.
Nicole Miller throws back to her own early 90's collections for inspiration. The bookbags and shorts from Miller's Indego Africa project also speak to that era with the rich colors and mixed patterns.
Looks from menswear brand, Agi & Sam, was clearly inspired by the throwback trend.
What do you think? Are there certain styles and fashion trends that should be left to our memories? Do you like seeing how generations take something old and make it new? Is there anything you would wear again from this era of fashion? Share your thoughts?
