5 Easy Ways to Wear 90s Fashion
If you're looking for vintage style that's the perfect mix of comfy casual and cool, that's where 90s fashion fits in. And because it was so chill, nineties fashion is the easiest vintage clothing style to work into your wardrobe.
Fashion in the 1990s was all about simple silhouettes and baggy fits. It was the opposite of the structure and volume of 80s clothes. Gone were power suits and cinched waists; the 90s brought in sleek and relaxed styles. This was the era of the supermodel and grunge music icons, the kind of icons that still inspire fashion trends today.
How to Dress 90s
1. 90s Floral Prints
The 90s florals weren't quite the dainty prints of the 70s boho styles, or the graphic styles of the 80s. They were somewhere in between. This makes a 90s floral print a really easy way to wear a vintage style without it looking dated.
Floral prints were the go-to for casual clothes that still looked dressed up, like day dresses, midi skirts, and shirts. You'll find them across all kinds of clothes in relaxed fits. Made for both evening wear and casual day clothes, the floral print was an iconic 90s style you can dress up or down any way you want.
On the left is an early 90s midi skirt with the abstract style print from the late 80s and early 90s; this gradually became the bold floral pattern of the 90s before becoming the smaller and easier to wear 90s floral print on the right.
2. Add a denim layer to your 90s dress
But if the floral day dress is a bit too prim and proper, there was a 90s trend to keep it casual.
Dresses in the 90s were a relaxed fit, often with a button front and a simple tie back. But instead of cinching the waist, it was a loose tie. This kept them casual and wearable for pretty much any occasion.
If you want to dress your 90s dress down, then throw a denim vest over the dress, or for an alternative look, a tie-front velvet or sheer vest. These were popular fabrics in the grunge aesthetic of the 90s. A denim jacket with cut-off sleeves channels the 70s DIY punk vibe that came back for 90s grunge, and the velvet is going for a more glam grunge aesthetic; think Winona Ryder on the red carpet.
The contrast of a feminine floral print on a flowing dress paired with the tougher fabric of a denim vest or black velvet is a simple step to make any floral dress into a 90s outfit.
3. Dresses over tops
A well-known way to dress in 90s style is this huge trend that had a revival in the early 2020s: a dress over a top or t-shirt. In true 90s style, it could be something like a satin slip dress or a floral day dress.
The t-shirt under a dress look was a popular look of 90s fashion icons like Drew Barrymore and Jennifer Anniston.
A plain white t-shirt with a spaghetti-strap floral dress was a cute way to wear the look for daytime, but it can be dressed up with sheer and satin layers in black and metallic shades.
Floral dresses from ThriftTale's vintage 90s collection
4. Grungey plaid
Flannel was everywhere in the 90s. From baggy plaid shirts to mini tartan kilts, shirt dresses and midi skirts. Bands like Nirvana made oversized and layered plaid the grunge uniform, while movies like Clueless had tartan skirts and blazers for picture-perfect preppy outfits.
Plaid is timeless so it's always easy to wear, but to make it 90s style, look for button-front midi skirts, sleeveless shirt dresses, and loose, relaxed fits. Layer an oversized flannel shirt over a white tank top or crop top and pair it with baggy jeans.
Plaid dresses from ThriftTale's vintage 90s collection
5. 90s denim dungarees
Last but not least, there's nothing more nostalgically 90s than dressing in a pair of denim dungarees.
While it might seem like a childish 90s trend, denim dungarees were a huge part of 90s hip hop streetwear. They were part of the casual workwear look, worn with flannel shirts, tank tops, and Timberland boots.
Wear your 90s overalls with one shoulder strap down for the real 90s vibe, taking us straight back to looks from iconic 90s shows like the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
Denim overalls from ThriftTale's vintage 90s collection
The perfect 90s shirt to wear with your 90s dungarees are these boxy, baggy shirts with vibrant prints. A little bit ironic but forever cool, baggy shirts layered over tight tank tops under overalls were a standout 90s look.
Shirts from ThriftTale's vintage 90s collection
If you want to keep you outfit more casual, then one of the cutest trends of the decade you can pair with any casual 90s outfit is the sweet novelty print sweatshirt. From animals to flowers, bows, and classic cartoon characters, these sweatshirts were for adults, not kids!
Novelty print sweatshirts from ThriftTale's vintage 90s collection
Always amazing under overalls, a novelty sweatshirt paired with dungarees is the perfect nostalgic 90s outfit to wear for a Disney trip or road trip.
Where can you buy vintage 90s clothes?
At ThriftTale, you can shop authentic vintage 90s clothes from the real decade, online and in-store. We've hand-picked vintage clothes from the iconic 90s trends, so you can shop for your style and create the 90s look you love.
