What were men really wearing in the 90s? It wasn't all fashion subcultures of skaters, hip hop, and grunge; there were also just the trends the average guy in the 90s would wear. The "dad jeans," "grandad" sweater, the novelty 90s jumper, the boxy, baggy shirts, and of course the crazy prints.

 

 

What was men's fashion in the 90s like? 

 

1. 90s Patterned Shirts

 
The first stop on the men's 90s trends list is the boxy patterned shirt. If you've watched a lot of American 90s sitcoms, you probably recognize this trend. Baggy, boxy, short-sleeved shirts covered with eye-watering patterns.

Men's shirts in the 90s were all the same kind of shape. Straight-cut, boxy shapes designed to hang loose and long.

Abstract prints were all over late 80s and early 90s men's fashion. They were heavily inspired by the designs of the Memphis Group, an Italian design group that created postmodern furniture in the 80s. These designs featured chairs and shelves made from brightly colored, floating block shapes. The postmodern art influence is clearly visible across early 90s clothes, from zig zags to abstract placements of triangles and squares in bright, primary colors.
 

 

While these patterned shirts in the 90s were still vibrant, they often came in neutral shades of beige and grey, too. The muted colors of these designs were more in keeping with the 90s' minimalist aesthetic. 

 

Shirts from ThriftTale's vintage 90s collection

 

 

 

 

2. 90s Sweaters

 
Next in the world of men's 90s fashion is knitwear. 

Wool sweaters, jumpers, and cardigans came in the same style of abstract patterns and prints as the shirts we just saw. In the decades since, we've come to think of these as the "grandad cardigan/sweater." They're kitsch kind of cool, ironically ugly, until they've come full circle into being eternally cool again.

 

Sweaters from ThriftTale's vintage 90s collection

Sweaters from ThriftTale's vintage 90s collection

 

 

 

 

3. Men's 90s Jeans

 

In the early 90s, the trend for men's jeans continued the 80s styles: baggy, high to mid-waist, with light denim or stone-washed blue. But instead of the tapered ankles of the 80s fits, 90s men's jeans had a straighter fit with wider ankles.

These are the classic 90s "dad jeans": the Levi 501 style or the Lee Pheonix cut.

Later in the 90s, men's jeans started to favor darker washes like indigo blue, which became more popular than lighter, distressed washes.

 

 

 

 

4. 90s Sweater Vests

 

The sweater vest, the tank top, or the waistcoat made an unexpected comeback in 90s men's fashion. It had been a bit of a nerdy thing to wear in the previous decades, but the 90s brought it back in its baggy, oversized style, and updated the vibe with the trending prints.

The sweater vest was all about the "geek chic" and nerdy look, but in an ironically cool way. They were worn over button-down baggy shirts or t-shirts. Whenever you want to make sure you're wearing a sweater vest in a 90s way, just ask yourself, "Would Chandler from Friends wear this?". If you think it would fit right into his wardrobe, you've nailed it!

Nineties sweater vests came in a range of colors from classic navy, greens, and burgundies to bolder shades like mustard yellow or bright red. From bold patterns like argyle and fair isle, to stripes and paisley prints.