Your inner teenager approves
It’s been over two decades since Cher and her Clueless squad first filled our screens in all their plaid co-ord glory, but whilst the film first screened 21 years ago, we’re still rocking some of the same trends we wore all those years ago. Subconsciously channeling our childhood style heroes, we’ve taken comfort in our ability to successfully style out the 90s for the second time around.
In honour of this revelation, here are the six seminal 90s fashion moments that we still wear (without ridicule) today…
Clueless’s Cher Horowitz (1995) Cher and her squad turned grungy plaid into a preppy uniform. Low-and-behold, we’ve been wearing gingham for grown ups all summer. Alas, even now we’re living in ‘the future’, no new-fangled APP has ever matched Cher’s wardrobe organising programme on her PC. Not even the late Steve Jobs managed to crack that algorithm.
True Romance’s Alabama Whirley (1993) Alabama’s Pink leopard leggings and cow print skirt could pass for Moschino, but it’s actually her off-the-shoulder teal coloured top that we’re coveting. Quentin Tarantino’s bonkers but brilliant leading lady (played by Patricia Arquette) would probably advise us to wear it with a matching turquoise push-up bra and retro sunglasses. We say, try an off-white linen midi skirt and tortoiseshell cat-eyes instead.
Leon’s Mathilda (1994) Mathilda’s 90s grunge meets French insouciance style has been heartily referenced in Gigi, Kendall and co’s off-duty style. The 12-year-old assassin’s (played by a young Natalie Portman) velvet chokers, bomber jacket and biker boots wouldn't look out of place on the Saint Laurent catwalk. Kudos to the costume designer Magali Guidasci for creating something 22 years ago that still influences our imagination today.
Romeo & Juliet’s Romeo (1996) It was the movie that cinched it for Leo as heartthrob number one of the 90s. But while we were obviously floored by his floppy-haired charm, his ability to make cheesy hawaiian shirts look sexy was a sartorial coup. Alo-ha Leo! Dolce & Gabbana and Henry Holland embraced the Capulets’ off-duty uniform for spring/summer 2016, and most recently style doyenne Diane Kruger donned one out-and-about in New York.
Romy and Michele's High School Reunion’s Romy and Michele (1997) We’re unlikely to seek out spacey-mini dress exactly like those worn by the hilarious on-screen BFFs. HOWEVER, we are all over the daytime metallics trend right now, and we’re putting that down to Romy and Michele’s twining iridescent dresses which live forever in the annals of our dream wardrobe memories.
Cruel Intentions’ Kathryn Merteuil When Buffy was recast as a sultry sociopathic in Cruel Intentions, we totally wanted everything in her wardrobe. We bet you couldn’t remember her character's name, but the memory of her underwear-as-outerwear signature look is as clear-as-day. Kathryn Merteuil makes Regina George look like a saint, and her style was just as badass.