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Last month, on a casual Sunday afternoon in New York City, I stopped by Zara for a quick look around. Right as I walked in, I saw it in the corner of my eye: a blush crushed-velvet mini slip dress that looked like one of Courtney Love’s castoffs from her Hole days. That’s it. We have traveled back to the '90s.
In fashion, it’s common for what’s old to be new again. Just think of last year’s '70s resurgence with short, Ossie Clark-esque dresses parading down Hedi Slimane’s Saint Laurent runways and Nicolas Ghesquière’s French bourgeois style at Louis Vuitton. For fall 2016, we saw a veritable '90s invasion, from oversized streetwear hoodies at Vetements to tubular wire chokers at Loewe.
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Now, I hadn’t worn that exact slip dress from Zara when I was a 'tween in 1996 for an obvious reason—it was far too sexy for a 13-year-old— but I did wear a crushed-velvet, short-sleeved, mock turtleneck in sweet baby blue to death (What can I say? I was obsessed with Gwyneth Paltrow’s velvet Gucci suit by Tom Ford). Fast forward to 20 years later. How was I supposed to wear the clothes I wore as a child again?
Those obsessed with the style today don’t necessarily see the trend as a throwback. After all, “It” girls like Gigi and Kendall, who were recently seen rocking overalls and frayed jeans, were wearing diapers in the late ‘90s. Tome co-designer Ryan Lobo, who cites Michelle Pfeiffer’s Catwoman in 1992’s Batman Returns as one of the inspirations behind his fall collection, agrees. “[The trend] is something we can't help but cringe at sometimes because it's very much a part of our youth in a very literal way,” he says. “But all of these ‘It’ girls, like Kendall and Bella, who are sporting the look right now, they were babies when the trend was around the first time—if they were even born.”
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That’s not to say other women haven’t successfully worn the trends of yore before. Charlotte Rampling still manages to wear mod, '60s-style ankle boots with aplomb today, while Catherine Deneuve’s printed wrap dresses and trench coats look like she literally pulled them from her '70s closet.
So for those of us who are literally #TBT-ing it, styling becomes paramount, whether you are wearing slip dresses, Tommy Hilfiger overalls (which, of course, recently relaunched at Urban Outfitters), or even choker necklaces. “A head-to-toe look is strong and difficult, unless you've got a body like Gigi and feel comfortable fitting into a crop-top corset and high-waisted Shannon-Doherty-in-Beverly Hills, 90210 pair of Levi's,” says Lobo.
New York-based designer Tanya Taylor feels similarly. “Empire Records was my idea of the '90s—those short, fluffy sweaters and mini kilts—but now the style is more about moderation,” says Taylor, who, like me, was a tween in the ‘90s. “It is a balance between the elements of an outfit that feel nostalgic versus the ones that feel really modern.”
Taylor says take baby steps when it comes to adopting this movement this time around. Pick out one '90s-inspired element and style your outfit around it so that you don’t head toward the shudder-worthy costume territory. For example, if wearing a Spice Girls-esque, chunky platform, Taylor suggests pairing it with a modern silhouette like a voluminous poplin shirtdress. Same goes for a choker: Complement that with a simple pair of sneakers.
Which brings me back to the crushed-velvet slip dress from Zara. Perhaps I could get away with it, just not paired with a slouchy Kurt Cobain-inspired cardigan and a tattoo necklace. Moderation, as they say, is everything.
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