Zig a Zig ahh
I can remember thinking that reminiscing meant you were officially old, As though looking back meant the best times were behind you. Well I am officially old and while I no longer believe the latter to be a fair assessment, House music tunes now conjure up happy memories of clubs that I no longer have any desire to be in and I recently fell down a reminiscing rabbit hole watching a documentary about girl bands in the 90s, The manufactured kind such as the Spice Girls and their unintentional cool girl rivals All Saints who had been plugging away making music long before Wannabe was a hit, Then there was Eternal who I had almost forgotten about. I enjoyed the musical trip down memory lane but of course it was the 90s fashion that I got lost in. I was 14 when the Spice Girls rose to fame so my lived experience of the fashion in that era is centred around Morgan de Toi and Ravel School shoes,My tender age meant I missed out on the best of the Brit Pop era style, So many pivotal fashion moments that defined not just that moment in time but continue to feel relevant and a reference point for great style.
Cool Britannia was the tag line given to the period in time London was the place to be, It was Blur vs Oasis, The Primrose Hill set and thanks to Geri Halliwell at the Brit Awards and Kate Moss at London Fashion Week wearing the Union flag was considered cool. While Parka coats and combat trousers might be recognisable 90s pieces they didn't make it into the timeless department, In fact lots of the best 90s trends have transitioned so seamlessly over the 30 years it's easy to forget where they started.
In addition to spending an exorbitant amount of time researching home grown style I couldn't resist looking over the pond, Jennifer Aniston, Julia Roberts, Meg Ryan, Halle Berry and Gwyneth Paltrow are the ultimate minimal 90s muses and their outfits give endless inspiration.
Starting with the feet up here is my round up of pieces and trends that came from the 90s that hold firm today, Thong sandals (flat black) mules (mid height chunky heel or kitten) knee high and pointy calf height boots, Adidas Gazelles, loafers, skinny strap heels. Mid blue jeans (Levi 501s for authenticity) Pencil skirts (leather or merino wool) Tailored trousers with a leather belt, Turtle / Polo necks, White shirts, White tank tops, Body tops (that fasten underneath) Standard fit t-shirts (not loose and long but not short and tight) Menswear inspired tailoring, Slip dresses (Bias cut is tricky but you could just go for a straight fit with spaghetti straps) Oval black sunglasses (no branding)
This list isn't exhaustive and there are things I have missed out, Such as chokers, Because they can be hard to wear and leopard print as I'm convinced that's technically a hangover from the 70s oh and Union flag dresses because I dont Wannabe…
