Image via Complex Original
It's no secret that the '90s are experiencing a revival. From unexpected reboots of the decade's cult movies to renewed interest in TV shows long since off the air, the 1990's are back again. Nowhere is this more apparent than in our closets.
With skaterat styles, soft dad caps, and distressed denim already reappearing in contemporary closets, it's safe to say that if it was trending during the Clinton presidency, it's fair game for a resurgence in 2016. Of course, the '90s were filled with plenty of sartorial bricks, and we're definitely not campaigning for all of the decade's trends to suddenly and frighteningly rematerialize like a terrible ex erased from our collective menswear memories. That said, there's also a small sect of pre-millennial trends that are ripe for a redo, and we think its finally their year to crest the '90s wave. These are The Only '90s Trends Still Worth Reviving.
Eddie Bauer
Ok, so the label’s been dominating more SUV’s than closets these days, but you can’t ignore the fact that Eddie was holding down the honor of “most rugged Bauer” well before Jack came onto the scene via 24. As brands like Columbia, The North Face, and L.L. Bean have maintained a spot among outdoor enthusiasts and pop culture closets alike, Eddie Bauer seems a little removed from its ‘90s heyday. But Eddie Bauer’s credentials are more than homegoods and Ford Expeditions. The man (and his company) are credited with creating the first down jacket patented in America, along with outfitting the first U.S. expedition to the summit of Mount Everest.
Today’s generation is fairly removed from the long (long) string of highlights that makes up Eddie Bauer’s history, but so were kids in the ‘90s. That didn’t stop Eddie Bauer from being the place to cop everything from that back-to-school backpack to bubble vests—a staple of the decade. Other outfitters have had their time in the sun; maybe it’s time we bring Eddie out of the auto business and back into our cold-weather wardrobes.
Ripped Jeans
“But ripped jeans are already popular today,” I hear you cry. But we’re not talking jet black skinny jeans with small distressed holes that stack on top of your prized chelsea boots. We’re talking denim in a solid light blue, with giant gashes, and silhouette that’s anything but slim. For a visual, think Wayne’s World over Kanye West. We’re not advocating for the return of JNCO (which is happening whether you want it or not), but the idea of a more relaxed silhouette is something we can always get behind, and with light-washed styles getting more and more play, it’s not that far of a leap from what you’re probably already wearing. Even 90s icon Kurt Cobain rocked his jeans this way—with the equally acceptable patchwork mending. With forward-thinking runway designers like Junya Wantanabe and Gosha Rubchinskiy already incorporating wide and/or patchy into denim in their runway collections, maybe you can finally dust off those old Girbauds you have stashed in that dark corner of your closet.
Neon Nylon Windbreakers
Admittedly, neon-colored anything is not always the easiest to assimilate into modern wardrobes—especially now that the color palette of Internet cool guys™ peaks out at coffee creamer beige (blame it on 424, John Elliott, and, of course, Yeezy). 20 years ago, closets had more variety when it came to color, and even if it was overblown, it’s hard to hate on a nylon jacket in Charlotte Hornets teal, Colorado Rockies purple, or Tampa Bay Buccaneers creamsicle orange. Polo Sport, Nautica, and Starter were producing windbreakers eye-catching enough to earn some shine among your peers, with the practicality of a three-season jacket. With over 20 years of new advancements in fabric and “athleisure” technology, there’s no way that these aren’t poised for a comeback (and some designers, including Gosha Rubchinskiy, agree with us on this point).
Turtlenecks
Drake can take most of the credit for making turtlenecks trend in 2015, but this one was ready for a revival all on its own and keeps gaining momentum. There’s something luxurious about a turtleneck…despite that fact that you and your siblings wore them for that yearly family photoshoot with the local “professional” photographer. Something that seems to have a home among college professors and N*SYNC members alike, the turtleneck is, at present, the pinnacle for over-under layering. While decades past were all about garish patterns and chunky knits, the modern day high-neck sweater is a little more controlled. Whether you’re into the low-key luxury of the Uniqlo and Lemaire collab, or a more thick and textured approach seen in sweaters from Moncler, Ovadia & Sons, and a slew of others, you don’t have to stick your neck out too far to find a reasonable revival of this once-dated sweater.
Attitude T-Shirts
Certain brands in this category toed the line between good taste and frat house humor, ranging between the suburban softness of the Looney Tunes street tees, to the near-softcore porn of the Big Johnson line. But, this subset of graphic T-shirts also inspired the legendary And1 T-shirts and the off-kilter cultural satires of Big Dog. Like your infatuation with the musical catalog of Hansen, this type of apparel is a ‘90s-era guilty pleasure. As is the case at the heart of any graphic tee, the point isn’t to impress with your “incredible style,” it’s to convey a message. You know you’d rock that old And1 shirt at your local post-work basketball league if you knew you weren’t going to hear about it on-court. With the graphic tee experiencing a revival, it’s only fair that these slogan-driven shirts get their share, too.
Calvin Klein Jeans
Calvin Klein is far from a brand that needs an overall revival. Operating under the design direction of Francisco Costa and Italo Zucchelli (for women’s and men’s respectively), the brand continues to hold high-profile runway shows season after season, with its mainline collection generally as close as your local department store. But is the Calvin Klein of today the same as the one of the 1990s? Sorry, not even close. Yes, the brand kicked up some retro-inspired fanaticism with its Justin Bieber underwear campaigns channeling Marky Mark, but where’s the love for the equally iconic denim? Like their underwear, CK Jeans were at one time as much a sex symbol as any model or actress, and you could argue that the modern definition of “designer denim” began under the stewardship of Calvin Klein in the ‘90s.
Considering Calvin Klein has always courted controversy alongside coveted clothing—especially when it came to their jeans—we’d imagine using the same method would work up some excitement. Hey, it worked when they used Kendall Jenner on their underwear billboards. Regardless, with the ‘90s dominating the designs of the 2010’s—and a recently unveiled campaign featuring several famous faces—we’re surprised that we’re not hearing more people say “nothing comes between me and my Calvins.”