How to Dress for a 90s Party

Co-authored by Susan Kim

Last Updated: June 29, 2022 References

At the moment, 1990s-themed parties are hugely popular and can be immensely fun if you show up in the right outfit. Start by doing some research into popular celebrities and film or TV characters from the decade to get a sense for the fashions of the 90s. Then decide whether you want to copy an iconic look or riff off a popular trend. Choose one of the decade’s overarching trends and try to emulate the trend’s color palette and overall silhouettes in your outfit. Once you’re dressed the part, “party like it’s 1999”!

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Recreating a 90s Grunge Look

1
Opt for drab, slouchy clothes. Create an outfit made up of dark, murky colors and oversized garments. Try pairing baggy ripped jeans with a slouchy striped sweater in drab hues. Or throw an oversized, boxy leather jacket over a lived-in t-shirt featuring your favorite 90s grunge band.^{[1]
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- Look to Kurt Cobain for grunge inspiration.
- You could also try a slouchy top half with an acid-wash miniskirt and shredded tights for a more girly take on grunge.
- Finish off your look with long stringy hair and add some red eye makeup under your eyes to get that exhausted grunge appearance.
2
Mix in satin, lace, and floral prints for a romantic grunge look. Try a more glamorous take on grunge by assembling an outfit inspired by Courtney Love. Start with a feminine piece like a lace-trimmed satin slip dress or a cotton floral-printed dress. Then layer grunge elements over it.
- Try lace socks with pumps and a mini-dress.
- Drape an oversized cardigan or plaid flannel shirt over your dress and accessorize with chokers and chains and combat boots.^{[2]
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- Add smudged black eyeliner and deep red lipstick to complete your look.^{[3]
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3
Don’t forget to add an oversized plaid flannel shirt to your outfit. These shirts were a staple in 90s grunge. The oversized flannel plaid button-down can be worn with practically anything. Just be sure to pick one that’s about 3 sizes too big and that features dull, drab colors.^{[4]
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- Throw your flannel shirt over a lived-in graphic t-shirt or a feminine dress.
- Or tie it around your waist for a casual, careless look.
4
Incorporate acid-wash denim into your look. Opt for light- or medium-wash hues and acid or stonewashed textures. Try using it sparingly with 1 garment, like an oversized denim jacket or ripped baggy jeans.
- If you have time to do some DIY-ing, try creating a patchwork denim dress or skirt.
- If you want to really make an entrance, go all-out with a head-to-toe denim outfit.^{[5]
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- Acid-wash denim can also be glammed up with silver-toned accessories and more formal silhouettes. Look up the iconic denim outfits worn by Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake to see what’s possible.
5
Finish off your grunge look with a pair of combat boots. Whether you’re wearing baggy bottoms or black tights slip into a pair of combat boots. Aim for shoes in the style of Doc Martens or Timberland.^{[6]
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- Try a pair of second-hand shoes – the more worn-in, the better.
- Go for a cami dress paired with a crop top and combat boots.

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Dressing Like a 90s Prep

1
Start with bold plaid suiting. For guys, this means choosing plaid trousers or a boxy plaid sports jacket with roomy trousers. For women, pick a bold-colored tweed or plaid blazer and pleated miniskirt to achieve the schoolgirl look that was prevalent in the 90s.
- Plaid skirts were also super popular. Add over-the-knee white socks and Mary Jane shoes to complete your outfit.^{[7]
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- For a sassier schoolgirl look, try a white crop top or tied button-down under the blazer to show off your belly button.
- Model your outfit after the costumes in Clueless or Britney Spears’ “...Baby One More Time” look. You can either recreate one of these iconic costumes or pick out elements to inspire an original outfit.
2
Mix brightly-colored tops, bottoms, and sunglasses. The fashion of the 1990s contained some holdovers from the 1980s, most notably the saturated, fluorescent colors and prints.^{[8]
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Research source} Work these into your preppy outfit with a color-blocked windbreaker.^{[9]
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Research source} Or pair a bold-colored top with equally saturated trousers in a clashing color. Accessorize with Oakley-style sunglasses with slim oval or rectangular rims featuring tinted lenses.^{[10]
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- Play with color combinations like orange and pink, yellow and blue, or red and purple.
- For a masculine high school prep look, wear an oversized letterman jacket, a pastel-colored polo with a popped collar, and pastel trousers.
- Alternatively, try creating a more casual and youthful outfit with all of this color, like those worn in Saved By the Bell.
3
Try an oversized button-down and trousers for a take on 90s business casual. Boxy silhouettes were all the rage in the 90s. Graduate your preppy look to a yuppie one and riff on the decade’s emerging business casual look. Pair pleated trousers with a boxy sports jacket, or choose chinos and an oversized but tucked-in dress shirt with bright vertical stripes.^{[11]
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- Opt for a black crewneck t-shirt under a boxy sports jacket.^{[12]
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- Re-watch Friends and pay close attention to the workwear outfits shown.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Following 90s Urban Trends

1
Choose bold and baggy pieces for a hip-hop or R&B-inspired outfit. Artists of the time mixed brightly colored African-influenced prints with high-end sportswear and baggy bottoms and jackets.^{[13]
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Research source} Go for baggy, oversized trousers and sneakers. Or, pair baggier pieces with fitted pieces to nail the look while showing off your curves.
- Get inspired by the outfits worn by girl groups like TLC or Salt-N-Pepa or male soloists like Ice Cube and Tupac Shakur.
- Try baggy, oversized denim paired with a crop top, bandana top, or another tight-fitting top.
- Accessorize with big hoop earrings or a bandana.^{[14]
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2
Choose athletic pieces like track gear and chunky sneakers. Air Jordans were huge at the time, so pick out a pair of flashy, bulky sneakers. Try a muscle tank or a zip-up track jacket with stripes running down the sleeves.
- Beyond hip-hop artists, quite a few 90s boy bands sported the athletic-inspired outfits. Check out photos of Dream Street for reference.^{[15]
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- Rep your favorite team with a swishy starter jacket or old sports jersey.^{[16]
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- Women can get the look by slightly altering the silhouette. Try a high ponytail and a fitted crop top over low-slung track pants and platform sneakers à la Sporty Spice.
3
Top off your outfit with a 90s bucket hat, snapback hat, or scrunchie. Popular 90s headgear crossed the boundaries from hip-hop to preppy, so feel free to experiment. Bucket hats are great for masculine and feminine looks alike. Try a snapback for a more masculine effect or a scrunchie to make your outfit more girly.
- Tie your hair up in a high ponytail or 2 pigtails with a colorful scrunchie.^{[17]
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- To get an authentic-looking 90s outfit, pick up a snapback hat from the decade itself.
- Consider wearing your snapback hat backward with the adjustable strap at your forehead.^{[18]
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- Choose a classic bucket hat in a solid-color canvas, or go wild with a plaid or fuzzy-textured bucket hat.
- Shoulder bags were also really popular in the 90s.
4
Accessorize with chains. Try a chain belt slung low on the hips over flared denim.^{[19]
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Research source} For a more masculine look, wear a thick chain connected to your belt loop and wallet.^{[20]
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- You can lean towards bling with elaborate gold chains.
- Or keep your look grungey with heavy silver-toned or gunmetal chains.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Sporting 90s Mainstream and High Fashions

1
Choose loud prints and graphics to recall casual 90s apparel. In the 90s, practically no print was off-limits. Nothing says 90s like a statement tee. Play around with animal prints, paisley, small florals, plaid, Hawaiian florals, and camouflage.^{[21]
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Research source} Or throw on a baggy graphic t-shirt featuring your favorite 90s bands or TV show.
- Skate culture blew up in the 90s. Try a skater-inspired t-shirt and look to characters like Travis in Clueless for ideas.^{[22]
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- Try camo and animal prints in either natural colors or bold, saturated hues.
2
Wear flares, halter tops, and flashy fabrics to nail the 90s disco revival. Just as the 1990s are being revived in the 2010s, the 1970s were being revived in the 1990s! This revealed itself through halter tops, flared jeans, platform shoes, and materials like sequins and colorful pleather.^{[23]
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- For women, try a pair of hip-hugging flare jeans with a cropped halter top to get the best of the-90s-does-the-70s fashion.
3
Try a metallic mini-dress for supermodel-inspired evening attire. Before the year 2000 (Y2K), space- and tech-inspired silvery, frosted colors and fabrics were popular. Recreate this look with a shiny silver or frosted pastel dress. Look for one with tank or spaghetti straps and either an empire waist or a shift dress silhouette.^{[24]
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- Add maribou trim to your dress’ hemline to get even more in the 90s mood.
- Try pairing pastel platform heels or strappy silver stilettos with your dress.
- Look at photos of supermodels like Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell, as well as the iconic party dresses worn in Romy and Michele, for inspiration.
4
Accessorize with popular 90s jewelry items like chokers and mood rings. For women, pick out a black plastic stretchy choker to add some 90s sass to your outfit.^{[25]
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Research source} Slip on a color-changing mood ring to really get in the mood.^{[26]
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- Piercings were popular during the 90s, so slip on a fake belly-button ring (for ladies) or a small stud or hoop (for guys) if you don’t already have a piercing.
- Sport a brightly colored and patterned snap bracelet on your wrist.
- Add a hemp bracelet or choker to a slouchy masculine outfit.^{[27]
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Expert Q&A

Question

What clothing items should a girl buy if they want to adapt a more 90s grunge style?

Susan Kim
Professional Stylist
Susan Kim is the owner of Sum+Style Co., a Seattle-based personal styling company focused on innovative and approachable fashion. She has over 5 years of experience in the fashion industry, and received her AA from the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising.

Susan Kim

Professional Stylist

Expert Answer

Graphic tees and leather trench coats. Black combat boots and tights. Plaid and black denim combinations. Dr. Marten’s and distressed black tights.