Oasis and the 90s fashion trend
When I was invited last month to be interviewed for the radio about the resurgence of 90s fashion in the wake of the Oasis reunion, I had to roll with it!
I spent a fun afternoon a couple of weeks ago, browsing the rails in the charity shops of Newland Avenue, Hull, to find a 90s look for BBC Radio Humberside reporter, Sally Fairfax. The search for retro fashion means the 'fashion forward' are now looking back (hopefully not in anger), encouraging them to embrace the slow fashion scene of second-hand. As sustainability is one of the core values of transformEd styling by Charlotte, I was keen to get involved.
Sally’s feature was in response to a press release showing the upswing in searches for 90s fashion – one online company seeing an increase of over 100% for its on-trend menswear. In this blog post, I explore the reasons behind the resurgence, the styles to look out for and how we can be future-focussed as well as fashion-forward.
The answer to the first question is simple. The return of interest in mod hairstyles, the parka and grunge are a direct result of nineties nostalgia after Gallagher brothers, Liam and Noel, announced their reunion and upcoming tour dates.
What are the iconic 90s styles?
When we pause to reflect that 1994 was actually 30 years ago, it’s understandable that Gen Z turn to TikTok as they have no living experience of a decade which to the rest of us seems like only yesterday. So, what are the iconic styles, and did we find
a 90s-inspired outfit in the Hull charity shops for the BBC Radio reporter?
Sometimes it’s the little things that can give a distinctive nod to a trend or an era, and for sustainable styling, it’s more affordable and planet-friendly than replacing your whole wardrobe. Even just from the neck up, your choices range from coloured sunglasses, to hairbands, scrunchies and the urban-chic bucket hat, with sustainable brand Lucy and Yak for example having a range of these in Global Certified Textile Standard organic cotton.
Of course, the parka is part of the quintessential Oasis look, and Sally and I soon spotted these in the charity shops. Even the young manager of the local hospice charity shop could have stepped out of the era with his brushed-cotton checked shirt. But what would we find for Sally? I soon gave a ‘whoop’ of delight as I found a slip dress, not only perfect for 90s styling and reminiscent of Victoria Beckham’s Posh Spice style, but a style many of us still have in our wardrobes. The one we found for Sally ticked two style boxes as it was also in one of this season’s on-trend colours, burgundy. Grunge, and mixing casual urban wear with more glamorous or elevated styles, is reminiscent of the 90s, so we were soon pairing Sally’s smart satin slip dress with an oversized lumberjack shirt and biker boots. Sustainable brand Omnes has a range of slip dresses and currently you can order the Rebecca slip dress from This Is Unfolded, a brand which operates on a sustainable, on-demand manufacturing model.
For me, one of the most exciting fashion developments of the 90s was an increasing drive towards wearing what we want … what we really really want, to quote The Spice Girls. The Spice Girls epitomise the move towards different looks for different personalities and lifestyles, music to the ears as a personal stylist. The girl-power group showed how we could still be contemporary and stylish whether we favoured sportswear as daywear, head-to-toe leopard print or something a bit ‘posher’. This in itself is a welcome trend that has continued, although the fashion industry can still prey on insecurities in an attempt to convince us we need to dress a certain way to be attractive or fashionable or just plain acceptable.
"Somebody’s old-fashioned is another person’s vintage"
Dove House Retro Room, photo Sally Fairfax
Fashion going in cycles with the return of trends can certainly help when it comes to more planet-friendly, sustainable styling. For some, there will be the excitement of coming to styles for the first time, and many will be happy to search for the authentic items in vintage and second-hand stores. The return and circularity of trends is also good for charity shops, as they seek to raise funds for good causes along with keeping fashion affordable and eco-friendly. The grunge look of oversizing is also great for blurring gender demarcations in fashion, and I’m all for ignoring gender labelling not least when you’re second-hand shopping.
With fashion nostalgia in mind, Sally asked, ‘Are we in years to come going to give a sartorial nod to 2024?' We will of course, because it’s all a cycle: as I said during the interview, somebody’s old-fashioned is another person’s vintage.
For the 6-minute feature visit https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0jr8w51
Thanks and acknowledgements to Ryan at Number 87 Dove House, Newland Avenue, Hull – visit for their retro room of 80s, 90s and Y2K styles
Cottingham Cat Rescue charity shop, Newland Avenue, Hull
Sally Fairfax, BBC Radio Humberside
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