Our Favorite ‘90s Style Icons For Throwback Inspiration

If you’ve been on TikTok or Instagram lately, you’ll know that the ‘90s are back in style. In a big way. It’s more than just one singular ‘90s trend coming back into fashion for a week thanks to influencers, it’s a general revival of lots of the styles from the decade. 

Skinny jeans are out according to Gen Z. (If you need help styling boyfriend jeans, we’ve got your back.) Claw clips are back in, and everyone is trying to learn how to do a ‘90s style supermodel blowout. If you happen to have any ‘90s trends left over in your closet from back in the day, now is the time to break them out because even those skorts you remember wearing are in again. 

But since a wardrobe full of trends is actually something I counsel against, I think a better way to get a ‘90s inspired look is to emulate the outfits of some of the style icons of that decade. Many of their outfits were very ‘90s while still remaining pretty trendless, finding the sweet spot of being classic enough to work from the ‘90s to the 2000s and anywhere in between. These are the ‘90s fashion icons we can’t get enough of here at Evie. 

Cindy Crawford

From her big, voluminous hair to her very classic and minimal sense of style that she’s stayed loyal to all these years (and passed down to her supermodel daughter Kaia Gerber), Cindy Crawford is synonymous with the ‘90s and with style icons overall. Her love for androgynous, menswear-inspired looks that she made feminine with her hair and makeup was just as strong as her affection for a great black dress, and both are classic ‘90s looks we never want to see go out of style. 

Fran Fine (The Nanny)

Someone with style this great wasn’t destined to stay in that Flushing, Queens bridal shop for long. Fran always had the loudest sense of style (truly an ‘80s gal living in a ‘90s world), and we love her for it. Wear what you love. Clothes are no fun if they don’t make you feel like yourself.  And if you need a little courage, just watch an episode or two of The Nanny first (singing the theme song is mandatory). 

Rachel Green

From one sitcom fashion icon to another, Rachel Green’s style was casual and classic, and we’re still totally obsessed with it to this day. If you really want to emulate Rachel’s look, know that the Friends costume designer Debra McGuire chose a blue and green color pallet for Rachel’s wardrobe. Helpful to keep in mind when you’re shopping! Cultivating a color palette can make your wardrobe much more versatile and make picking out outfits easier. 

Victoria Beckham

For fashion designer and singer Victoria Beckham, the ‘90s were all about neutral tones and usually pretty simple outfits compared to what you might see her rock today. And we’re all for it.

Cher Horowitz

If there’s any ‘90s fashion icon from a movie, Cher Horowitz is it. She embodies the schoolgirl chic look you think of when you talk about ‘90s fashion. Clueless came out in 1995 and I still want to raid Cher’s wardrobe. 

Winona Ryder

We can’t all be Winona Ryder, but her refreshingly simple ‘90s wardrobe seems rather doable. If only her great sense of style could help me get over the nightmares I got from watching Heathers. Luckily, her performance in Little Women makes up for it. 

Carrie Bradshaw

Admittedly Sex and the City definitely encompassed more of 2000s fashion than it did ‘90s, but it aired for the first time in 1998, and while Carrie Bradshaw may not have been a good role model to plan your life around, her funky sense of style was so fun to watch that I had to include her.

Kate Moss

A far cry from the outlandish outfits of Carrie Bradshaw, Kate Moss shared the simple and classic sense of style of her supermodel colleague Cindy Crawford. Photos of her from the ‘90s are pure magic, if you ask me. Her look was very much a ‘90s version of Brigitte Bardot. 

Princess Diana

You can’t talk about ‘90s fashion inspirations without talking about Lady Di. She was so charming and left such an impact, not only on fashion but the world in general. 

Liv Tyler

A true ‘90s style icon, actress Liv Tyler had the voluminous hair and great sense of style, but without the Instagram effect that makes today's actresses and models always seem to be expertly styled and social media ready. There was a realness to her that fit the decade and made her look unique.

Naomi Campbell

If it's supermodel style you want, Naomi Campbell has got it in spades. That slightly edgy look and a closet full of the most show-stopping going-out dresses has never been done better than by her and her fellow ‘90s supermodels.

Julia Stiles

Sure it’s called 10 Things I Hate about You, but I don’t hate anything about that 1999 movie or Julia Stiles’ grungy style in it. Brb, going to rewatch it for the umpteenth time. It never gets old.

Closing Thoughts

The ‘90s were a great time for fashion. It was simple and casual, but still left room for personal expression. As long as the ‘90s are in, you can bet I’m going to have fun recreating some of my favorite looks from the decade. 

Help make Evie even better! Take the official Evie reader survey.