The '90s Comeback
Kate Moss at her Calvin Klein boutique personal appearance in Beverly Hills, California, September 1995. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
The trend of the late 1990s and early Y2K is the minimalist aesthetic, celebrated on the runways of Calvin Klein, Helmut Lang, and Prada. The style was captured in American media like "Ally McBeal" (1997-2002) and certain characters in "Sex and the City" (1998-2004) and worn by public figures such as Kate Moss, Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, and Gwyneth Paltrow. The ‘90s minimalists emerged against the ostentatiousness of the 1980s. They embraced a style characterized by clean lines and timeless basic styling, favoring wardrobe essentials such as white tank tops, jeans, and tailored suit jackets. The focus was on achieving a sleek and functional daily look with neutral color matching and minimal accessories. In recent years, it has become evident that there are striking similarities between this aesthetic and the relatively recent concept of the “capsule wardrobe,” which emphasizes the importance of timeless pieces for almost any occasion and not relentlessly buying clothes every so often. The simplicity of minimalism in the ‘90s has enabled it to transcend the cycle of trends and maintain its significance even in the era of microtrends. It goes beyond superficial terms or TikTok trends such as the old money “aesthetic” and quiet luxury oddly popularized by Sofia Richie Grainge. It is minimalism with character and timelessness that detaches from celebrity gimmicks and excess (see @/cabmate via Instagram). The sleek aesthetic replaced the previous era's flashy atmosphere, as seen in "Paris Is Burning" (1990). It represents a subtle yet luxurious form of style. Minimalism introduced a fresh approach to fashion by embracing a uniform dressing lifestyle to simplify, refine, and prioritize consistency in our wardrobe choices.
Vogue US January 1995, photographed by Steven Meisel
Although the minimalist design circles were characterized by a simple style, diversity was abundant. Numerous designers played a significant role in developing minimalist fashion, particularly renowned brands associated with the collegiate, country club Americana aesthetics of Ralph Lauren and J.Crew. These styles are more luxurious in terms of look but minimal in wear. Some may consider preppy as something other than minimalist, as apparent differences exist. Preppy is more fraternity and equestrian, while minimalism is quieter, chicer, and purposely dull but in a sensual way (and I use sensual knowingly). This can be coupled with the “Gen-X Soft Club” aesthetic noticed by @/style.analytics via Instagram, which emphasizes a trend between 1996 and 2002 reminiscent of Tom Ford’s Gucci. This aesthetic, developed by the Gen-Xers, showcases a natural makeup look, textured and imperfect hairstyles, and simple outfits consisting of sleek and deliberately attractive tailoring. Some commenters under the Instagram post highlighting these findings mentioned its connections to heroin chic or the “waif” look. This fashion trend emerged, featuring models who appeared extremely thin and had a skeletal appearance. Others compared this aesthetic or subculture to electro-futurism, the optimism for a new and hyper-technological idea of the new millennium. If you look at advertisements or glossy magazines of this time, the editorials showcase scenes of sophisticated melancholy of the working world and vulnerable femininity that fixates itself on the future. Gen Z is attracted to the past because the past looked into the future. There has been a resurgence in 2023 as the post-pandemic culture has overplanted influencers and their excessive clothing hauls, and now consumers are searching for quality instead of quantity. There’s a shift in fashion choices, with brands like The Row and aspects of Bottega Veneta showcasing more sophisticated fashion that brings attention to the look, not the brand. Our obsession with brands is where minimalism falls short, but buying frivolously from fast fashion companies with a minimal aesthetic leaves much to be desired. Maybe now, the next generation can invest in their pieces mindfully and live their ‘90s fashion dream in reality.
