Life

A scene form 'Clueless,' with Cher Horowitz wearing the ‘90s girl fashion essentials
15 Fashion Essentials Every ‘90s Girl Owned (And May Still Have In Her Closet)

by Michelle Horton

Ahhh the sweet, sweet '90s. It was a time of vanilla cupcake Lip Smackers, pink glittery roller gel, and plenty of talk-to-the-hand ‘tude. Weekends were spent watching TGIF and SNICK before packing up the Jansport and rocking some killer '90s fashion essentials in the middle school hallways. (Which I desperately needed from the dELiA*s and Alloy catalogs that showed up every month, obviously.)

Some of the '90s trends are back in style — like dark vampy lipstick, grungy flannel, and Doc Martens. (Walk into any Forever 21, and you might as well have teleported back to 1998.) And then there are things so quintessentially '90s that never truly went away — think denim-on-denim and knee-high boots. But, of course, the decade was filled with plenty of as if fashion choices that can gladly fade into the land of nostalgia. (Looking at you, wallet chains and sky-high platform shoes.) At some point, all of these trends made their way into your closet, and some may have never left.

So let’s take a trip back in time, shall we? Back to the days of when you swooned over boys in JNCO jeans while dying your hair with Kool-Aid and flipping through YM magazine. Take a look at the hella rad '90s fashion must-haves that had you bugging (and still do to this day.)

1

Mini Backpacks

Because you totally wanted to be Cher Horowitz, the mini backpack quickly became the “it” fashion accessory for a brief moment in time.

2

Hologram Accessories

Bonus points for anything with aliens, peace signs, and flower power.

3

Chunky Heels

Whether you preferred combat boots or Mary Janes, the '90s were all about the big, bulky shoes that clunked beneath your flared jeans.

4

Glitter Jellies

The sweaty feet were worth adding some extra sparkle to your outfit.

5

All The Chokers

You couldn’t have existed as a '90s girl without owning at least one plastic choker from Claire’s — most likely with a daisy, peace sign, or yin yang.

6

Butterfly Clips

Everyone from Britney Spears to Sabrina the Teenage Witch got in on the trend, and my future daughter will totally carry on the legacy.

7

Butterfly Clips That Fly

If you were super cool (as I was ::ahem::), you had a few strategically placed bigger butterfly clips that flapped its wings as you walked.

8

Daisy Prints

No '90s girl escaped the daisy print. And if you did, it’s only because you were wearing sunflowers.

9

Floral Babydoll Slip Dresses

Of course, you don’t get away with wearing just this dress to school, so you slipped it over a white baby tee.

10

Iridescent Clothes

Because baby you liked to shine.

11

All Fur Everything

If you had a puffy fur jacket hanging in your closet, then you were clearly the fashion icon of your class. Bonus points if you had the pen to match.

12

The Blossom Hat

The denim fabric combined with the oversized yellow flower made one of the boldest fashion choices of the decade.

13

Overall Skorts

Part skirt, part shorts, all '90s awesomeness.

14

Pinned Up Denim Jacket

If you weren’t showing off some serious flair, then you were basically a loser, loser, double loser.

15

Acid Wash Jeans

If you were really bold, you paired these pants with a matching vest or jacket.

Images: Paramount Pictures; Courtesy of of.an.era, 90skidzmemoriez, bagladychic, echoclubhouse, kunn0ichil3g3nd, becky.spaghetti, msbrittneyblair, rolypolyrecords, sofia61283xx, lydeeloo, andienbonnie, sarriepeele, cheeseandthesphinx, laserkitten, suzecato/Instagram