90's fashion element

1990s fashion has a style all its own that with due time, will surely have its place in the canon of fashion history.
According to industry standards vintage style is anything officially 20 years or older, so only a piece produced between 1990 and 1992 is technically vintage for 2012.
So depending on your personal opinion and vantage point to the era, the ’90s is a toss-up for vintage classification. A girl who grew up in the ’90s may prefer to avoid the trends of her childhood and prefer wearing ’50s, ’60s and ’70s clothing and vestidos boda , while a teenager today may find the styles of the ’90s vintage simply because she can’t remember ever having experienced them before.
Since I grew up in this easy era and can remember most of the trends firsthand, I decided to thrift my favorite ’90s styles for a fun trip down memory lane at my hometown Salvation Army in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
To share the history of ’90s fashion trends, I combed the racks for the era’s most memorable pieces from cutesy denim overalls, printed shorts and crush-worthy velvet mini dresses to the era’s most quintessential prints like sunflowers, daisies, ditzy floral and preppy plaid.
Keep reading after the jump to see the 10 memorable ’90s fashion trends I thrifted from Salvation Army, and to learn more about how I experienced each back in the days of my youth!
’90s fashion is here to stay and can be easily thrifted at your local haunt. Whether you wear it right now or collect to sell as a future vintage fashion trend is up to you!

In the last few months, 1990s fashion has been declared vintage, historical, and retro, and searches for the subject have been picking up significant steam. Duh! Welcome to the 90s *rolls eyes*! Many readers have asked me to write an article about the trends that inevitably make (and have made) their way back into the main stream. I’ll do it! But you owe me…
Casual Attire
The 1990s was a time of great change and, believe it or not, ropa de mujer rebellion in a sense. Because of the recession toward the beginning of the decade and new business philosophies that proved the importance of employees feeling more comfortable at work, Casual attire was the name of the decade. Dressing down in every aspect of life became normal. Going to work in “business casual” clothing was relatively new on a large scale and for the first time, you couldn’t tell who was rich and who was a bum.

Another reason for the uprising in casual attire was the influence that 90s music had on fashion. Grunge, Hip Hop, Alternative, and Boy Bands all dressed in casual-”chic” attire, influencing fans and non-fans alike. Doc Martens and flannel, parachute pants and LA Lights, or oversized sweaters and eyeliner anyone?

In the 1980s, consumers were purchasing products left and right, often spending more than they had. This is normally called “conspicuous consumption,” and it was a lesson learned going into the last decade of the millennium. Minimalism was popular in 1990s fashion, and a rejection of the large fashion icons became mainstream. In other words, people saw other people dressing down and decided to save money (or they were too lazy/cool for zapatos de novia fashion!). Overalls, flannel, bright colors that lingered from the 80s, denim everything, and baggy clothes were all a nonchalant rejection to expensive fashion ropa al por mayor .Global Influences
Viewing fashion from around the world via the internet and eCommerce were just beginning to take off, making it easier to purchase clothing from around the world. This increased the variety available to consumers, and the sources of influence as well. Inexpensive clothing manufacturers from China, Mexico, and other such countries were able to sell directly to consumers. This might have been one of the causes of the decline in upscale fashion in the 90s. It was also the reason for the strong Chinese influence on mainstream 1990s fashion. In 1997, Britain handed Hong Kong back to China after occupying it for 156 years, creating a sense of Chinese pride in anyone with a smidgen of Chinese in their ancestry. Cheongsam dresses became popular, and influenced other aspects of fashion including shawls with similar embroidery.

Vintage stores like Grey Era in New York City’s East Village are cropping up to sell nostalgic pieces of the 1990s since the styles continue to creep onto designer runways and influence what we wear right now.
What quintessential styles of the ’90s should I hunt for next time I go thrift store shopping? Let me know in the comments below!