Styling My Mom's 90s Wardrobe
by Maren Beverly
Everyone has a style icon. Maybe yours is Diane Von Furstenberg, who is not only an acclaimed fashion designer, but who is also a literal princess (she also might be the coolest Grandma ever). Or, maybe yours is Dennis Rodman, basketball star turned street style icon, who challenged the notion of masculinity. We all have that one person whose style we consider to be the pinnacle of fashion and class. Who’s mine? My Mom.
When I was little, her closet was my favorite place to explore. It was a magical place. I would always slip my tiny feet into her pair of red pleather kitten heels. I adored them. Even though a child walking up and down the stairs in size 7 shoes was certainly hazardous, I dreamed of the day when I’d actually be able to wear them. Of course, my feet ended up too big to even fit into them. But, that pair of red heels symbolize the beginning of my love affair with style.
My Mom may not be a fashion designer like DVF, but I believe that you do not need to be at the top of high couture to be a self-proclaimed fashionista. In fact, some of the most stylish people I know are everyday people—women like my Mom, who even at age 51 can pull off the latest fashion trends that my friends and I are chasing. My Mom has always dressed like a queen. She drapes herself in Boho chic dresses, unique jewelry, and colorful blouses. Style is timeless if you get it right, that’s for sure. I owe a lot of my personal style and interest in fashion to her.
But, even before I was my mother’s daughter, she reigned as a fashionable-twenty-something-New-Yorker (isn’t that who we all hope to be someday?). So, in the depths of quarantine, I decided to go through my Mom’s wardrobe from the 90s. Tucked away in our attic, burrowed in the scent of mothballs, was a timecapsule of fashion. My Mom ooo-ed and ahh-ed at every piece I uncovered. Every dress had a story, which speaks to the memories our clothing holds. Fashion tends to always be moving forward, but sometimes reflecting on fashion’s past is just as exciting as shopping for the latest trends. I uncovered so many hidden gems, I knew I couldn’t throw them back in storage, only to go unappreciated for another 20 years. So, I put them to use the only way I saw fit: styling them into new outfits.
This Cynthia Rowley tank screams summer fun with its colorful, geometric print. With my gold hoops and hair clips, I was certainly channeling prominent 90s trends.
Again, I experimented with another deceased trend from the nineties: vests. I usually wouldn’t even think to put on a vest, of all things. I don’t even think I’ve seen a vest that wasn’t meant to keep you warm, like, ever. However, paired with my Aritzia wide leg pants, a black tank and a sleek gold chain, this look turned out to be sharp and cute.
The star of this show was this fur bag (don’t worry vegans, it’s fake fur). We are all so used to leather purses these days, I never would have dreamt of a furry bag, and a green one, might I add but, I was up to the challenge of styling this unique vestige of fashion’s past! I added a 2020 twist with my Madhappy hoodie, which perfectly merged the style essence of the present and the past.
Is there anything more nineties in New York than a Knicks jersey? Probably not. I felt like Kate Hudson in How To Lose A Guy in 10 Days when she and Matthew McConaughey go to the Knicks game. Andie sported this exact jersey in effortless style and I hope I do her a little bit of justice. Under a white tee and paired with Levi’s, this look made dressing sporty feel cute.
Is this look giving anyone else Call Me By Your Name italian countryside energy? Like maybe I could successfully seduce Timottheé Chalamet in this vintage Jean Paul Gaultier dress? I wish. Nonetheless, I adore the toile print and copper buttons on this dress. Hiding it in the attic, away from the sunlight it deserves, would be a crime.
“ I uncovered so many hidden gems, I knew I couldn’t throw them back in storage, only to go unappreciated for another 20 years. So, I put them to use the only way I saw fit: styling them into new outfits. ”
This leather dress was my favorite discovery because it is just so unique. I love the star detail and red racing stripes— it sort of gives me cowgirl meets racecar girl vibes. (Does that make sense?)
Finally, I channeled my inner Jackie Kennedy with this vintage Emilio Pucci sleep set. A phenomenon in the 1950s, the italian designer was beloved for his signature bright prints. After doing some research, I discovered that his prints actually became popular again in the nineties. Wearing this to bed would probably be the most extra thing I’ve ever done. But, I can’t say I’m not tempted to.
Even though I’m an early-2000s baby through and through, I enjoyed paying homage to the nineties with these looks. If you find yourself drowning in boredom this summer, I encourage you to dig into old boxes of clothes in your attic. I guarantee that you’ll find at least one vintage band t-shirt that’ll prove your parents used to be cool. I wonder what pieces of clothing we’ll be uncovering in our attics with our kids, twenty plus years from now. Tie-dye sweatsuits? At this point, probably.
