How to Dress Like a Teen From the '90s

• Wear a grungy look with loose-fitting, dark colored clothes and ripped pants. Accessorize it with messy hair and rock band merch.
• Channel the "babydoll" look with bodycon dresses, butterfly clips, and dress-down shoes like combat boots or sneakers.
• Wear '90s staples like plaid, overalls, vests, or turtlenecks to mix-and-match an outfit from individual pieces.

The Trends

Go grunge. Grungy style is an overall "sloppy" look that suggests you didn't spend very much time putting together your outfit, and yet managed to look awesome anyway. To achieve the grungy look, opt for the triple threat: denim, band tees, and leather jackets. Wear loose-fitting clothes.Dress Like a '90s Teenager Step 1 Version 2.jpg Find cutoff, acid-washed, or otherwise destroyed jeans.Dress Like a '90s Teenager Step 1Bullet2.jpg When possible, have holes or rips in your clothing.Dress Like a '90s Teenager Step 1Bullet3.jpg Consider going faux rather than wearing genuine leather.Dress Like a '90s Teenager Step 1Bullet4.jpg Keep your hair messy. Ideally, avoid washing it for a few days to achieve a greasy look.Dress Like a '90s Teenager Step 1Bullet5.jpg Try to find t-shirts of bands that were popular before and during the '90s like Nirvana, Nine Inch Nails, Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, and The Doors. Dress Like a '90s Teenager Step 1Bullet6.jpg

Get dolled up. Babydoll dresses were very popular in the '90s, and were usually short-sleeved and floral-print. These babydoll dresses were variations of the flowered dresses that were popular in the 1930s. They were often "dressed down" for the daytime with a pair of combat boots, sneakers, and/or a jean jacket. Body-conscious velvet dresses (try maroon or black) were also in style at the time.Dress Like a '90s Teenager Step 2Bullet1.jpg Wear crop tops. Try pairing high-waisted jeans with a cropped t-shirt, tank-top, cardigan. Tight-fitting tees (opt for a size or two smaller than what you would normally wear) were also trendy for women.Dress Like a '90s Teenager Step 2Bullet2.jpg Wear butterfly clips in your hair. These tiny, plastic, multicolored hair clips were popular among girls of all ages. One trendy look was to pull back the front of your hair in one inch segments and pin each one with a butterfly clip. The end result should look as though you're wearing a "headband" of butterflies.Dress Like a '90s Teenager Step 2Bullet3.jpg

Wear plaid, and lots of it. Plaid button-up shirts, plaid skirts, and plaid dresses were '90s staples. Try layering a plaid button-up over the rest of your outfit (leaving it unbuttoned), or wrap a plaid shirt around your waist. Try finding plaid as worn out as possible, giving it the grungy look.

Rock a pair of overalls. Long overalls, overall shorts, and overall dresses were all the rage in the '90s! This was a common fashion for teenage women during the 1930s as well, especially for ones living in rural areas. For extra authenticity, leave one of the clasps undone.

Layer a vest over a t-shirt, long-sleeved shirt, or dress. '90s vests came in every color and print imaginable; try a denim, crochet, or floral-print vest.

Revisit the '70s and the Great Depression. Remember that during the '90s, there was a revival of '70s fashion, which included many hippie and disco-inspired trends. With the booming economy of the 90s, many teens and young adults had glamorized the "poor life" of the 1930s which includes the grunge fashion. Wear anything with tie-dye, peace signs, or flowers on it.Dress Like a '90s Teenager Step 6Bullet1.jpg Find a pair of bell-bottoms. Bell-bottoms are pants that are fitted at the top and flare out dramatically at the bottom. Try them in jean or corduroy. Add a peace sign or flower patch to the pants for an extra flare!Dress Like a '90s Teenager Step 6Bullet2.jpg Wear platform shoes. These disco-inspired shoes were full-throttle in the '90s. Platform shoes are available in sandals, heels, wedges, and even sneakers, and come in a variety of colors.Dress Like a '90s Teenager Step 6Bullet3.jpg

Shoes and Accessories

Wear high-top, multicolored sneakers. Try Converse, Nike, Reebok, and Vans. If you're going for a grunge look, then wear sneakers that have been worn down excessively, and that have mud stains and/or holes.

Invest in black combat boots. Doc Martens, among others, were all the rage in the '90s for men and women like.

Find a pair of jellies. These shoes were available in every color imaginable: purple, pink, green, gray, blue, and even clear!

Wear headbands. Find thick (about the width of two fingers), bright-colored headbands that match your top or dress, if possible.

Wear hats. Black fedoras and backward baseball caps were '90s essentials when it came to hats. Women oftentimes wore hats with oversized flowers or bows attached to them.

Where to Shop

Shop the brands. The following were popular clothing and shoe brands in the '90s: JNCO, Tommy Hilfiger, Hypercolor, Umbros, Calvin Klein, Roxy, Keds, Reebok, Guess, and Nike.

Scour your local thrift stores. It can be hard to find authentic '90s clothes in modern-day clothing stores, so thrift shops are a good option. Plus, you'll be saving loads of money by shopping second-hand.

Shop on eBay, Etsy or other sites that carry vintage items. These sites and others like them carry items that are vintage or vintage-inspired that may not be available in stores anymore.

Raid a closet. Check out your parents' or older siblings' closets, or ask a friend if they have any '90s clothes that they no longer want. Dig into the depths of your own closet (if you were around in the '90s) to see what clothes you have held on to!