10 Trends From the ’90s We’re Hoping Make a Comeback

It’s a known fact that style is cyclical. In the fashion world, what goes around will eventually come around. Individual pieces or styles that were once identified as cool or trendy in one period are highly likely to triumphantly return alongside similar trends in each respective time capsule. Why does this happen? New generations look back and latch on. Though they may or may not appreciate the history behind yesteryear’s style, they understand its impact on today.

The ’90s, though they only seem like yesterday, received its fair share of recurring trends in the new millennium—everything from the flannel rigmarole to snapback mania. But some trends of the decade haven’t quite caught fire again like they rightfully should. They may have lingered, but it’s time to go come full circle. Here are 10 Trends From the ’90s We’re Hoping Make a Comeback.

Hypercolor gear was ahead of its time. Clothing that changed color based on the temperature? That type of technical fabric is what brings in the big bucks these days. In case you missed out back in the day, hypercolor clothing came in bright colors that, with the touch of a hand and body temperature, gave off a lighter hue and attracted some serious attention. Using the fabric for some of today’s best gear—bomber jackets, jerseys, etc.—would result in some sick products. You could even write your own message on your T-shirt for Tommy Ton to capture. The result? You’d go down in street style history.

While puffy Etnies and Airwalk low tops were catching fire, Vans were still popping; cutting down your Vans Sk8 Hi or Half Cabs and applying electrical tape to the wound was where it was at. Now consider something like that for today’s eclectic fashion-forward high tops and let your mind explore and then explode from the possibilities. If someone rocks these in a popping neighborhood today, they're more than likely to get street styled instantly.

One of the greatest modern tragedies of our time is that we never got to see our favorite cartoons beyond our childhood. In the '90s, one-off brands started to bring Black Bart or Kriss Kross reincarnated in the form of Bugs Bunny and the Tasmanian Devil for a combination of popular cartoons and hip-hop. These caricatures were dressed like us, or how we were used to seeing the homies dress, and it almost made them more real. Now, imagine these same cartoon characters donning Hood by Air, Margiela Army trainers or Balmain denim on a T-shirt—the possibilities are endless. Simply put, this needs to happen. That's all, folks!

If there's one thing you remember from the ’90s hit TV show A Different World, it was the ever-eclectic signature flip-up sunglasses of Dwayne Wayne, played by Kadeem Hardison. While the functionality of them is clearly articulated, the sheer coolness of them was even more emphatic, and they quickly grew into a popular accessory of the ’90s. The round frames have made one hell of a comeback, but throwing on the flip-up feature will only accentuate the thrive in your style.

Will Smith was pretty much the king of youth in the ’90s. Everything he did, said, and wore was infinitely cooler than anything ever. So, while his neon trend caught on and is still seeing glimpses of greatness today, he also sported opposite colors of the same shoe (usually Jordans), which is a much doper move than is given credit. Whether it’s Jordan Vs or just some Vans slip-ons à la Engineered Garments, it will go without saying that the first thing anyone notices about you is your shoes.

Dashikis. African-inspired medallions. Kufis. Traditional Afro-centric garb was taken to new heights in the ’90s as African-Americans adopted numerous style and injected a little more flavor. Some may have seen it as sacrilegious and disrespectful to the true meaning of the clothing and its place in various cultuers, but others saw it as a strengthening of community since people were embracing their heritage. If done with subtlety and good taste, the return of Afro-centric gear could add entire new dimensions to stylish guys' wardrobes.

There aren’t too many things that are as luxurious as velvet, and the ’90s brought us loads of it in the crushed variety. Mostly a womenswear feature, crushed velvet was a popular fabric for dresses and shirts in the day. Weird fabrics are all the rage today, so a crushed velvet reincarnation shouldn’t be totally out of element. It looks like progressive designers like Astrid Andersen are already looking back to move forward, and we smell success.

Out of the ’90s UK punk movement came one of the greatest trends our generation has not appreciated nearly as much as we should. Dr. Martens have everything we want: a plethora of dope colors, comfort, and shit-kicking capabilities. Back then, pairing them with a flannel and some ripped denim meant you knew what the hell you were doing. And guess what’s popping these days? Flannels and ripped denim. It’s time to just go full ’90s ouroboros and revive the beast of Dr. Marten.

Gang affiliation has to ruin everything, doesn’t it? 8-Ball jackets—leather jacket with an abstract design, including a big-ass 8-ball on the back and sleeves—were the shiznit in the ’90s. If you were seen with one of these, you were either too cool to get jumped for it or your were going to get jumped because of it. Now that these types of gang-affiliated activities related to clothing have started to die down, as evident by by the abundance of paisley-laden clothing, why can’t these jackets make a strong comeback to supplant all of the other leather crap we’ve had to deal with for the past few years?

The resurgence of flannels over the last few years has made its way from Americana to #menswear to high fashion. We’ve seen every variety of flannel, except , that is, the resurgence of the hooded flannel. These peaked in the ’90s, especially within the street and skate culture, but quickly fell off as more tailored gear came into the fray. If brought back, this untapped resource offer a twist on an essential item that can pair well with outfits you're already rocking.