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9 Style Trends From The 90s We Hope Never Make A Comeback

Men's style is on a 90s kick at the moment - but let's hope it doesn't go too far

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With all the rose-tinted nostalgia that wafts from the runways every season (so much sportswear), it's easy to forget that the 90s were - more or less - an atrocious, double denim-clad 10 year ink blot on the pages of fashion history.

Now that Tommy Hilfiger is the latest 90s stalwart to delve back into the decade, we thought it was about time to jump in ourselves and count down the items and trends with (hopefully) less chance of a comeback than Mr Blobby.

1

Cargo Trousers

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The trouser de rigueur of the boyband, cargos were chiefly characterised by an bewildering array of pockets - so many pockets, it might drive a man mad to think about them too much.

They were most often paired with combat boots, a tank top and the unmistakable gaze of someone heading for impending bankruptcy.


2

Barbed Wire Tattoos

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Tattoos are a polarizing subject at the best of times, but I think we can all agree that a wonky barbed wire etching snaked around some faded bro's bicep is one of the most tragic and unimaginative reminders of 90s vanity.

3

Tinted Sunglasses

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The preserve of creepy magicians and creepier music executives, a subtly tinted pair of sunglasses - preferably paired with a leather blazer and three too many buttons undone on your shirt - marked you out as a man of great substance and standing in the moral vacuum of 1994.

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4

Visors

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An item of clothing that was designed for golfers and grannies from Florida was never really going to hold a place in fashion history, was it? The visor did try, bless it, but if even 90s heyday Eminem can't pull it off then you know it's a failure.

5

Baggy Jeans

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After years cowering in the shadows of all things slim and skinny, the fashion world is trying its best to push loose-fitting trousers as the silhouette of choice for the trend-conscious man.

That's all well and good, but you can keep your eye-wateringly blue parachute denim abominations in the deepest pits of sartorial Hades - make that the 90s - where they belong.

6

The Going Out Shirt

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We've had one - that mate who doused himself in Brylcreem and Lynx Africa for a night on the town where he'd aggressively look at girls (talking to them was too scary) before getting into a scrap with an equally perfumed and lank-haired mirror image of himself.

And that friend's attire of choice? Well it was a checkered 'going out' shirt, of course.

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7

Frosted Tips

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Nothing said 12-year-old ladies man more than a set of freshly frosted tips. JT - the most famous proponent - took it to whole new levels by chucking a tight perm into the mix.

Probably the most fondly remembered trend of the era, there was something sweet and ambitious about the frosted tip, the idea that we as males were attempting something like self-improvement. Failing, yes, but at least we were trying.

8

Bucket Hats

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It could be argued that the bucket hat has made a comeback already, but actually have a good long think about it and you'll realise that no one has actually ever been able one pull off, except maybe LL Cool J...maybe.

The modern bucket hat has been appropriated by acne-infested teenagers called Henry from the home counties, who spend their parents' money on streetwear and cheap drugs.

Burn the bucket hat, burn them all.

9

Wallet Chains

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Originating in skateboarding culture where - presumably - its function was to keep your wallet attached to you when you were attempting a Caballerial, the wallet chain was then bafflingly adopted by men who looked incapable of riding a lift without getting out of breath, let alone a board. A nadir in the chequered history of men's jewellery, its resurgence would surely be valid grounds for emigration.

Headshot of Finlay Renwick
Finlay Renwick
Deputy Style Editor
Mother, blogger, vegan, model, liar
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