Mini Capsule Wardrobe: 90s, but make it Grown-Up
Am I the only person who gets that 90s fashion is/was largely targeted at teens? Even during the 90s I don’t recall grown women wearing platform sneakers and space buns with glitter to work. Even now with the 90s come back, it’s mostly college and high-school kids who can really pull of that 90s thrift store chic look. With my own style of capsule wardrobe, I don’t like to engage in trends tooooo much. If it’s my style, sure thing. But most trends are just a few pieces here and there that I relatively like and want to play around with. It’s no different with this 90s thang! I’m not into the wild prints or the crop tops or god forbid, low rise jeans. One thing I can’t seem to get my hands off though are overalls. In any shape and form, oh man, it just does me in. The problem is making it look like I am adult woman, not like I just enrolled in 9th grade English. Doesn’t mean I could resist a few 90s hairstyle or two, though!
Look #1
I love this Crop Top for fall for way too many reasons. One, it’s knit meaning it’s stretchy, so not only is it comfortable but it’s also clinging to my body and keeping me warm. Two, the knit fabric means I don’t have to wear a bra. TMI? Oh, well.
It’s just textured enough that it hides the girls when a breeze passes through or when that pesky air conditioning kicks on full force. The length is also just long enough to tuck into high waisted bottoms but short enough to show a little skin in mid rise bottoms, if that’s your thing.
Space buns may have been more THE thing in the day, but I wanted to hearken back to my own elementary school days when my mom yanked my hair into the two tightest pigtails you’ve ever seen. Mom, if you’re the reason I have tiny bald spots on my hairline now…I’m suing.
Look #2
This Dress is straight from the nineties and I couldn’t love it more. Allllll the heart eyes, ladies. I’ve never been one for straight across necklines. You know, the ones that look they were supposed to be strapless dresses but someone slapped a couple straps on it. AKA, not flattering.
I never really considered sweetheart necklines for that same reason, but after trying this one on, I’m convinced. It’s much more flattering, and doesn’t look like I’ve smushed my boobs together with duck tape underneath. The front circle zipper is a great vintage touch, and even allows for a little sexiness if so required 😉
Look #3
Love has made me do lots of crazy things, like wearing this shirt three days in a row! If there’s one thing the 90s did right, it was the fitted t-shirts. Those ringer tees with the contrasting neckline that fit you like a glove. Ugh, I’m salivating just thinking about them. This tee isn’t quite so fitted, but that’s more my style now, anyway.
I’m pretty obsessed with graphic tees lately, so combining the graphic tee style with a ringer style andddd my number one love, stripes, just means I’m going to wear this shirt out until I die. I tucked this baby in, but I wish you could see the rounded hemline. I’ve discovered that rounded hems on t-shirts are the best thing since sliced, gluten-free bread. The hem looks much cleaner and intentional when it’s untucked, versus a straight hem that I now think looks a little sloppier. Rounded hemline shirts also work really well to cover your booty with leggings and/or unexpected time of the month stains. We all know that struggle.
Look #4
The gif inspiration for this “90s, but make it grown-up” look. I’m in my twenties, but some places and days are just no longer appropriate for me to run around in shorts and a tank top. In comes the savior of the cardigan world, the sweater blazer. I hate blazers. I hate them. I want to burn them all.
Blazers are just uncomfortable, overwhelming, and largely unflattering on me. I’ve never found one I liked, and I was this close to pulling the trigger on one of those ponte blazers. That is, until I stumbled across this sweater blazer from J.Crew. The secret? It’s just a more structured cardigan. It has the clean, straight lines and collar of a blazer, but the warmth and stretchiness of a cardigan. Basically, it’s perfect.
The sweater blazer really takes up this very casual look a notch. With a pair of skinny jeans in any level of distressed and shade, it would do the same. Which is great, since I live in skinny jeans come winter.
Look #5
Does it get more 90s than this pose? I think not. The quintessential hair twisting (that my mom yelled at me for saying I would pull all my hair out), the rolling eyes (also yelled at for), and the overalls dress? One more big reason I love that this dress is in the form of overalls: I can wear it SO many different ways. I can wear long sleeve tees, short sleeve tees, nicer blouses, and tank tops underneath it, in addition to being able to wear it alone.
I never get that kind of versatility out of a regular dress. The most I can usually hope for is that it looks good with some stockings and maybe two of my cardigans. Did I mention the straps are adjustable? Abercrombie, you did this one good (it’s even from a 90s brand!!). I have a longer torso, even though I’m petite, so adjustable straps are a must.
One last tip: graphic tees with “pocket” graphics work great under all manner of overalls, since they can double as a plain tee or a graphic tee, depending on your preference. You came in looking for grown up 90s fashion, but you left with all the versatile closet tips, my friend.
Until next week!