# Decade-specific fashions **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 3, 2014, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decade-specific-fashions/677819 "2014-01-03T18:10:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![velomont](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8491ac/32.png) [@velomont](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velomont)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2014, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decade-specific-fashions/677819/1 "2014-01-03T18:10:58Z")
I grew up in the 1970s and if anyone asked me to describe a stereotypical look for the 70s I could easily do it. I could also do the same thing for the 1980s as well. I don’t think, however, that I could do the same thing for the mid 1990s onward. There seems to have been a significant diversity in looks since then. Is this just my perception or are there looks specific to the 90s, 2000s, and 2010s? ---
**Author:** ![jrsone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jrsone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jrsone)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2014, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decade-specific-fashions/677819/2 "2014-01-03T19:39:57Z")
Mid to late 90s, baggy jeans were big, as opposed to now in which more form fitting pants are popular. Also, going with that, cargo pants/shorts often times with Birkenstock (or Reef)sandals and a Stussy shirt. Also, skate shoes like Airwalk, Vans, etc. very popular. Tracksuits also a big trend. Not really clothes, but bleached blonde hair was a big trend in the late 90s/early 2000s. I’ll rattle off a couple more I remember. Chain Wallets, Lugz shoes, Timberland Boots, Oakley Glasses…I’ll try to think of some more. ---
**Author:** ![gallows\_fodder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8c91f0/32.png) [@gallows\_fodder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gallows_fodder)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2014, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decade-specific-fashions/677819/3 "2014-01-04T00:41:19Z")
Women’s high-heeled shoes with those stupid hoof-looking platforms are very 2000s and were (okay, IMO) dated-looking 2 seconds after they came out. ---
**Author:** ![Enocavy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e480ec/32.png) [@Enocavy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enocavy)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2014, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decade-specific-fashions/677819/4 "2014-01-04T03:53:54Z")
Big, long coats and suit jackets for women in the 90s. I wouldn’t have noticed that during the nineties but looking at early episodes of _Law and Order_ it’s obvious to me. It’s hard to have a perspective on the look of a decade the closer you are to that decade. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2014, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decade-specific-fashions/677819/5 "2014-01-04T04:16:57Z")
As an “alternateen” in the 90s, my outfit (and my friends’ outfits) was baggy jeans/cargo pants or long cutoffs, combat boots, band tees and flannel shirts. Usually some jewelry too, something on a black leather string that you bought at a head shop or a music festival. I don’t know what the other kids were wearing. Whatever it was it was soooo L7. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2014, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decade-specific-fashions/677819/6 "2014-01-04T05:25:05Z")
Fashions from 2004 are quite different, never mind 1994. Just look at some pictures of yourself from those times. ---
**Author:** ![JustinC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justinc/32/8083_2.png) [@JustinC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JustinC)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2014, 8:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decade-specific-fashions/677819/7 "2014-01-04T08:47:20Z")
Lots of shades of brown clothes in the 70s, long hair, big sideburns, and moustaches unless it was a show set in the future then the fashion was shiny, silver clothes and long hair, big sideburns, and moustaches. The 90s were highlighted by either a mixture of gothic and grunge, or sparkling pop, or track jackets with denim jeans. At least I think, I’ve not been one to pay a significant amount of attention to fashion trends. It does seem more difficult to place the later decades in a particular genre, though. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2014, 9:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decade-specific-fashions/677819/8 "2014-01-04T09:32:29Z")
> [@velomont](#): > > I grew up in the 1970s and if anyone asked me to describe a stereotypical look for the 70s I could easily do it. I could also do the same thing for the 1980s as well. I don’t think, however, that I could do the same thing for the mid 1990s onward. There seems to have been a significant diversity in looks since then. Is this just my perception or are there looks specific to the 90s, 2000s, and 2010s? I thought that during the 90s, but now whenever I see any shows from the mid-90s the clothes look as dated and “signature” as the 70s and 80s. The biggest thing that dates the 90s is high-waisted pants. ---
**Author:** ![Octarine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/22d042/32.png) [@Octarine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octarine)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2014, 9:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decade-specific-fashions/677819/9 "2014-01-04T09:38:34Z")
Currently, there’s a (horrible) trend of wearing leggings as pants, especially accompanied by some loose-fitting top in either neon green, neon orange, or neon pink. ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2014, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decade-specific-fashions/677819/10 "2014-01-05T02:59:22Z")
60s-Nehru Jackets 80s-acid wash jeans and skinny ties. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2014, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decade-specific-fashions/677819/11 "2014-01-05T03:13:59Z")
As an incidental, there was an episode of _Futurama_ that had the characters accidentally travel back in time to 1947. To blend in, they wore contemporary clothing. Thing is, Farnsworth put on a zoot suit (from at least five years earlier) and Leela wore a poodle skirt (from at least five years later). ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2014, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decade-specific-fashions/677819/12 "2014-01-05T06:00:50Z")
90s-now? T shirt and cargo shorts.