Put down that makeup remover and throw out your hair brush — the messy, grungy look of the ’90s is back, thanks to thrift-obsessed Gen Z fashionistas.
Born out of Seattle’s alt-music scene during the latter half of the 1980s, the indie, I-just-threw-this-on-and-rolled-out-of-bed aesthetic came to dominate pop culture at the dawn of the new decade.
As bands like Nirvana and Pearl Jam stormed the charts, the masses followed, bringing layered flannel shirts, chunky boots and baggy jeans into their wardrobes — and the mainstream.
The DIY look was even co-opted by high fashion, much to the chagrin of early adopters. As early as 1992, Marc Jacobs had Kate Moss and Winona Ryder flaunting their messy hair and smudged eyeliner for his 1993 Perry Ellis runway collection.
Now, decades later, Gen Z is bringing it all back.
“There’s such an emphasis on thrifting these days — they’re more conscious about fashion and sustainability,” Liz Teich of The New York Stylist, a website and lifestyle blog, told The Post, adding that high price tags on brand new clothing plays a big part in the return of the look.
“Because of that, they’re finding the things that we wore during the grunge era, and I think they’re gravitating towards that because it looks effortless and they can just throw it together and make it their own,” she said.
Teich says each generation since Gen X, which invented the look, has “rediscovered” grunge, embracing the style in its own way.
“[To each generation] it’s like exciting and new to them,” Teich said. “New musicians like Billie Eilish [are] showing their angst — I think it’s just something that comes back around again and again.”
Teich added that a surge in grunge popularity could also be a reaction against the “clean girl aesthetic” that has dominated fashion — and social media — for the last few years.
“Everyone was starting to look like each other,” she said. “Gen Z are probably longing to create their own aesthetic.”
Choker
Is there anything more iconically ’90s?
The necklace of the decade, sported by celebrities such as Winona Ryder and Drew Barrymore, may have been swapped out for a time, but it’s unmistakably back in vogue thanks to young celebrities like Jenna Ortega, who made the look her own at the 2023 Golden Globe Awards.
“We’re definitely seeing a resurgence of the choker,” Teich said. “We saw it a few years ago and it’s back again — it’s just inevitable.”
Slip dress
A classic slip dress is a staple in any decade, but unlike the clean lines seen in recent years, the ’90s version was messy and layered. Thanks to images of celebrities like Courtney Love stumbling out of cars with ripped tights and a jacket haphazardly thrown over a barely-there frock, Gen Z celebs like Florence Pugh are loving the chaos of an outfit based around a simple slip.
“We saw in “White Lotus” how [Portia, played by Haley Lu Richardson] was just kind of throwing on a bunch of different mismatched pieces. I think it’s the same idea,” Teich said of the Gen Z approach.
Bed head
The slick-back bun is so 2022. This year, a tousled ‘do is the way to go.
Think Kate Moss leaving a club in the early hours of the morning, or Kurt Cobain anywhere, at any time — Eilish, Ortega and others are leaning into looking like they’ve rolled straight out of bed.
“We’re moving away from like that glossy, filtered look. I think it’s only natural that Gen Z is going to just kind of rebel against that clean girl aesthetic and [literally] let their hair down and look as if they didn’t try,” Teich said.
Chunky boots
Practical and the epitome of grunge, the chunky boot regularly cycles back.
Teich explained that there’s an element of rebellion to Gen Z’s adoption of the classic, explaining that the younger generation are working them in with almost every outfit. Decades after Cameron Diaz wore a pair of lace-up Docs with a black mini slip dress at Cannes in 1994, Kristen Stewart was rocking similar kicks at last year’s film festival.
“[Over] the past few years, they’ve had all these very polished Instagrams, and everything just seems so perfect,” she added. “Now everybody wants to see the ‘real side’ of people, so I think it’s only natural that [Gen Z] are going to offer a more casual, effortless kind of style.”
Burgundy lips
Ripped tights and band tees are once again must-haves, but it’s also about the makeup, with the likes of Hailey Bieber drawing inspiration from ’90s Drew Barrymore, Jada Pinkett Smith and Brandy.
“The darker lip liner is definitely back, [like in] the late ’90s and early 2000s — everybody just took their liner and lined their lip,” Teich said, noting that it’s being adapted for a more modern look.
“The trend is to do this darker, but blend it and not do the entire lips,” she added. “Don’t go all the way to the corner — just on the top and bottom, to make [the] lips look fuller.”
Flannel shirts
Even people who know nothing about fashion can immediately recall this grunge staple.
Thrown over a band tee or a tank, flannel and plaid shirts have had mini resurgences over the years with a more slim-line cut, but the boxy, oversized look is back and grungier than ever before, as demonstrated recently by Megan Fox, and by Kate Moss on the runway for Bottega Veneta’s spring/summer 2023 collection.
“It’s something that Gen Z can get their hands on and make it their own and throw it over a band tee to kind of replicate those looks,” Teich said. “It’s an easy way to make their own fashion without having to spend a lot of money.”
