We’re all familiar with the saying “What goes around, comes around.” While the adage normally refers to behavior, it applies to vintage as well. Let me explain my theory. Vintage lovers often covet items that remind them of their childhood. Things that remind them of their parents or grandparents when they were young. My theory posits that the average familial memory only goes back three generations, since for most of us, grandparents are as far back as we have living connections.
So why are the 90s back? Due to the internet and social media, kids are exposed to more information younger than they were in the past. They are also far more aware of things like climate change and the effect on the environment than generations before them. They look to previous styles and fads for inspiration and ideas in order to create their own identities based on what they learn. Everything from clothing and jewelry, to home decor, the 90s are back!
I had a recent adventure with my 13-year-old grandson, who is extremely fashion conscious. He asked me to take him shopping for vintage clothing. His so-called “grail” items include 90s sport logo items. Specifically he was after anything from the many surf or motocross companies big during the 90s. Targeted brands included Quiksilver, Billabong, OP and O’Neill from the surf world; Fox Racing and No Fear from the MX world; and crossover brands Etnies, Element, Vans and Hurley. We searched various flea markets, vintage shops, and multiple thrift stores, including a recently opened Goodwill Bins outlet.
The newest additions to his collection include a couple of vintage Quiksilver t-shirts, along with a pair of vintage Carhartt shorts, which I was informed by him have a date code as part of the label. His were made in 2010. New Birkenstock Boston shoes and a new pair of JNCO jeans, along with a vintage 90s silver twisted rope chain necklace and matching bracelet round out his look.
Still on his list is a leather chain wallet, Fox Racing shirt and 90s Carhartt jacket. His choice in colognes is also squarely set in the 90s. There is a bottle of CK1 on his dresser. When I last saw him, he was heading out to meet friends at the local Starbucks and to shop at the nearby Goodwill store since they were having a sale and students got 25% off as well.
If this is the next generation thrifters and vintage sellers, I’m all for it. While not quite three generations old, the items he currently covets were all standards of his parents’ youth. Along with the clothing of the 90s, homegoods are right up there as well. I’ve seen newly minted colors of 90s Tupperware in stores, as well as blond wood furniture, and colored wallpaper patterns making a comeback. 1990s style was a bit of a mashup of the bright excess of the 80s and a slick paring back look of the early 2000s.
