WORDS BY JOSEPH FURNESS
ICYMI, the fashion world is experiencing a major 90s revival. As designers get nostalgic, all the eclectic looks and pop culture references we know and love are steadily making a comeback: Clueless-inspired tartans (“As if!”) at Versace, Prada’s take on the Hawaiian shirt à la Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas and of course, Princess Diana as Virgil Abloh’s unlikely muse at Off-White.
A full nineties resurgence is set to dominate the autumn winter season, but for now, summer is all about working in the era’s best accessories for an instant wardrobe update. Here are the nineties accessories we love the most...
The Bucket Hat
In a time when ‘dad’ trends are taking over luxury fashion, the bucket hat is back and ready for festival season. Originating from surf and skatewear subculture, the humble bucket hat has tried and failed to make its way back into fashion circles since its nineties peak, but thanks to the likes of Burberry, Gucci and Fenty x Puma reinventing the look, bucket hats rule once again.
Shop the look: F.A.M.T Bucket Hat, Maison Michel Bucket Hat, Barbour Bucket Hat, Thom Browne Bucket Hat
Tiny Sunglasses
Previously the exclusive domain of nineties action films (The Matrix, Blade, Leon...), fashion’s most influential are all over the tiny specs trend. Somehow simultaneously retro and futuristic, undersized frames can be tricky - there’s nowhere to hide when your sunglasses barely cover your eyes - but worn with confidence, they have the power to enhance even the simplest of looks.
Shop the look: Pawaka Empat 4 Sunglasses, Le Specs Classic cat-eye Sunglasses, Mykita x Maison Margiela Oval Sunglasses, Sol Amor 1946 cat eye Sunglasses
The Beret
There’s just something about a beret. A nineties classic, it gives the impression that its wearer has a certain effortless control over their life in a way that no other accessory can. Essentially, Julia Roberts as the beret-wearing Anna Scott in 1999’s Notting Hill is the ultimate new ‘goals’.
Shop the look: Raquel Allegra Knit Beret, William Vintage Jute Beret, Giorgio Armani Vintage Strass Beaded Beret, Bernstock Speirs Tri-Stripe Beret
The Visor
It has been well-documented that the cool kids of the nineties spent their long summers playing on Tamagotchis whilst listening to TLC and sporting perfectly angled sun visors. The barely-there headgear is about to enjoy a return to the spotlight as brands like Off-White, Y-3 and Moschino revise its design, experimenting with transparent materials and prints that echo the sporty aesthetic of the past. No longer just the preserve of sun-shielding grandmas, the visor is ideal for the Instagram age: more decorative than practical, and sure to spike in popularity after Kim and Kourtney Kardashian were spotted twinning in Dior’s yellow acetate visor-eyewear hybrid.