The nineties fashion icons who shaped one of our favourite style eras, ever

Which nineties style tribe were you?

After the glorious chaos that was 1980s fashion, in came 1990s fashion with a bang. Sure, we had some fashion disasters in the nineties. Yes, we're still haunted by the heat responsive T-shirts that we actually paid money to wear. Along with those fluorescent slap bracelets. And skip-its (which were actually banned at school due to aggressive misuse). But bearing in mind our newfound (re-found?) obsession with dungarees and slip dresses, the nineties weren't all bad.

In fact some of the biggest trends going came from the nineties (think Britpop athleisure to grunge and neon rave). Here are just a few of the icons we can thank for creating the statement 1990s fashion we still love (and wear) today.

Kate Moss' 1990s fashion

Breaking into the industry when she was just a teenager, Kate Moss is a household name when it comes to the world of fashion. Kate Moss was undeniably part of the supermodel clan that dominated the nineties, famed for her slim and 'boyish' figure and one of the faces of the (controversially named) 'heroin chic' look. She's been the face of huge brands such as Burberry, Chanel, Rimmel, Topshop, Mango and many more.

Naomi Campbell's 1990s fashion

It wouldn't be a nineties round up without mentioning powerhouse Naomi Campbell, another one of the infamous supermodel clan of the era who took centre stage in big brand campaigns and magazine covers alike. Above, she walks in Alexander McQueen's collection for Givenchy in 1997.

Alicia Silverstone's 1990s fashion

Whenever anyone says 'Cher Horowitz', you instantly think plaid co-ords with super starched shirts and knee-high socks. She may have starred in a film called Clueless, but Alicia Silverstone’s wardrobe certainly wasn’t that. In fact, 20 years later we’re still talking about it. In the 90s something strange happened, we became obsessed with a preppy-yet-sexy schoolgirl look.

Claire Danes' 1990s fashion

Has any other 90s TV show encapsulated teen-insecurity-in-an-oversized-flannel-shirt with quite so much accuracy as My So-Called Life? This cult 1994 teen show made awkward style icons out of each of its young stars. At its centre, however, was 15-year-old Angela Chase, whose awkward styling and bottle-red hair got us all reaching for the DM boots, oversized flannel and crushed velvet dresses (remember crushed velvet?). But who could forget everyone’s favourite wild child Rayanne, with her ripped tights, nightgowns, bowler hats and candied jewellery? AND THEN THERE WAS JORDAN. Oh Jordan. May we never forget the wonder that is Jared Leto in a Sherpa jacket.

Jennifer Aniston's 1990s fashion

Two words that caused global pandemonium in hair salons in 1994: 'The Rachel'. As far as we’re aware, Jennifer Aniston is still trying to get over the trauma. What was, in Jen’s opinion, 'the ugliest haircut I’d even seen' quickly became an international phenomenon and one of the most iconic hairstyles of all time. How popular was it? Answer: very – it inspired 11 million women to copy the dishevelled cut throughout the decade. We can’t even imagine 11 million shaggy-haired 'Rachels', but we’re guessing Jennifer Aniston can and they haunt her in her nightmares.

Cindy Crawford's 1990s fashion 

Another huge name that formed part of the 1990s supermodel crowd, Cindy Crawford. A timeless, famous beauty (with perhaps an even more famous mole), her teenage daughter, Kaia Gerber, is now following in her footsteps, making waves in the fashion world too.

Claudia Schiffer's 1990s fashion

First of all, how Brigitte Bardot is this look? The parallels between German model Claudia Schiffer and the French 1960s fashion icon were uncanny. The below hair do might be super reminiscent of Bardot, but those dungarees are pure nineties.

The Spice Girls' 1990s fashion

Only a member of the Spice Girls would ask her sister to sew a Union Jack tea towel onto a black Gucci dress and actually wear it on stage at the 1997 BRIT Awards. It's so famous that it now has its own Wikipedia page. In the nineties, 'Cool Britannia' meant putting the Union Jack on pretty much everything. Decades later some of us may be regretting that late night trip to the tattoo parlour. Speaking of regrets, who’d have thought skyscraper-high platforms would make a comeback? We ditched our Buffalos after Emma Bunton broke her ankle in 1997 wearing platforms on Turkish TV (true story).

Trish Goff's 1990s fashion

These days, the fash folk love a '1990s Calvin' reference, and with good reason – Calvin Klein dominated the decade, working with the likes of Kate Moss, Trish Goff and Cindy Crawford (to name but a few), and helped to define some of our best-loved nineties trend that still resonate today. That simple, grungy look you're such a fan of? Put Calvin on your list to thank for it.