THE FIERCE 90S: women empowerment through fashion
The 90s were a decade when pretty much everything was allowed. Sheer tops, torn tights, oversized puffer jackets and red lipstick were trends which didn’t quite blend together, but they made a woman stand out in a crowd and that’s pretty much what the 90s were all about. Empowering women through fashion that spoke volumes about a society which was not yet ready to fully embrace woman’s power and make women equal to their male counterparts.
We adore this decade, because unlike today when fashion is monochromatic bore made of black and white outfits dominating across the entire industry, fashion streets back than were filled with lively, brightful outfits which not always made sense but brought extremely exciting and funny times.
It is also a decade when supermodels became a thing, rebellion was gaining momentum, sex, drugs and rock’n’roll were a must (hey we didn’t say everything was Flaweless, pun intended) and Spice Girls ruled the world.
With 90s fashion making a comeback, we wanted to dedicate an article on the 5 incredibly strong women who not only marked this decade but changed the face of the fashion world as we know it today. There’s something liberating about this period and just like with any other decade, this one has its own girlbosses whose impact was not only felt in their respective industries, but was also a huge factor in women’s empowerment.
Gwen Stefani
The girl that made the red lipstick cool again is the rock chick whose style marked the 90s. Cropped tops, high waist bellbottoms, chokers and belly piercing made Gwen Stefani the queen of edgy sophistication and us a screaming stupid girl fans who copy her style.
Winona Ryder
If you ever find yourself in doubt about what to wear, just ask yourself what would 90s Winona do. The girl who was single handidly responsible for popularizing the rock chic, resurrected the leather trend and made mom’s jeans hot. Her tomboy look at the time is still relevant today, as many fashionistas look up to 90s Winona for inspiration, because nobody does simple better than her.
Courtney Love
Nobody could care less about finding themselves on this list than Courtney Love. Her effortless grunge style which included torn thights, baby doll dresses, sheer slips and dark make up, brought on the kinderwhore look. Actually, her not giving a shit about how she looks, made girls mad about coping her style. We might not be an admirers of heroin chic, but we sure as hell admire the strength of this woman who seems to have lived a thousand lives.
Shirley Manson
There’s always something empowering to be found in a redhead woman. We don’t know about you, but Tom Ford seems to agree with us and if he does, than who are you to question it. Shirley Manson, the 90s music maven is not only a musical genius but a woman who demands and gets attention wherever she appears. We all know black is a classic, but this woman takes the color to another level, lifting it up to be fun and quirky and therefore attractive.
Aaliyah
Give her man’s coat and she’ll make it sexy as hell. This woman could make everything stemmy hot. She dressed like a boy, but exhumed sexual fire like only a woman can. Her fashion today is more relevant than ever before, as many Rihanna outfits are inspired by this sultry goddess who was taken too early from us.
It’s very important to remember why we celebrate these women. It’s not just because of the clothes they wore and the styles they rocked. It’s about their impressive, colorful personalities. Each different in its own way, yet powerful enough to show that girls truly rule the world. And that’s why we love the 90s.
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