15 Retro Trends You Can Borrow From Your Mom's Closet

Make sure to check your mom’s closet for an old pair of Dr. Martens or Timberland combat boots. Chances are she still has a sturdy pair or two left from her high school days. In the ‘90s, combat boots could give any outfit a goth feel, or they could be paired with a sweater vest and wide leg jeans to complete a preppy look. Either way, combat boots have reappeared on the fashion scene once again.

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There’s a good chance your mom still has a pair of baggy overalls left over from the ‘90s. There’s an even better chance she used to wear them with one shoulder fastened and the other dangling. Overalls have exploded back onto the fashion scene in the last year and if you can’t find a pair of hers, you should be able to find a pair at any clothing store.

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The flannel shirt was almost like a required uniform in the ‘90s. The baggier the better, left open, and paired with a favorite t-shirt and baggy jeans is how we wore them then. The jeans may be a bit skinnier and the flannel shirts a little more form fitting, but the idea is the same to create a retro grunge look.

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In the ‘90s the rule of thumb was the brighter the better. As a matter of fact, the more colors the better. Sometimes it didn’t even matter that the colors didn’t match. We may be a little more color coordinated these days, but the bright neon colors are popular once again.

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The choker necklace was brought to popularity by the terribly chic goth girls of the ‘90s and they were adopted by all other girls around the world very quickly. Make sure to rummage through your mom’s high school box to see if she has one or three hiding somewhere because these necklaces have hit the fashion scene once again.

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When ‘90s teenage girls watched Cher Horrowitz sport the mini backpack in Clueless, we collectively got together and decided that we must all have one. And now they’re back in a big way. They’re small, they’re cute, convenient, and they hold all the things. What’s not to love?

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These are all listed in one category because they’ve all come back from the obscurity of the ‘90s. Try a pair of loose cargo pants with a close-fitting crop top and a pair of heels for a retro-chic look.

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Thanks to LL Cool J and the sitcom Blossom, bucket hats were one of the biggest clothing accessories of the ‘90s. Even better if it was paired with some baggy overalls or a matching tracksuit. Today, you can see that they’ve become a popular fashion item once again worn by celebrities such as Rhianna and Justin Timberlake.

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These were also made popular by Alicia Silverstone in the ‘90s hit Clueless. Knee socks were an accessory we couldn’t live without then and we can’t live without them now.

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Patent leather boots, platform sneakers, lace-up platforms, platform sandals – it didn’t matter. We loved them all! Check your mom’s shoe collection because these bad boys are back in style!

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Despite being one of the more confounding fashion trends of the ‘90s, fanny packs have made a huge comeback recently, although now they are typically worn cross-body instead of around the waist.

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These colorful hair accessories were the main way those of us growing up in the ‘90s put our hair up. We loved showing off the variety of scrunchies we owned. They came in different sizes and colors and could be matched with virtually any outfit. We’re happy to see this trend come back!

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The ‘90s were known for the skimpy clothes many girls were known to wear such as crop tops, spaghetti strap tank tops, and of course, the slip dress that left almost nothing to the imagination. Once made popular by designer Calvin Klein and model Cindy Crawford, these dresses are high fashion once again.

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In the 1990s, showing off your belly button was most definitely a trend—so it’s no surprise that crop tops and baby tees took the world by storm. Today, these short-cropped shirts are making the belly button popular all over again.

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Colorful track suits were worn by every age in the ‘90s. They became popular in the late ‘90s when musicians like Jay Z and the Spice Girls wore them in their music videos. As Timothee Chalamet of 2019’s Little Women proved on the Oscars red carpet this year, these suits are making a major fashion statement comeback.