| Yeah, yeah, I know. The nineties weren't all THAT long | | | | fashions, too. Punk styles included wildly dyed, spiky, |
| ago, but nostalgia for the decade has become all the | | | | short hair, lots of leather and black clothing. Goths |
| rage in themed parties for everyone from college | | | | preferred hair dyed jet black, and dressing in black |
| students to the Over-the-Hill Gang. Prince gave us that | | | | from head to toe. Preppies, on the other hand, |
| great party dance tune, "1999" and you, too, can party | | | | preferred dying their hair blonde and wearing khakis |
| like it's the 90's all over again. | | | | and Tommy Hilfiger's styles. Somehow, the Hawaiian |
| Clothing - Fashion know-it-alls claim that the nineties | | | | shirt, with its bright colors and bold prints, made it atop |
| didn't really have a style, going so far as to call it the | | | | many a pair of khaki cargo pants. |
| decade of "anti-fashion." It seemed we were nostalgic | | | | Sounds of the Nineties - No party would be complete |
| for days gone by as the millennium neared its end. | | | | without some tunes on the sound system. You and |
| Clothing trends in the 90's tended to be a bit on the | | | | your guests will need some sounds of the nineties to |
| extreme side, and often bizarrely overlapping, as in the | | | | groove to once you're all dressed up (or down, |
| denim overalls of both the grunge rockers and the | | | | whichever the case may be.) Music styles of the 90's |
| retro-hippies. Trends also seemed to change every | | | | were as varied as the fashions, and seemed to |
| two or three years, making 90's fashion a bit difficult to | | | | change about as often. The early years of the decade |
| pin down overall, but very distinct in its variety. Pick one | | | | were characterized by hip-hop and techno with |
| fashion look as your overall theme, or give your guests | | | | numbers by MC Hammer, Tone Loc and Technotronic |
| choices from one of these trends. | | | | dominating the airways. These were soon replaced by |
| The grunge rock look | | | | the darker, brooding, hopelessness of grunge rock, as |
| The grunge rockers came out of the Pacific | | | | bands such as Nirvana, Soundgarden and Pearl Jam |
| Northwest filled with angst, sporting long, un-kept hair, | | | | took over. It only took a few years, however, before |
| and wearing plaid flannel shirts with their denim jeans | | | | the moodiness of grunge was replace by "happy rock" |
| and Doc Marten boots. Darker colors were a signature | | | | brought on the scene by Hootie and the Blowfish, |
| of the style as it featured maroons, forest greens, | | | | Sister Hazel, and The Bodeans. So-called "Bubblegum" |
| navy blues, browns and blacks. Fashion designers got | | | | pop, much of it served up by "boy bands" finished off |
| into the act and soon plaid flannel was seen | | | | the decade. Britney Spears fought for number one on |
| everywhere, from shorts to hooded sweatshirts to | | | | the charts with the likes of The Backstreet Boys, 98 |
| long-sleeve tees. High top sneakers in colors like red, | | | | Degrees and N'Sync. Country music also gained a |
| black and indigo rounded out the look, along with the | | | | resurgence in popularity, with huge stars such as Garth |
| denim jacket. While the fashions were mostly unisex in | | | | Brooks, Brooks and Dunn, and Reba Macintire selling |
| look, the long, straight locks of the grunge rockers didn't | | | | out stadium shows around the world. With such a wide |
| quite make it onto the mainstream men's scene. The | | | | range of styles and artists to choose from, you can |
| ladies, though, did leave behind the highly styled looks | | | | keep the party going all night long without a single |
| of the 80's and embraced the simpler style. | | | | repeated song. |
| The retro hippie look | | | | Food of the Nineties - Whether your 90's themed |
| Tie dye made a comeback in 1990, and with it came | | | | event is a sit down dinner, a buffet or just snacks and |
| the looks of the 60's. The hippie fashion scene was in | | | | munchies while you party hearty, the nineties had |
| full force by the middle of the decade. Peace signs, bell | | | | something to offer. Fusion cooking became popular, |
| bottoms, "Lennon" shades, large hoop earrings and | | | | mixing ethnic styles and flavors. You might find an |
| fringed leather jackets made their way onto runways | | | | Italian pasta dish served with an Asian sauce and |
| and fashion magazines, too. Hippies young and old | | | | followed with a rich French chocolate dessert. Martha |
| made the long, strange trip of the 60's styles new and | | | | Stewart brought back simple, home cooked foods - |
| "hip" again. | | | | cherry pie, meatloaf, Sunday chicken dinners. And who |
| The rapper look | | | | can forget the nineties obsession with "healthy" snack |
| By the mid-nineties, the street-wise fashions of the | | | | foods. Everything from Fritos to Taco Bell went |
| rappers began to dominate over grunge style. Black | | | | low-fat, fat-free or reduced calorie. I wouldn't advise |
| hooded sweatshirts, black high top running shoes, | | | | serving rice cakes, but your guests may feel just a bit |
| baseball caps on backwards were key looks. Bell | | | | more nostalgic with baked potato chips, fat free salsa |
| bottoms were replaced by wide legged jeans. Wrap | | | | and blue corn nachos. |
| around shades replaced the Lennon look and jerseys | | | | Fun and Games - Nineties Style - The most fun doings |
| from nearly every sport from baseball to golf were | | | | at nostalgic themed parties are trivia games. Do you |
| the new "in" thing. Everything was big, baggy, and black | | | | know who the "Rachel" haircut was named after? Or |
| and white. | | | | who was the pregnant, female police chief in the |
| The 70's show | | | | movie "Fargo?" What date did the Oklahoma City |
| By 1996, the 70's had replaced the 60's as the retro | | | | bombing occur? Make up your own or get your hands |
| decade of choice. Baby doll t-shirts in pastels or bright | | | | on the 1990's edition of Trivial Pursuit.You might enjoy |
| yellows, greens, pinks and oranges, stripes and bold | | | | one of the DVD trivia games based on Seinfeld or |
| prints, shoes and boots with thick, chunky heels, and hip | | | | Friends, too, for a more focused look at some of the |
| hugging flare-legged jeans were the things to be seen | | | | 90's most popular television. |
| in. Peace signs and happy faces reigned in | | | | Planning and having a 1990's themed event needn't |
| accessories. | | | | leave you wishing it was 1999 all over again. Enjoy the |
| Punks, Goths and Preppies, Oh my! | | | | excitement and relive a bit of the nostalgia for the |
| The 90's also saw a revival of punk, Goth and preppie | | | | decade that seemed to be nostalgic itself! |