Continuing our journey through jewelry styles of past decades, in this installment we will focus on a decade not so distant, just “30 years ago” – on the extraordinary 1990s. It was a time when nameplate pendants and thread bracelets reigned, Gothic crosses adorned the outfits of most actors and celebrities, and the band Nirvana celebrated triumphs on the charts, forever linking grunge music with chokers, safety pins, and flannel shirts in the fashion history books.
Main fashion trends of the last decade of the 20th century
The 90s were a fascinating period in fashion. True, during the first half of the decade, neon colors and oversized clothes straight from the 80s reigned, but in the second half, the 90s slowly began to find their own identity.This was contributed to by the significantly growing role of television and the press: the music channel MTV enjoyed great popularity, becoming a mecca of style and inspiration for kids around the world, and in the press – especially European – news from the world of fashion was provided by youth magazines, such as ‘Bravo’, which teenagers read with excitement, regardless of gender. All of this influenced the fact that jewelry in the 1990s It became deeply eclectic and spread like wildfire thanks to its affordability. Literally anyone could wear stacks of twisty, colorful bracelets, stick on a fake tattoo, or make a necklace out of Hawaiian puka shells.
The hottest jewelry trends of the 90s became iconic thanks to ultra-famous chokers, endless layers of necklaces, large hoop earrings, gemstone pendants, mood-changing rings, and many other items that jewelry pieces were made from.
Chokers
One of the hallmarks of 1990s fashion – plastic cords braided into delicate patterns, proudly worn around the neck. However, their role as a fashion accessory did not stop in the 90s; they continued their stylish expansion into the early 2000s. Today, when anyone can create their own “fashion statement” and play with their preferred era of fashion, the 90s choker once again plays a leading role in street style and vintage fashion.
Gemstone pendants
Perhaps one of the hottest jewelry trends of the 1990s was pendants with gemstones. In the era of “Sabrina the Teenage Witch,” “Harry Potter,” “The Lord of the Rings,” and a huge array of other magic-inspired TV shows and film series, it’s easy to see why this jewelry trend experienced such a boom in the 90s. Can anyone really forget how perfectly a pendant featuring the gemstone of your birth month matched with your favorite black choker?
Colorful bracelets
Thanks to famous pop singers from the 90s, colorful bracelets became a permanent part of our fashion memory. Candy bracelets, “jelly” snakes, and neon colors – which child of the 90s didn’t love wearing them?A swarm of colorful bracelets in neon shades is currently making a spectacular comeback in the fashion world; however, unlike their crazy counterparts from the 90s, colorful bracelets today offer a somewhat more subtle look, as can be seen on the runways of the best and most famous ready-to-wear designers.
Plastic fantastic: Rings
They were usually made of resin or plastic, in neon, shiny, or gradient shades, with lots of various additions, such as glitter, artificial flowers, gemstones, gold applications, and many more. The absolute favorites were the ones that looked like crystals.They were huge (sometimes even catching on clothes!), shone with a bright, reflected sparkle, brightening up the day and mood ☺ You could fish them out of vending machines that were in every hypermarket and at the entrances to beaches in Baltic resorts, or you could also buy them in renowned fashion boutiques.
Hoop earrings
If you remember the ’90s, you probably also wore silver hoops; the bigger, the better!
Around 1992, hip-hop music reached the heights of the mainstream, popularizing baggy jeans, oversized hoodies, heavy jewelry studded with diamonds and other gemstones, and all kinds of sportswear – the attributes of any self-respecting rapper. Because the musicians behind this type of music mostly came from various ethnic backgrounds – mainly Latino and African American – jewelry elements, such as very large hoop earrings, became a fashion hit and were worn by artists around the world, such as Beyoncé from Destiny’s Child and Christina Aguilera.
Despite considerable competition in the stylish accessories section, these earrings could not be outclassed by small, dangling decorations. It’s no wonder that hoops were among the first to come back into fashion along with the trend for the 90s.
Custom jewelry
Interestingly, the 90s style was heavily inspired by the 60s, which means that many jewelry choices were similar to what was fashionable during the time our parents were children! Lots of bright colors, large gemstones, plastic rings, and bracelets. Sounds familiar, right? ☺ So for those of you tired of some jewelry: don’t throw it away, keep it! Soon it may turn out that it will come back into fashion or be a wonderful vintage-style accessory to wear later!However, if you prefer contemporary jewelry, we encourage you to contact our designer, who will create a unique jewelry design with you, inspired by the crazy 90s!