Were the 90s really that great?

Just like nearly every other woman on the planet, I fell hard for American Love Story, the recent series about JFK Jr and Carolyn Bessette Kennedy's romance (although let's face it, it was CBK that most of us were interested in). The soundtrack, the setting, their tragic story and of course, the fashion got me hook, line and sinker. But, are we looking back 30-odd years with rose tinted glasses? Were the 90s really that great?

I think they were. I came of age, travelled a lot and went to uni in the 90s, so of course, they were going to be good, but they were also free in a way that life doesn't seem to be now. To see friends, to have fun, to flirt, to dance, you had to go out. In a world of five TV channels and dial up internet that was interrupted every time someone called, screens didn't hold the appeal that they do in 2026. You went out (on time, because no-one was sticking around if you were late), you talked, you laughed, you drank without fear of anyone filming you and putting it on social media, because it didn't exist. No phones meant proper interaction. No phones meant that you didn't feel bad that you'd missed out, because you probably didn't know. No phones meant that no-one saw my shockingly bad hair and fashion choices, because the one thing that's not true about the 90s is that everyone was well dressed, and that the whole decade was one incredible street catwalk.

The world pre-internet was smaller then, and as a teen growing up in the South of England, minimalist CBK style wasn't really on my radar, although during the first half of the decade, 90s grunge definitely was. And yet, it's the latter half of the 90s, that's really caught our nostalgic eye. The pared back reaction to 80s excess meant that the best fashion of the mid to late-90s was classic, timeless and incredibly elegant. CBK's wedding dress, Kate Moss's slip dresses, Jennifer Aniston's laid back vest and satin skirt combos look as good today as they did back then. In a world as noisy as ours is now, simple, effortless dressing holds a strong appeal and is also on trend this spring/summer. Here are our favourite 90s looks and our take on 90s style reimagined for 2026.

Rachel vest in white, £32, Rachel vest in navy £32, Rachel vest in khaki, £32, Tara satin skirt, £75, Rachel dress, £79.

Iris shirt, £63 (down from £85), Becca jeans, £66.50 (down from £95), Evie shirt, £68, down from £85, Clara trousers, £45 (down from £95).

Pia cami, £55.