Clothing

5 Stunning 90s Skirt Outfits that Inspired the Y2K Style

July 13, 2022

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Last Updated on July 13, 2022

With Y2K style being our current obsession, it’s no surprise that this Summer looks to be the season of the skirt. And like current events, the weather, and life in general lately, it’s also a season of extremes.

The midi stays strong, but hemlines are making a serious statement and micro and maxi are both vying for their moment in the sun. It’s hard to say which length will reign over your fashion parade but we’ve put together some looks inspired by your favorite decade that are as fresh today as your Friends at Central Perk in the nineties.

Clearly Miuccia Prada knows the micro mini is the antithesis of the sweat pant, and a much-needed antidote to the doldrums born of days locked indoors. Sexy never felt so much like medicine before: A breath of fresh air, an affirmation of life, or so utterly inclusive. Versace for Fendi, Blumarine, Missoni and others joined Miu Miu and Prada in sending the sweetest of nothings down the runway this Spring. The mini skirt started a revolution in the sixties-Today it celebrates our new-found freedom. Literally.

But while all shed layers as the weather warms, one thing we haven’t forgotten from lockdown, is the comfort of the cover up and just as some skirts are shrinking, others are sliding downhill fast. The maxi has officially hit the ground running as a strong contender for skirt silhouette of the season. Sported by J-lo and co, and sent sashaying down the catwalk at Peter Do, St Agni and others, the maxi, a staple of the nineties looks to be the most stylish way to slouch your way through this summer.

When it comes to hemlines, designers are setting an example our politicians could learn from by putting the choice firmly in our court. Whether you prefer to bare your legs or discreetly air your ankles, we’ve built some looks around key trends which also happen to have been big news in the nineties.

So, take your pick and say, Skirts? Yes please!

Contents

#1. The Satin Slip Skirt
#2. The Downtown Denim Skirt
#3. The Utility Skirt
#4. The Skirt Set
#5. Plaid Please

#1. The Satin Slip Skirt

If the satin slip dress was ubiquitous in the nineties, it’s baby sister, the slip skirt was just as popular. Taking inspiration from the half-slip, mandatory underwear for any half decent woman as soon as nylon coated calves were considered acceptable for public consumption, the only thing prim about the slip skirt of the nineties was its ladylike over the knee length.

Cut on the bias in luxurious satin, it clung to curves that belied its conservative proportions. Paired with Lingerie inspired tops and kitten heels the look was anything but demure. For a semblance of propriety, and possibly a chill in the air, a baby cardigan (tight and cropped) was thrown over it all. Three decades later the look hasn’t lost any of its appeal and it works just as well in any length.

The midi length is classic nineties and teamed with any variation of the lingerie style top, you can’t go wrong. Try a boned satin corset with a cowl neckline and chain straps matched with an animal print skirt and acrylic kitten heels or a lace overlay bralette top with a solid skirt and heeled mesh boots and you move the look thirty years on. And it works whether you take your hemline up or down.

If you aren’t brave enough to flaunt a Prada style oversized bow and train on your derriere, perhaps you’ll consider a satin mini skirt with cheeky thigh splits? Team it with a chocolate brown pleather corset top, ankle boots and a snakeskin nineties inspired Baguette bag and add some edge or go classic Grace Kelly and co-ordinate a satin bustier with a tonal satin wrap maxi skirt and strappy heels.

Whichever way you choose to wear it, this slip of a skirt is still a hit!

Read:

3 of My Favorite Prada 90s Dresses

12 Sexy 90s Outfits for Your Next Night Out

23 of the 90s Style Women’s Shoes We All Owned

#2. The Downtown Denim Skirt

Denim and Grunge go together like Courtney and Kurt. Courtney showed us how to rock a nightdress but who better than Kurt to inspire our nineties tomboy style. Classic Breton stripes, oval sunnies and worn-in converse work best with denim, the more distressed the better. Throw in a vintage style vest and a weathered tee or two, this look works with any skirt length.

Check Out: 90s Style Sunglasses, How Many Do You Remember?

#3. The Utility Skirt

The cargo pocket was nineties before it was Normcore. Believe it or not there was a time when it was an exciting new trend (which was long after it was military wear). Given its uber functionality, it’s not surprising that this detail has stuck, and the cargo pant has become as essential to every wardrobe as a good pair of jeans. But pockets on skirts? Hell yeah. They were a thing in the nineties and like all things Y2K, they’re back. Take a cue from Avril Lavigne’s Sk8ter Boi style (technically 00’s but it had it’s roots in the lead up) and layer on the flannels, a beanie and Vans or Birks on your feet. But swap out the oversized band tee for a spliced skinny tank and the cargo pocket skirt ‘fit suddenly looks fresh again.

Check Out: 90s Tank Tops – The Least Amount of Effort You Can Possibly Make

#4. The Skirt Set

A Y2K trend that has resurfaced is the matching set. Think girl groups TLC and Destiny’s Child at Every. Single. Music Awards Ceremony. For girls on the go, a coordinated work wardrobe is a no brainer. Ditto that on holiday when you’re having too much fun to give your outfit a second thought. The knit bralette is having a moment and a matching knit skirt is the obvious partner. Accessorize the look with butterfly inspired jewelry and body chains for a touch of millennial style. Throw on a hat, grab a basket for your gear, and you’re good to go. Just don’t forget the sunscreen.

Add to Your Outfit: The Best Prada Sunglasses for Any Occasion and Face Shape

#5. Plaid Please

Plaid is the pattern that epitomizes the nineties. The unisex flannel shirt looked just as cool thrown over a Pearl Jam tee as it did around cargo pocketed hips. But plaid worked hard for skirts too. Cher Horowitz’s iconic plaid skirt in Clueless set a trend copied by teenage girls everywhere whether it be a pleated tennis style mini a la Britney or a bias-cut midi on Helena Christensen as sent down the runway by Marc Jacobs for Perry Ellis in ‘94.

Whatever the style, plaid rocks when paired with other nineties classics: baby tees, skinny cardigans and chunky Docs. All you need to decide: Is it mini, midi or maxi?