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Not sure what to wear to a 90s party on the horizon? Get inspired with our fun and creative costume ideas that you can DIY at home, guaranteed to turn up the nostalgia factor for some serious throwback fun with friends and guests.
What to Wear to a 90s Party
Popular 90s Outfit Ideas
1. The Mask
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Jim Carrey’s ‘The Mask’ was released in 1994 and achieved instant icon status. The green-faced rascal makes for a fun and relatively easy costume for a 90s party.
All you need is a bright yellow suit with a matching fedora hat (who doesn’t have one of those around at the back of their closet?!) and a full covering of vibrant green face paint. As the Mask would say, “you can’t make the scene if you don’t have the green.”
2. Wayne’s World
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Wayne and Garth from Wayne’s World are two of the most popular costumes for a 90s-themed party. No way! Way!
Pick up a Wayne’s World baseball cap online along with a wig of brown hair, and convince a blonde friend to be your sidekick with a pair of glasses and drumsticks for accessories. Totally awesome, dude.
3. Axel Rose
If you just so happen to have long tresses of strawberry blonde hair, then Axel Rose is the perfect 90s icon to emulate at a party. Just wrap a bandana around your head and wear a scowl on your face.
Scribble on your arms with some washable ink pens for faux tattoos, and people will be welcoming you to the jungle all night long.
Fun 90s Outfit Ideas
4. There’s Something About Mary
The unforgettable scene in ‘There’s something about Mary,’ where Cameron Diaz’s hair seemingly defies gravity, is instantly recognizable as one of the most memorable on-screen moments of the ’90s.
Bag the strongest setting hairspray you can get your hands on, and pair it with a red dress to replicate this look and be the talk of your 90’s party.
5. Baywatch
Want to make a splash at a 90’s party? Nothing says ‘look at me’ quite like rocking up in a bright red swimsuit. Channel your inner Pamela with a coy smile and grip onto a buoyancy aid for dear life.
Male lifeguards, do your best Hoff impression by sticking a curly wig to your pecs for faux chest hair and practice your smoldering gaze.
6. Ace Ventura
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Ace Ventura Pet Detective is undoubtedly a 90’s icon whose shoes would be a lot of fun to step into. Don a Hawaiian print shirt and style your hair into an extreme quiff. Alllllrighty then!
7. Mario and Luigi
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Mario and Luigi are the main characters in Mario Kart games, and although they aren’t strictly speaking solely 90’s creations, arguably their popularity was at its height in this decade. Gamers relive your youth by imitating this animated duo at a 90’s themed bash.
Unique 90s Outfit Ideas
8. Sex and the City
Sex and the City first aired toward the end of the 90s in 1998, and the fashion was a huge influence on a whole generation.
If you want to attend a ’90s party wearing clothing that stands out from the crowd, mimic some of Carrie’s most noteworthy looks, such as the tutu with a pale pink vest, stilettos, and of course the unforgettable oversized flower pin.
9. Kenan and Kel
Millennials who grew up in the Nickelodeon era will feel nostalgic at the thought of Kenan and Kel. Who loves orange soda? Kel loves orange soda!
Team up with your best friend and wear baggy brightly colored tracksuits, or invest in some Good Burger costumes. And of course, don’t forget the essential accessory: a bottle of orange soda.
10. Sabrina the Teenage Witch
Another Nickelodeon classic of the 90s is Melissa Joan Hart reprising the role of Sabrina the Teenage Witch.
This unique costume for a ’90s party is easy to create with a plaid skirt and a long-sleeved top, along with a witches hat leftover from Halloween. Bonus points if you carry around a stuffed black cat toy called ‘Salem’ with you all night.
11. Men in Black
If you have to attend a 90s-themed party but don’t want to spend any money on buying or creating an outfit, then Men in Black is the right choice for you.
Simply wear any black suit you already own with a white shirt, dark sunglasses, and a regular pen which you refer to as ‘the neuralyzer.’
90s Outfit Ideas for Women
12. Schoolgirl Britney
‘Hit me baby, one more time’ was released in 1998 and became a global hit almost overnight. The accompanying music video was a standout piece of ’90s history, with Britney dressed as a naughty schoolgirl and singing with her sad puppy dog eyes right into the camera.
Recreate this look for a ’90s party by wearing a school uniform, with the shirt unbuttoned to an almost indecent level, and tied at the middle to reveal your midriff. Braided bunches in your hair are essential.
13. Spice Girls
If you have a group of girlfriends attending a 90s party then unleash your girl power with a Spice Girls tribute. Designate Sporty Spice to your friend who loves her tracksuit, and drape your Scary Spice in leopard print lycra.
Posh Spice should sport a little black dress and avoid smiling at all costs, while Ginger Spice will need a red wig and a dress made from a Union Jack flag. Baby Spice should be adorned in anything pink and fluffy, with blonde pigtails. Step into character and zig-a-zig-aaah.
14. Vogue
Madonna is known for continually reinventing her look, but one of her most iconic styles of the 90s was epitomized in the music video for ‘Vogue’. The look was based on New York underground fashion, exploring the line between masculinity and femininity.
Wear a Vogue-inspired outfit to a 90s party using straight black suit pants, a black bra, and a black blazer. Strike a pose.
15. Clueless
Cher Horowitz and Dionne Davenport were a 90’s iconic duo. This pair of well-intentioned, ditzy, fashion-forward females make for brilliant 90s costume inspiration.
To recreate Cher, you will need a yellow plaid skirt suit, and Dionne should be coordinated in a similar black plaid skirt suit. If you happen to have a feather boa laying around, throw that on too for good measure.
16. Pretty Woman
A 90’s themed party is your chance to dress like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman. You’ll need a very tight, very short lycra dress, and over-the-knee high-heeled boots.
90s Outfit Ideas for Men
17. Fresh Prince
In West Philadelphia, born and raised, was the inspiration for your next 90s party outfit. Arguably one of the comedic highlights of the 90s was this lovable character in fairly wacky clothing.
Base your 90s party fashion on the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air with neon-colored t-shirts, bright baggy pants, and a baseball cap styled at an unusual angle. Carry a basketball around with you for authenticity.
18. Edward Scissorhands
Go 90s gothic with an outfit inspired by Edward Scissorhands. Skin-tight black clothing and a head of messy black hair is the basis for this look, but of course, regular fingers are going to be problematic.
Make your own scissor hands by gluing a few pairs of scissors to some black winter gloves, or for the more safety-conscious among us, cut out lengths of cardboard that look like scissors and use these instead.
19. Austin Powers
The character of Austin Powers has such a unique look that nobody will need more than one guess to figure out who inspired your 90s party clothing.
Opt for a velvet or velour suit in a rich shade of blue or purple, along with a white ruffled shirt underneath. Thick-framed black glasses and a false set of crooked teeth will take this outfit to the next level. Groovy, baby!
20. Hulk Hogan
Hulk Hogan was the pinnacle of the ’90s era for a lot of young kids who idolized him. Copy this wrestler’s style with an outfit made from red and yellow lycra, along with a matching bandana, bleach blonde hair, and a handlebar mustache.
21. Hanson
Band together with two of your friends to recreate the 90’s look of this trio of brothers. Mmmbop your way through the party with long blonde hair, corduroy shirts, and surfer-style choker necklaces.
90s Outfit Ideas for Couples
22. Ross and Rachel
‘Friends’ hit our screens in 1994 and has never left. If you and your other half want to dress up as one of the most popular couples of the 90s then Ross and Rachel are a great choice.
For Ross, you will need heavily gelled hair, and leather pants from *that* episode, while Rachel could choose from a number of figure-flattering outfits and a ‘Central Perk’ apron. Bonus points for carrying around a toy monkey named Marcelle on your shoulder, and repeatedly shouting, “pivot!”
23. Zach and Kelly
Zach and Kelly from Saved by the Bell make for an awesome 90s couples party inspiration. Zach will need baggy acid-washed jeans and a brightly colored t-shirt, while Kelly could wear a Bayside High cheerleaders outfit or an off-the-shoulder dress.
Big back-combed hair is essential for Kelly, while Zach should never be seen without his enormous early 90s cell phone.
24. Woody and Jessie
For a more playful couples costume for a 90’s party, go as Woody and Jessie from Toy Story. Unless you have cowboy and cowgirl outfits hanging around at home, this might be a tricky look to make yourself, but there are plenty of options available online. Just be sure to stay away from anyone named Stinky Pete.
25. Justin and Britney
These pop megastars were dating from 1998 to 2002 and were an iconic couple of this era. Attend a 90s party dressed as Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears by wearing head-to-toe matching denim outfits and sparkly cowboy hats.
If you really want to commit, guys book yourself in at the salon for a permed hairdo with frosted tips.
More 90s Outfit Ideas
26. Chokers
One of the biggest fashion crazes of the 90s was choker necklaces. If you don’t want to imitate a particular figure from the 90s, then instead wear an extreme amount of blue eyeshadow, bubblegum pink lipstick, and a number of black chokers around your neck.
27. Tracksuits
You could not walk down the street for more than five minutes without seeing a tracksuit of some kind in the 1990s. If you’re struggling for a 90s party costume, throw on a tracksuit, preferably in a bold color, and you’ll look hella fly, aiight.
28. Cowboy Hats
Cowboy hats have long been a staple of the western wardrobe, but throughout the 90s they made their way into mainstream popular culture. Throw on a cowboy hat in any color and instantly transform into a 90’s style idol.
29. Grunge
Grunge was a huge theme throughout the 1990s, from grunge music through to grunge fashion. Put together an easy outfit for your next 90’s party by combining a mixture of black clothes that look like they have seen better days, with the occasional plaid item, heavy Dr. Martens boots, and unwashed hair.
Plaster an expression on your face that says you are too cool for school and voila, 90s chic with minimal effort.
The 90s was undoubtedly a unique decade for fashion, music, and culture, and these 90s costume ideas are certain to bring plenty of smiles to the faces of everyone at the party.
Embrace your inner 90s child or teenager, get creative with what you have at home, and bring your very own dose of 90s-themed magic to the party!
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- Best Dress-Up Party Costume Ideas for Adults
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- Best Party Themes for Adults
Got a 90s party coming up and stuck for costume ideas? Keep this article for safekeeping by saving it to one of your fancy dress or DIY costume Pinterest boards.
