Once Upon A Time…

By: Jennifer Creel

It’s the 1990s. I throw on a pair of khakis, a button-down white shirt, a long gold chain, and loafers. Kate Moss is on the cover of Vogue, Madonna is playing on the radio, and I have no idea what a cell phone is.

Sarah Pidgeon and paul Anthony Kelly in Love Story

This was a simpler time, when the grandiose aesthetic of the ’80s—poofy sleeves, shoulder pads, big hair, and loud colors—was laid to rest. The ’90s pivoted the standard of beauty to classic and natural, with a minimalist look that didn’t try too hard. The goal was cool-girl effortlessness, and the “natural American beauty” became the new icon.

With all the rage of FX’s hit show Love Story, we’re reminded of the intentional simplicity of the 1990s. John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette were the ultimate power couple, with a quiet grace and understated elegance. During this decade, fashion jumped to the forefront of media, and under Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour, Vogue became a global authority in the fashion industry. We all knew the faces of the supermodels of the day—Christy Turlington, Linda Evangelista, Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, to name a few.

Creel in the 1990s

I remember the ’90s fondly. It was such an exciting time to be in New York City! Restaurants and clubs were the “see and be seen” gathering spots. Parties seemed to be happening all the time, and we knew how to have fun.

Getting dressed was easier back then. The focus was on making your accessories pop over a clean, minimal, and tailored canvas. Jackie O remained an icon, with oversize sunglasses and scarves on her head. I remember seeing her toggled chain for the first time, and I loved the classic ease that was bold in its own right.

Minimalism and simplicity in fashion didn’t mean you couldn’t be sexy. Calvin Klein ads were everywhere with Kate Moss, so alluringly natural and unfiltered. Loose beach hair and slouchy boyfriend jeans defined the classic American girl as much as Bessette’s chic and glam silhouette in designer dresses.

It’s now 2026. Let’s not even count how many years have passed. The ’90s seem like only yesterday, and we’re longing for simpler times—before the Internet, before social media, when every move wasn’t documented and critiqued. Today I’ll throw on my khakis and button-down white shirt, with my own long gold chain and loafers. Still in style, perhaps the 1990s never left and instead remained in our core, imprinted as “the good old days” of high fashion, offering low effort and some fantastic memories.