90s underwear: trends and films
In the '90s, style trends were often highlighted by films, music videos and print magazines.
What are the characteristics of underwear from back then, and how is it reinterpreted in the collections of lingerie companies?
Imagining ourselves on a time machine, we will retrace some of the most famous films of the Nineties, in which underwear was an important symbol of that period.
90s underwear: trends and films
Raise your hand if you haven't seen the 1990 film Pretty Woman , with the unforgettable Julia Roberts and her Prince Charming Richard Gere. Among the underwear she quickly got rid of, the balcony bra made of lace stood out. The underwire model became very popular in a very short time, and all the women loved how it enhanced the décolleté in a refined and elegant way.
In the 1990s, lace lingerie was the must-have for all women who, depending on their physicality, tolerated even uncomfortable underwires, just to feel a bit like Julia!
Since 90s underwear very much followed the trends of the films of the time, satin and lace lingerie, proposed in films of the mid-90s such as Four Weddings and a Funeral , with Hugh Grant and Andie McDowell, A Woman in career with Sigourney-Weaver, To Die For with Nicole Kidman, favored a boom in suits in silk, satin and lace, from which combinations were born that were often elegant, sometimes questionable but which, in most cases, met the taste of the women of that period . Wearing a simple white satin slip with very thin straps, like Kim Basinger in 9 1/2 Weeks , they felt like they were a bit of an actress too.
To date, lace lingerie has returned to the fore, revived by fashion houses with a softer fit linked to comfort. From the pink satin slip, edged with lace, to the complete balcony bra and high-waisted panties, 90s-style women's underwear is linked to trends and films of the time, but with a better fit and refinement without ostentation.
Underwear and top models of the 90s
Have you ever looked at photos of the beautiful top models of the Nineties, Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista, Christy Turlington in underwear or swimsuits? I always thought they had very long legs! Of course nature was generous to them, but they also had a secret! They wore briefs and very high-cut swimsuits that made their legs and figures in general slimmer. So throughout the decade, the must have, from lingerie to beachwear, was to wear high-waisted, high-cut briefs.
And then how can we forget the super model Eva Herzigova who became the protagonist of the successful advertising campaign for the Wonderbra bra in 1994. Where she wore a strictly high-cut black lace bra and panties. And she invited men to look her in the eyes!
The bodysuit in the 90s
In the 90s, one item in particular literally made the female public lose their minds, and not only that: it was the bodysuit. Strictly high-cut and available in the most diverse formulas: in lace, satin and lace, very light and transparent synthetic textures, with or without a balcony, like a corset, with garter belt or hook closure. How can we forget the semi-transparent white bodysuit worn by a very young Charlize Theron in Two Days Without Breath in 1996.
Since then, the see-through effect has never seen a decline and, in current fashion trends, semi-transparent bodysuits play a leading role.
The trends of the 90s are back in fashion
Today, many luxury and non-luxury fashion brands are inspired by the fashion of the 90s.
The new Gucci underwear collection, despite its diaphanous and androgynous allure, shows a return of lace and high-waisted briefs.
The bodysuits offered by La Perla are elegant, sexy and never vulgar: made entirely of lace, they enhance the female figure and enhance it in the right places.
More practical are the bodysuits offered by the French brands, Etam and Chantelle , which are a perfect combination of comfort and elegance.
Maison Lejaby offers sets with non-wired bras and high-waisted panties, in black, nude or total white broderie anglaise. Designed for today's woman, who doesn't want to give up femininity and elegance even when she goes to the supermarket, they guarantee the comfort that, in the Nineties, one would never have expected from lace underwear.
From the latest lingerie fashion shows, we understand how the inspiration from 90s underwear is very present in the minds and hearts of fashion designers.
The look at the Nineties seems to give a clean slate to the prevailing minimalism of the recent period, and wink at an ultra-refined look, in which the contemporary woman can feel like a true queen, above all contingencies, context or categorization. This is demonstrated by the entirely lace collections dedicated to curvy women. This is a substantial difference compared to 90s underwear, in which trends saw women as an almost non-human entity, cold and shapeless and who had to conform to an ideal and idealized silhouette.
The lingerie collections available on Zalando, Asos and single-brand stores show lace bras for women with cups up to G. The collection that the oversized top model Ashley Graham created for Addition Elle should be mentioned. Also elegant and with a high wearability, they hark back on the one hand to the Nineties and, on the other, finally denote attention to curvy women, who love to wear refined underwear suited to their silhouette.
