Living Your Life Like It’s 1999
In 1982 Prince proclaimed that we should party like it’s 1999, and although it was a total tune a lot of people were thinking, ‘Why 1999? That’s like, forever away dude!’ If you existed in 1982, I apologise, I wasn’t there and according to movies of that era this is how everybody spoke…. Since then, 1999 has come and gone existing only as a distant memory. As time passes trends come and go, but I’ve noticed that the 90s are back in a big way. It’s not uncommon that we yearn for our childhood and adolescent years, when things were not as hard and your mum did all your laundry for you.
This sense of nostalgia can cause past fashions to recur every so often, however this 90s resurgence has been going on for a long time and although I’m not mad at it, it makes me wonder...why? What is the attraction of high waisted mom jeans and shell necklaces? This decade not only appeals to the people who remember it fondly, but also to younger generations that hadn’t even been born yet. I have a few theories if you will entertain me, as we swagger down memory lane like Liam Gallagher going to the pub on a Saturday night.
Firstly, Britain was governed by Labour for the majority of the 90s and they introduced a lot of great schemes and policies to help the everyman (or wo-man). This era of ‘New Labour’ saw greater financial support for the NHS, public schools and Police services, as well as the introduction of Minimum Wage which created a fairer working environment for the majority of the population. In addition to providing more support for our vital services, they also implemented the Civil Partnerships Act, the Equality Act and the Human Rights Act which strengthened their manifesto to create a Britain where the wealth was fairly distributed and with more work opportunities for all. And of course, when society is given the support and attention that it needs from their government, quality of life improves in both a financial and spiritual sense.
On the flip side, in a post 1980s world a lot of people were rejecting the capitalist consumerism that was spreading across the globe. This suspicion and lack of faith in the world’s leaders caused people to rise up through art and protest. There was a prominent DIY movement that counteracted the ‘consume or be consumed’ way of life that many people refused to buy into (pun intended). I think that people today identify with this idea of foregoing the norm and striking out against the powers that be. The only difference being how we go about it; instead of making a zine and handing it out to passers by, people communicate their thoughts through blogging or podcasts. Over the past decade, people have been more vocal than ever about the major issues affecting our world and our society - Me Too, Black Lives Matter, the fight against Climate Change. I think people look back and relate to that sense of alternative community, taking their lives back into their own hands.
Now let’s move onto the good stuff - the music! The 90s was a kaleidoscope of diverse musical efforts including, but not limited to grunge, dance/ rave, pop-punk, Brit Pop, hip-hop, cheesy pop, something for everybody. Many different social and cultural groups were being represented, both in the mainstream and in alternative arenas - it was an eclectic musical explosion! It might just be nostalgia talking but regardless of genre, music of that time seemed to have an air of positivity about it. Whether it was the sweet melodies or the relevant lyrics, those songs gave you hope at the very least. Even when Kurt Cobain growled about his internal suffering, it was comforting to know that you weren’t the only person in the world who felt like that.
Music of that era has influenced a whole new generation of musicians, and there are so many songs out there that sound like they have gone through a 90s sound filter. If you dig around on Spotify, you will find a never ending list of bands and artists who’s promo photo looks like the back of an alternative rock album from 1996 - even though the band members were still wearing nappies in 1996!
Music has always been a reflection of the time in which it was made. However through the then relatively new phenomena of MTV, music could also be presented through iconic music videos and started to become as important as the music itself. This shift in the industry compliments how we live our lives now in a visual world, where watching Youtube clips whilst you’re sat on the toilet is perfectly acceptable! The 90s was arguably the first decade where artists began to invest more money and effort into their music videos, and these videos now act as a perfect polaroid snap shot of culture then. When you hear Smells Like Teen Spirit you think of a hazey gymnasium and Can’t Touch This inspired people to shuffle about awkwardly in silly trousers for years to come.
Much like the music scene of the 90s the clothing options were also varied, from cute dresses and fluffy hair clips to lumberjack shirts and trousers so massive that they could be mistaken for the big top in a travelling circus. I don’t know about you, but when I look back at my childhood photos I wonder why I wore green shiny cycling shorts and a t- shirt that was eight sizes too big for me. However now girls half my age are sporting similar outfits on their Instagram and as baffling as it seems, that sort of mis-matched, lady of leisure chic is back in style!
Just look at Iggy Azalea's video for ‘Fancy’, a wonderful throw back to the iconic teen flick ‘Clueless’. The colour coordinated outfits and the fluffy pens are a breath of fresh air in today’s overwhelmingly serious world. Another example is the music video for ‘Finesse’ by Bruno Mars, where the overall aesthetic is an obvious homage to ‘In Living Colour’ which was a prominent sketch comedy show in the early 90s. There are lots of bright colours, baggy clothes and bold prints, all complimented by some excellent 90s hip-hop inspired dance moves. Although there were some bold choices, the general appeal of fashion during that time is that it was relaxed, natural and usually pretty comfortable. This is a stark contrast to the trends of fake tan and low-rider jeans that I faced during my teenage years - terrifying stuff! Today most of us are gunning for an existence where everybody can comfortably and openly be themselves, and I think this diversity and open expression is very attractive to us.
I think the biggest appeal of that decade is we can still identify with a lot of the reference points, but romanticize this final moment in history where social media and easy internet access did not exist. Technology acting as the gateway to knowledge and communication is generally seen as a positive thing, but it has its downsides. A teenager no longer needs to cycle to the library to do their history homework, they can just use their phone to research. However, there are a thousand different opinions and points of view out there, so how do you know which voices are credible and which ones are just the ramblings of a conspiracy theorist blogger? People of today have a huge responsibility, because they can no longer stick their heads in the sand about anything - climate change, the effects of the dairy industry and various injustices around the world. Young people now have an enormous weight on their shoulders to fix the messes made by generations past, and they can’t escape it.
This technology has been so embedded into our culture that we struggle to function without it. We therefore idealize a time when we had more anonymity and when we made more deliberate acts. Instead of endlessly scrolling through Netflix, you rented out a film from Blockbuster, and instead of aimlessly flicking through Spotify you committed to an album and listened to it all the way through - no skipping allowed. Technology is supposed to make our lives simpler, but physical keepsakes are so important in a world where all our treasured memories and connections are locked inside a device. No need for photo albums when you take all your photos on your phone, no need to ask for directions when you have Google Maps, no need to awkwardly ask someone out when you can just swipe right.
I will hold up my hands and say that I am biased in terms of my feelings about anything 90s related. Then again just look around at the hoards of young people walking around with streaky highlights and Tupac hoodies on. To them the world can be an overwhelming place where you are always being watched and judged, and not just by the people you actually know! I don’t blame them for glorifying a simpler time with great music, fun fashion and, most importantly - tamagotchis!
Written by Katie McFaul
After travelling from place to place (much like Madonna in ‘Desperately Seeking Susan’), Katie finally settled in Bristol and spends her time helping animals in need, eating biscuits and constantly being late for everything. Her likes include vegan cuisine, movies of any description and writing god awful poetry. Her dislikes include slow walkers, narrowmindedness and talking about herself in the third person.