The 1990s skating craze emerged as a level-up from the 1970s birth of skateboarding due to the new freestyle skateboards that allowed added speed and control. At that time, it was more common for teens to skateboard than to play basketball. Skateboarding became a much cooler pastime, and a subculture of skaters emerged that claimed suburbs as if they were skateparks.
The soliciting street culture exploded further when skateboarding began appealing to broader youth culture, and styles emulated these changing trends. Skateboard iconic characters emerged on television and film, music videos, and video games. All of this media attention added to the interest in skateboarding fashion.
Skaters of the 90s caught the eyes of fashion immensely, to the point that even those who didn’t skate wanted to get the look. Baggy jeans, ballooning shorts, and washed-out shirts were very cool, so cool that the 90s skater aesthetic continues to live on today, with modern trends of these 90s looks at the forefront of streetwear and brands like CZT. For more information on the decade’s fashion, read on for a glimpse into the world of 90s skater fashion.
A Glimpse Into The World Of 90s Skater Fashion
Oversized Tops And Pants
The most well-known style of 90s skater fashion was baggy, oversized clothes. Both pants and shirts were loose so that skaters could move freely as they skated, did tricks, and looked cool doing it all. Cargo pants were a go-to choice because they allowed skaters to move comfortably. These pants were often worn with tee shirts displaying intense graphics with witty phrases or logos of popular skate brands.
Popular Skate Shoes Of 90s Skater Fashion
Footwear was almost exclusive to skateboarding shoes, which had flat soles with grip and comfort. The combinations of these features allowed skaters to move with stability as they skated. Notable brands of today even made popular skater shoes then. These flat shoes allowed skaters to maintain protection, comfort, and agility as they moved.
Most of the skate shoes for 90s skater fashion included padded collars and sturdy soles, all of which supported their control of the board. A popular shoe fabric pattern was checkerboard, which became another fashion must for skaters during the 90s. The padded collars also allowed the shoes to remain in good shape and prevented them from wearing out over time. The checkerboard print, which became a sought-after fashion element for skate shoes, is still a skateboard fashion must-have today.
Skatewear Fashion Accessories
Accessories for 90s skater fashion included beanies, bucket hats, and chain wallets. The combination of rebellious but loose-fitting accessories expressed the same concept as the rest of skatewear fashion: being unapologetically yourself. These accessories allowed skaters of the time to showcase their skateboard-focused attitudes and chill fashion aesthetics, which both remain hallmark components of skateboarding culture and streetwear fashion today.
Skatewear Fashion: Empowering Individuality Since 1990
The 90s skater fashion trends continue to influence streetwear and other fashion trends today. The reckless, self-expressive skater aesthetic was as much a testament to empowering the individual than as it is today.
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