90S STYLE WEEK: Accessories that are All That and a Bag of Chips
Aug 20, 2012 - by Melissa Hebin
Theres something wonderfully tacky about 90s accessories. As hilarious as we find them now, 20 years ago, beepers were the cutting edge of communication technology and no schoolchild would be caught dead without a Tamagotchi on their keychain. To wrap up the last day of our 90s Style Week, were bringing you the best recent re-inventions of those hella tight accessory trends you can wear half-ironically (though really, you do love them).
Now that enough time has passed for these fads to go from obscure to vintage, theres a certain tongue-in-cheek hipness that comes with toting them around. Youre sure to impress your friends by tugging at those nostalgic childhood heartstrings. And if they think that shit is bunk, they cant call the fashion police on you; youre only an accessory to the crime.
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First up on our list is Hypercolor.
Hypercolor was a line of shirts, popular in the late 80s and early 90s, the fabric of which changed color with heat. It went along well with the color-changing properties of mood rings, a trend that was already making a comeback from the 70s.
Were not trying to bring this one back per se (people assume all sorts of things when youre covered in color-contrasting handprints), but we have something else for you that will make the 12-year-old inside of you skim off your lunch money to save up the change.
In the Mood makes nail polish that changes color with temperature, and some of the color combos are surprisingly contrasted.
Del Sol makes a line of metallic-sheen nail polish that changes color in the sun.
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What about slap bracelets?
Nineties style was all about being lazy. Thats why everything was worn so baggy and loose easy to slip on, easy to slip off. For men, there was no fuss in going to the bathroom because their pants were already sagging at crotch level.
The same went for jewelry. Slap bracelets were the equivalent of todays LIVESTRONG bracelets and Silly Bandz, but we think they were much cooler. If you miss the simple slap functionality in wrist wear but want to jazz it up a bit and do something different, check out SLAP Watches.
Its not a Rolex, but it will earn you some retro points at your next 90s-themed party and maybe a high-five or two at the bar.
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Back in the day, all the cool kids went to school with backpack purses.
Teens wore them outside of classes, hung as low as they could loosen them to say yeah, Im not actually in class I just wear this as a statement of how little my grades and teachers matter to me. Cmon, guys, lets go put some holes in these Guess jeans we just bought.
Youd think these might have gone the way of scrunchies and faded into the realm of kitsch only fit for little girls and Olympic gymnasts, but that isnt the case! Major designer brands still make these hybrid bags. In fact, Chanel showed a tiny purple backpack in their Fall/Winter 2012-13 show.
(Photo courtesy of Getty Images)
We guess theres a market for anything, but have you seen someone actually wearing one of these since the turn of the millennium?
Even Opening Ceremony, the coolest retailer on everyone's radar, is doing the tiny backpack thing. Check out this Koosh ball-like bag designed by Nasir Mazhar.
What do you think? Stylish or stupid?
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Look through our gallery below to see a few more examples of these comeback kids.















