The next time someone ridicules the holes in your jeans or your backwards baseball hat, blame it on the '90s.
The decade most college students remember as their awkward, pre-adolescent years was also an influence on today's pop-culture trends, and like previous 20th-century decades, many of the subculture styles were musically inspired.
MUSICAL INFLUENCES
From the grunge-rock appeal of Nirvana to the more-mainstreamed country sounds of Garth Brooks, the music of the '90s grew away from the pop sounds emphasized in the '80s.
Craig Parker, associate professor of music history and music, said bands like Nirvana and Pearl Jam mixed heavy-metal, distorted guitar sounds with lyrics that expressed their disaffection with society. He also said English alternative-rock band Radiohead heavily influenced the song-writers' trend of challenging listeners to read more into lyrics and decipher the band's message.
"You can still see that today, with bands whose lyrics aren't what they seem," Parker said. "Radiohead is definitely still prevalent today, along with Dave Matthews Band. I would say Dave Matthews Band is one of the most consistently popular bands today that got its start in the '90s."
Parker said the unusual instrumental sounds and crossover appeal of the Dave Matthews Band are just two reasons for the group's success. They are known for appealing to listeners of all ages and culture groups.
Other niché music styles of the decade include pop and alternative rock from artists like Jewel and Alannis Morrisette; geek rock, made famous by the band Weezer; and pop, rap and hip-hop, embodied by artists like Britney Spears, Tupac Shakur and then-called Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs, according to www.inthe90s.com.
Though the last decade was full of subculture music genres, Parker described the band New Kids on the Block as one of the most influential bands of the '90s. With their collar-buttoned shirts and leather-patched jackets, they stole the hearts of millions of American teenage girls, and paved the way for more recent boy-bands like N'Sync and the Backstreet Boys.
ANTI-FASHION ... FASHION?
Thanks to the musical influences of hard-rock bands like Nirvana and lighter bands like New Kids on the Block, the '90s produced fashion styles that bordered on a total lack of fashion, said Deb Brosdahl, associate professor in the apparel and textiles program.
"The grunge movement started in the '80s, but gained popularity in the '90s," Brosdahl said. "I'd say it was the signature look, and it was accepted pretty readily into mainstream fashion. Really, it was referred to as anti-fashion."
She also said the grunge look typically consisted of plaid, flannel shirts and ripped, stone- or acid-washed jeans, which are still popular today.
Though musicians heavily influenced '90s styles, so did other public figures like Great Britain's Princess Diana and U.S.'s then-First Lady Hillary Clinton.
"Princess Di really made a statement with her evening wear; it was elegant and form-fitting," Brosdahl said. "And Hillary really popularized the pantsuit for women. Prior to that, women mostly wore 'powersuits' - business outfits, but with skirts."
Brosdahl also said the '90s was a time of tattoos and piercings, specifically in navels and men's ears. She also said the rise of hip-hop and gangsta rap popularized large tattoos on more noticeable parts of the body. She said hip-hop also brought sagging pants, large "bling-bling" jewelry and baseball jerseys and backward hats.
As for hair, popular TV sitcom "Friends" star Jennifer Aniston set the standard for women's hairstyles with her ever-changing, feathered layers and straight, blond streaks.
Other everyday styles from the '90s include white denim, stirrup pants and polo shirts. Traces of these can be seen in today's popular fashions. Brosdahl said natural colors like grey, oatmeal and olive green were also popular in the '90s.
