THE JOURNAL
Mr Leonardo DiCaprio in “Romeo + Juliet”, 1996. Photograph by Twentieth Century Fox/Alamy
From the proliferation of oversized sweats to bucket hats and baggy jeans, one glance at MR PORTER’s shelves is enough to tell you that the 1990s are having something of a sartorial renaissance in menswear right now. Beyond these more obvious hallmarks, though, is the quieter re-emergence of the decade’s tailoring – a genre that has been left hanging during the work-from-home solitude of the past two years. But as the world slowly springs back to life, there is once again, the need – and crucially, the desire – to smarten up and take on the world in something that isn’t sweatpants. And in our comfort-conscious new normal, the re-emergence of the slouchy, roomy tailoring blocks of the 1990s couldn’t feel timelier.
In the early years of the decade, Mr Giorgio Armani – who had defined the power suit in all its strong-shouldered, pinstriped glory – sought to recast its image as the symbol of the boom and consumption of the glossy 1980s, which had lost its sheen in the midst of economic downturn. Trading the blocky padding and hard-edged lines for outsize proportions and fluid fabrics, Armani gave tailoring a languorous ease. Other designers followed suit, with many adopting the new blueprint but retaining some 1980s codes in softer forms. It was a swift re-imagining – and felt somewhat experimental.
“The 1990s seemed like the decade when the tailors took a break. American suits reacted against the sharper lines of their European counterparts. Shoulders developed an ego and expanded, but lacked conviction and descended, as did the buttoning of jackets,” says Mr William Gilchrist, stylist and former fashion director at magazines Arena and Details. “It was a time when tailoring stood back took a breath and enjoyed a moment of the big lazy – and through film, these new ideas had a moment of prominence.”
Films and serials – beyond their fundamental purpose of entertainment – are visual time capsules which distil the tastes of a moment, that with hindsight become a blueprint for the rebirth of trends like this one. So with the renewed interest in the decade that brought us baggy jeans and bum bags, we delved into the VHS archives to pull out some memorable on-screen looks from the 1990s tailoring atelier to ease you back into the suit.
01.
Twin Peaks, 1990
Mr Kyle MacLachlan in “Twin Peaks”, 1990. Photograph by Lynch/Frost Productions/Alamy
The fictional mill town in Twin Peaks seems stuck in a sartorial time warp, with its residents clad in a curious mix of woodsy, mid-century prep and grunge. But it’s the tailoring worn by Special Agent Dale Cooper – played by Mr Kyle MacLachlan – that really steals the scene. His soberly elegant suits have a clean, ecclesiastical neatness and feel like a prequel to the 1990s minimalism, which designers such as Jil Sander were just beginning to champion. And the general consensus is that MacLachlan just looks good in tailoring: in 2018, Balenciaga’s Mr Demna Gvasalia declared that MacLachlan is “always on [his] mood board”, while Ms Miuccia Prada asked him to walk the AW22 runway in an immaculately cut double-breasted coat. The look isn’t hard to emulate: pick a clean-cut wool suit in a slightly squarer, American block in a deep, inky hue. A polka-dot or black pencil tie might feel a little too uniform for 2022 though, so consider saving the silk for high days and Fridays.
Get the look
02.
GoldenEye, 1995
Ms Izabella Scorupco and Mr Pierce Brosnan in “GoldenEye”, 1995. Photograph by Mr Keith Hamshere/Getty Images
The actor worthy of the greatest Bond award has been a hotly debated topic for decades. But whoever your favourite 007 is, the style credentials of MI6’s most defied agent has never been in dispute – he’s the only man we know that can emerge from a wetsuit in black tie looking like he’d just left a Savile Row fitting. In the 1990s, Bond’s tailoring took on an international slant, when Roman atelier Brioni started dressing Mr Pierce Brosnan for the role – a partnership that lasted throughout his tenure. The Italians are the masters of a softer suit construction and the beige cotton-gabardine number worn by Brosnan in GoldenEye oozes assured sprezzatura. Take a leaf from Bond’s style book and choose a lightweight Italian cloth, a construction that’s light on padding, a triple-button fastening and go sans tie for unbuttoned secret-agent swagger.
Get the look
03.
Romeo + Juliet, 1996
Mr Leonardo DiCaprio in “Romeo + Juliet”, 1996. Photograph by Twentieth Century Fox/Alamy
Mr Baz Luhrmann’s retelling of Mr William Shakespeare’s masterpiece through a New World lens is peppered with style inspiration, from the billowy, aloha shirts of the Montague boys to the gun-slinging D&G velvet get-up of the Capulet clan. But the lesser-sung style hero of the cult flick is Mr Leonardo DiCaprio’s blue suit – a custom design from Prada. In the decade that saw the rise of high-end minimalism – a look that hasn’t fallen from grace since – the film’s costume designer Ms Kym Barrett said she approached Prada because of its “pure, understated lines”. It’s an easy look to replicate now, with a three-button suit in a slightly capacious fit, crisp point-collar shirt and silky, floral-print tie. And if you’re tempted to go full-on Romeo, you could always layer a zingy camp-collar shirt beneath that jacket. Either way, you’ll be the fairest man in all of Verona (Beach).
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04.
Fight Club, 1996
Messrs Edward Norton and Brad Pitt in “Fight Club”, 1999. Photograph by Twentieth Century Fox/Alamy
The most potent style references for anyone who has seen this dark, psychological tale of rebellion against the established order are Tyler Durden’s slick leather reefer jacket, rose-tinted sunglasses and kaleidoscopic shirting. But the tailoring worn by Mr Brad Pitt’s Durden and co-star Mr Edward Norton is also worthy of its airtime. Whether it’s Norton’s loosely cut grey two-piece, symbolic of the nine-to-five existence he has come to loathe, or the slouchy seersucker suit Pitt wears to peddle his human fat soap, the tailoring has a disreputably louche appeal. Opt for a seersucker jacket with a slightly dropped-shoulder profile, or grey, wide-lapel two piece in a spacious but not slovenly cut and you’ll have laid the foundations. The rectangular-framed eyewear worn by both leading men is also worth revisiting: it’s a shape firmly back in for SS22.
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05.
Notting Hill, 1999
Ms Julia Roberts and Mr Hugh Grant in “Notting Hill”, 1999. Photograph by Universal Pictures/Alamy
Notting Hill might well be the jewel in the crown of British rom-coms. A feel-good plot, a cast of thespian treasures and a setting in the halcyon days when a central London borough was still inhabited by regular people. Although it’s Mr Rhys Ifan’s Spike that steals much of the sartorial thunder with his lewd date-night T-shirts, crop-tops and pilfered scuba-wear, Mr Hugh Grant’s endearingly bookish William Thacker also wears a note-worthy corduroy blazer in skilful rotation throughout the film. Its deep, olive-green hue and fine wale is more modern smoking jacket than geography teacher, making it a suitably elegant companion to his casually rumpled Oxford shirts and white relaxed-fit chinos. And with corduroy tailoring having a strong year of its own right now, it’s the opportune moment to add a bit of 1990s Hugh Grant to your own wardrobe.