fashion 1990 - 2000's

The 1990s was the beginning of two wide turns in Western fashion: the beginning of the dismissal of fashion which continued into the 2000s among a large part of the population, and the beginning of the taking on of tattoos, body piercings apart from ear piercing and other forms of body modification. 

This started the indifferent, anti-conformist move towards fashion which was popular throughout the 1990s, leading to the popularisation of the casual chic look, including T-shirts, jeans and trainers.

Ripped jeans, flannel shirts and baggy pants which used the rock & roll and hip-hop movement became very popular. The comfort and the need of wearable clothes became the answer in the fashion industry for most women in the 1990s and 2000s. Ready to wear sellers such as Gap and Banana Republic came to the front of fashion and retro clothing inspired by the 1960s and 1970s was popular for much of the 1990s.

The Italian fashion house Gucci, founded in 1921 had begun selling luxury leather goods and gave up control of the company to Invest Corp. in 1990, was then employing an unknown fashion director, Tom Ford in 1994. 

At the end of the 20th century Michael Kors, Calvin Klein and Marc Jacobs were the most important American fashion designer. Michael Kors's understanding and awareness of trends allowed him to produce simple well-cut garments, whose complexity and elegance appealed to a whole new class of wealthy American customers drawn to the new vogue for minimalist chic.