The Return of the 90's
You’ve heard enough about how 90’s trends are coming back. The earliest fashion scoop on the return of 90’s fashion trends I found was from 2019. So it’s been in the news for awhile now, but it always takes some time for these trends to, as Miranda Priestly condescending explained, “trickle on down to some Casual Corner where you, no doubt, fished it out of some clearance bin.” It also gives time to weed out the trends that don’t have longevity. No hate to skinny sunglasses, but I think they should stay up on that high tier where the celebs have the influence to take risks in new trends. If it trickles down to us, it’ll do so by being mass produced in cheap material, only to have what naturally happens to those really trendy trends -- they go out quickly. So is the life of trendy fashion, but I am finding that the bucket hat does not have the same fate. For me, the earliest influencer to sport the bucket hat was Edie Sedgwick. I was not alive during her time, but I watched Factory Girl when I was in high school and became obsessed with Edie just like all the girls who became obsessed with her after watching that movie. I wanted to emulate her style and my favorite thing about her was how she wore hats. I particularly loved this straw bucket hat she wore here (third photo down from the text). So my 18-year-old self scoured all the thrift stores (because thrift stores were my hobby) in search of a straw bucket hat, just like the one Edie had. Unfortunately, nobody saved their straw bucket hats from the 60s, especially those with the tall crowns and the black ribbon wrapped around the top of the brim. You won’t find tall crowned bucket hats until Valentino’s Fall 2019 RTW show. That silhouette is lovely, except for that white hat gives too much of a Handmaid’s Tale Vibe. Instead, what I found at a downtown thrift store was an average straw hat from Banana Republic. I thought of sharing a photo from that time. . so long ago. . . of that beautiful hat.
Okay, I went searching into the depths of many external hard drives to find this. 18 year old Victoria was doing the most with her style. Sadly, I gave up that hat when I lost confidence in my style (it’s the real sad truth) and I believe it ended up at a Dessert Industry in Utah. But here I am, after all these years, returning to the bucket hat. A hat that seems to make a comeback every decade since it’s invention in the 1900s by Irish farmers and fishermans. It is the ultimate hat for countering harsh weather conditions or for emulating your favorite 90’s icons. Vada Sultanfuss, Tia and Tamera, and Jennifer Aniston just to name a few.
I got the Rylee Bucket Hat before I saw the reveal of Target’s Fall Designer Collection. One of the colors in Liang’s Target 90’s street style collection just happens to be lavender. I’m gonna call that lavender is in for the fall. So Sandy Liang collection and this Gigi Pip bucket hat are a match made in 90’s fashion heaven. Let this be a lesson on how to style a look across various brands! For how excited I am to being styling 90’s fashion trends, I am shocked that I’m wearing cargo pants again. I still don’t know what that loop on the pant leg is for, but those ginormous pockets really hold my iPhone well. My favorite pants in middle school were these cargos with snap button pockets. I told myself I’d never wear cargos again, but as they say, never say never. Scroll to see how I’m currently styling a bucket hat and please do not refer to 2008 Victoria for styling.
The return of the 90’s isn’t just about fashion. What is your favorite 90’s thing to have made a comeback . . . like Brittany Spears’ pre-conservatorship?!?! We should take a moment to celebrate her getting her freedom back.
Shop the Rylee Bucket Hat at Gigi Pip and use the code VICTORIA10 at check out. The Riza Magazine is a Gigi Pip affiliate and receives commission from sales made through our links. Thank you so much for supporting The Riza.
