5 Controversial '90s Lingerie Trends That Are Popular Yet Again

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(Image credit: Chris Grieve/Mirrorpix/Getty Images)

Ah, the ’90s. The excess of the ’80s was still alive and well, albeit a slightly grungier version. There were also plenty of ’90s trends that went in the polar opposite direction and embraced minimalism to a T. As is to be expected, these overarching themes didn’t stop at just clothing and accessories. Lingerie styles also followed the trends of the decade—and since wearing pieces that showed off your lingerie started to become a thing in the ’80s, it only gained steam in the ’90s, making what undergarments you chose to wear more important than ever.

Just like every other ’90s trend there was, lingerie trends from the decade have also made a comeback, many of which were and are controversial for one reason or another (but more on that below). With that, read on to find out which five lingerie trends of the ’90s are officially back, whether you like it or not.

NEON

You’d think that neon undergarments would defeat their purpose, but not when your goal is to intentionally show them off. Just as Day-Glo-esque pieces are trending in clothing and accessories, we’re seeing more and more bras, bodysuits, and underwear in fluorescent hues popping up lately.

SPORTY LOGOS

Following the in-your-face lingerie trends of the ’80s, it was probably pretty surprising to see It girls like Kate Moss modeling for Calvin Klein wearing nothing but a pair of tightie whities. These days, there’s once again no shortage of logomania lingerie.

PUSH-UP BRAS

Bralettes had reigned supreme for most of the decade we’re in now, but recently, there’s been a resurgence of push-up bras, the heavily padded, bust-enhancing bras that everyone owned in the ’90s. Don’t believe us? Take a look at Bella Hadid’s recent outfits.

ANIMAL PRINT

Animal print is the biggest trend of fall 2018, so it makes perfect sense that it’s made its way to lingerie. While the trend was huge in the ’90s, if you’d told us a few years ago that we’d want to wear zebra-print thongs in 2018, we wouldn’t have believed you for a second. Alas, here we are.

CORSETS

Corsetry certainly wasn’t new in the ’90s, but it served a different purpose than it had at the turn of the century. While it served a very specific function in its days of origin, it became purely about fashion in the ’90s. The trend made a return in recent seasons and is still a favorite among fashion girls.

Next up, find out which lingerie trends NYC girls are wearing.

Allyson Payer
Senior Editor

Allyson is a senior editor for Who What Wear. She joined the company in 2014 as co-founder Katherine Power's executive assistant and over the years has written hundreds of stories for Who What Wear. Prior to her career in fashion, Allyson worked in the entertainment industry at companies such as Sony Pictures Television. Allyson is now based in Raleigh, North Carolina, and is originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She holds a BFA in theater. Her path to fashion may not have been linear, but based on the number of fashion magazines she collected as a child and young adult, it was meant to be.