The 90s were a hell of an era. This really was a decade of liberation, when women were finally free to break boundaries, be their own bosses and start living on their own terms. But, it was also an era of Happily Ever After movies that almost always ended up with a bride and a groom. Maybe it was a decade where romance was much more alive and kicking than it is today or perhaps it was the last swing of the patriarchy trying to tie women down. Who knows really? Whatever the reason, the fact remains that this was a decade that saw some of the most legendary wedding rom coms ever made. And, no, as much as I’d like to claim recognition for this, I hadn’t thought of it.
The story goes something like this. As I was contemplating of how to make the connection between the 90s and weddings, Elena came to the office rushing one day and said “Dani, I was thinking, do you have an idea how we are going to name the dresses?” to which I answered “Nope, not yet. Why what’d you have in mind?” “Welllll” — she said —” I was on my way here when I started Googling and noticed something interesting. There’s a ton of rom coms dedicated to weddings in general made in the 90s. Why don’t we name the dresses after the protegonists?” Picture me here with a mouth slightly open and shooketh, quite like this emoji🤯. So I put my headphones on and rewatched every single movie trailer on Elena’s list. Right then and there a unanimous decision was made to name all of the dresses after the leading ladies characters of each movie and call this collection THE 90S BABES.
The Lucy Dress
While You Were Sleeping was the movie where I first fell in love with Sandra Bullock as an actress. She plays Lucy, a hopelessly romantic Chicago Transit Authority token collector who is mistaken for the fiancée of a coma patient. The movie came out in 1995 and was a huge success, winning Sandra a Golden Globe for her performance. The Lucy Dress is inspired by the character she plays.
The dress features thick straps, characteristical for 90s designs, a square neckline, a tigh high side slit and a side pocket. Made by thick deadstock satin, the Lucy Dress is ankle length with a YKK hidden side zipper.
The Julia Dress
Inspired by Drew Barymore’s character in the Wedding Singer, The Julia Dress is a nod to the chic outfits she wears in the movie. Even though the overall fashion is a bit stuck in the 80s, Julia’s simplistic and casual style makes her the ultimate 90s babe.
Featuring a squared faux-corset bodice, thick straps, a YKK zipper and a mermaid-style silhouette that screams “Take me to the dancefloor, now”, the Julia Dress is an ankle length, bodycon dress made of the most delicate embossed floral silk.
The Maggie Dress
The Maggie Dress is the comfy dress, you can pull a sprint in, in case you change your mind last minute. Inspired by, as you’ve probably guessed it by now, The Runaway Bride played by Julia Roberts, the Maggie Dress is an ode to her iconic performance of a confused girl who’s identity changes every time she meets a different man.
A slip dress with a vintage twist for all the true romantics at heart, the Maggie Dress features a deep V neckline with subtle front bust ruching, a hidden back YKK zipper, and a relaxed silhouette in midi length. Its A-line silhouette is perfect for all the brides who seek comfort on their special day and its side pockets will come handy to store a key just in case. :)
The Jules Dress
When Julianne discovers that her best friend Michael is getting married soon, she is shocked. Overwhelmed by conflicting emotions, she decides to sabotage his wedding. Filled with witty humor, Julia Roberts character is charismatic, despite her desperate attempts, which is one of the reasons why it inspired the design for The Jules Dress.
Made to sculpt you to perfection, the Jules Dress features a square neckline with a faux-corset bodice, thick straps and an asymmetrical skirt with a waterfall effect. Its ankle length makes is elegant and timeless, while the soft lavender hue makes it fun and colorful. The asymmetrical detail on the skirt is a nod to the asymmetrical design details used in the 90s.
The Bea Dress
As BBC so delicately described it “Much Ado About Nothing” is a comedic play by William Shakespeare about misunderstandings, love and deception adapted to the big screen in a 1993 blockbuster. Beatrice, played by the always wonderful Emma Thompson, a strong-willed woman who charms and impresses all who know her with her with and intelligence is the muse behind the Bea Dress.
The remake of our and your beloved Ori Dress, the Bea Dress features timeless peasant sleeves, side pockets, handmade smoking back with gathered details, a side YKK zipper, and a square neckline. It’s midi length, made out of the softest floral embossed fabric turned extra sexy by the thigh high slit.
The Emma Jumpsuit
Inspired by Gwyneth Paltrow’s iconic role in Emma, the design of this jumpsuit is how we imagine her charachter looks like in current times. Rocking a jumpsuit, while matchmaking the English countryside ellite, Emma always the rebel finds herself falling in love with the most eligable bachelor.
The Emma Jumpsuit features a cowl neckline, thin straps, and a risque low back and hidden elastic waist band at the front with front pockets and a hidden back YKK zipper. Perfect for flirty over-the-shoulder looks.
The Fiore Dress
Mary Fiore played by Jennifer Lopez is San Francisco’s most successful wedding planner. But when her carrer and love life colide all hell breaks loose. Although technically not a 90s movie, since it was released in 2001, the fashion undoubtly belongs to the 90s and the neckline of this dress is inspired by a particular piece Jennifer’s character wore in the movie.
The Fiore Dress is an asymmetrical dark sage green silk number, with a cowl neckline and ruched waist detailing. The pleated detail on the waist is made by hand pleat by pleat. The dress is floor length and features semi short sleeves and hidden side YKK zipper.
The Nina Set
I adore Diane Keaton. Her style has always been an inspiration to me in one way or another, so I was extremely happy when I stumbled across The Father of The Bride movie while doing this research. Although technically she’s not the lead character, she still plays one of the main supporting roles, the mother of the bride Nina who accidentaly gets pregnant at the same time as her daughter, which makes her worthy of a design named after it.
Dedicated to her timeless cool energy, this item features a two-piece set made from the softest white cupro silk. The Nina Set is the perfect head-turner for brides that love to get low on the dance floor, and a real conversation-starter for wedding guests that came to steal the show. It features a cropped top with a relaxed cowl neckline and high-waist pants with a hidden zipper, pockets, and a hand-ruched waistband.
The Carrie Dress
Four weddings and a funeral is a 90s British comedy gold. The summary goes something like this, over the course of five social occasions, a committed bachelor, played by the always charismatic Hugh Grant must consider the notion that he may have discovered love in Carrie, played by Andie MacDowell. We also fell in love with Carrie, hence the dedication.
Made from the most gorgeous teal flower applique silk and georgette blend, the Carrie Dress features a straight-line silhouette, turtleneck neckline, and a side slit for a tasteful display of skin with a length that barely skims the floor. Adorned with a skinny flowing scarf for some extra pizzazz, the dress is ankle length and has hidden back button fastening.
The Toula Dress
One of the most famous 90s rom coms that’s still relevant and funny today is My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Toula, a Greek woman trying toreconcile her identity, falls in love with a non-Greek man, and has to pursuade her family to accept him. This dress was inspired by the casual and classy outfits, Toula wore in the movie and it’s the reason why this design is more casual than the others.
Casual, yet elegant, the Toula Dress is made for any spring or summer special occasion. It has a shirt dress silhouette with an elasticated waist and a side button closure, a tight-high slit, and an open V-neckline ready to be adorned with your favorite necklace.
The Juliet Dress
It’s a tale as old as time, Romeo and Juliet’s story plot is well known to everyone. Inspired by the 1996 remake starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes, the design of this dress is the most romantic of all with ruffles being the focal point.
Featuring peasant sleeves, a V-neckline, and an asymmetric skirt, the Juliet Dress will steal any show with its gorgeous floral print that would make even Miranda Priestly rethink her ways. The wrap around silhouette complemented by the ankle length is flattering for any body type.
Strict lines, paired with gentle ruffles, thigh high slits, carefully hand crafted pleated details and asymmetry is dominating the designs for THE 90S BABES COLLECTION complementing each other perfectly in a harmony of pieces that are equally seductive, bold and timeless.