IFC’s series Portlandia premiered in January 2011, but just a month before it made its official debut, producers of the show kickstarted the first season with the super amazing video, Dream of the 90s, which ultimately became a viral hit.
In the video, the show’s stars—Fred Armisen of Saturday Night Live fame and Carrie Brownstein of band Sleater-Kinney—animatedly discuss their dream city: Portland, Oregon. It’s a place young people go to resurrect 90s grunge, work part-time or—maybe not even at all! In other words? Well, as the show would playfully put it: Live the Portland dream.
Beginning its fourth season three years later on February 27, Portlandia’s Dream of the 90s video has not only become a cult hit, but it’s played a pivotal role in stoking our passion for 90s fashion. So much so, we’ve pulled three pieces from our very own Portlandia-inspired Collection to help you take a trip back in time and get in the spirit for the show’s season debut.
Let’s get started!
90’s Trend #1: Crochet clothing. In the 90s, crochet was everywhere. It was almost as if a million grannies got together and decided to flood the fashion industry with their masterpieces. There were crochet beanies, vests, and also, dresses. Fortunately, now that time has passed, it’s cool to integrate a little crochet into your wardrobe—people just aren’t expecting it. We really like this vintage crochet top from Blitz Vintage. 
90s Trend #2: Plaid. What’s more 90s than plaid? Not a whole lot. Plain and simple: Plaid just has a lot of versatility. What other pattern could both Kurt Cobain and Cher Horowitz from Clueless both rock, and get away with it? Yeah, we couldn’t think of any others, either. We can imagine either 90s icon wearing this refurbished flannel from 1 Look Vintage.
90s Trend #3: Denim. The all-American classic really lived up to its name in the 90s. From denim overalls to denim jackets—even denim shoes!—people couldn’t get enough in the 90s. The combination of the timelessness and ease of wear made it the kind of material that completely aligned with the low-maintenance philosophy of 90s fashion. We can imagine this light denim jacket from dink or die looking equally rad on either super bad-ass Courtney Love, or 90s “it girl”, Winona Ryder.
Want more 90s fashion? See our Dream of the 90s Collection!