Female archetypes in the 90s mainly emerged from popular TV shows such as Saved By The Bell.
Nostalgia is such a feel-good enigma, it’s like chilling out with half a Xanax and a glass of Cab. It’s no wonder why we were so consumed by nostalgia, particularly for the 90s in the last decade (and low-key still are in 2020). It feels like there’s just a part of us that will always want to rock a plain tank top, plaid skirt, and butterfly clips, collect Lip Smackers, and reunite with our long-lost twin at summer camp like Lindsay Lohan in The Parent Trap. The satisfying nature of reliving this decade is not happenstance. Nostalgia is known to assuage feelings of loneliness and ease our anxieties about the future; acting as a source of comfort during transitional times in our lives. As the 90s kids grew up, we reflected on the styles of our childhood that were worn by the character archetypes that we identified with. By understanding these archetypes we get to know ourselves better, as they hold a mirror to ideas of the past that continue to influence us today.
The Upper West Side Intellectual
Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ character in Seinfeld epitomizes The Upper West Side Intellectual trope.
You can find her sitting in Central Park tucking into a whitefish bagel from Zabar’s, annotating a copy of In Search of Lost Time. She is uninviting, the sunglasses stay on while she reads and writes. The canvas tote at her side is filled with creative non-fiction novels, loose-leaf paper, pens, cash and spearmint gum. She looks for something comfortable and protective in her wardrobe, sticking to twinsets, menswear and oxfords with socks. She’s typically a writer who can casually fill a page with witty and polemical insight. We’ve seen this character on the silver and big screens, played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus in Seinfeld (who was a copywriter for the J. Peterman catalogue) and Meg Ryan as a journalist and bookshop owner-turned-editor in both Sleepless in Seattle and You‘ve Got Mail. Of course, the legendary Nora Ephron, who directed both films, and lived on the Upper West Side, was a journalist herself.
The Upper West Side Intellectual mirrors the sharp, quirky and, ultimately, charming personality of those that identify with the trope. If you loved this type of 90s character, your self-assurance is rooted in your critical-thinking capabilities and in the accumulation of accolades. You're likely an opinionated person who lives to tell it like it is.
The R&B Babe
Late singer and fashion aficionado Aaliyah Dana Haughton in true 90s style: a crop top and high shine.
This one’s for anyone who sang, danced, or otherwise revelled in the Golden Age of urban music that was the 90s. This archetype was most likely be surrounded by a posse at a record store, or walking to a bowling alley in Brooklyn. She holds her own in a crowd - the type of person with a magnetic energy, paralleled in her bold style choices. She has a pair of gold hoops heavy enough to sink your heart, wears an old boyfriend’s basketball jersey and a pair of Timberlands. She radiates self-confidence and has the creativity and intelligence to back it up. There are so many prominent R&B artists of the 90s who embody the essence of this archetype - the late Aaliyah, Lauryn Hill, the girls from R&B groups TLC, 702, SWV and Total, to name a few.
People who identify with these legends are probably creatives themselves who tend to reject the mainstream, and who value the time spent cultivating their own style and enriching their perspective on the world with meaningful entertainment. Someone soulful, crazy, sexy, cool; who is ready to make a statement and have fun, like the R&B babe she is. Where my girls at?
The Bitch You Hate to Love
Sarah Michelle Gellar as the scheming Kathryn Merteuil in the film Cruel Intentions.
She’s ordering other girls out of the restroom, terrorizing her teachers, or developing a malicious scheme to enact on an innocent newcomer. A moral compass simply didn’t go with her outfit. We love this character for her polished style, and ability to strut faultlessly. She wears a cardigan that matches her capris, a silk neck-tie, small-framed sunglasses and stilettos. Her look is always pulled together, often in a fashion that shows off her features to reinforce her status. Characters that define this archetype are Sarah Michelle Gellar in Cruel Intentions, Veronica in the Archie comics, and Rose McGowan in Jawbreaker.
“You want to accrue power to offset a sense of powerlessness you might have felt.”
If you find yourself secretly rooting for her and identifying with her, you aren’t evil like the trope depicts, but most likely feel pressure to prove yourself in your everyday life. You want to accrue power to offset a sense of powerlessness you might have felt. Despite all of the negativity that comes with this trope, you know what you want and thrive off of getting it.
America’s Sweetheart
Jennifer Anniston’s character in Friends made her the picture of America’s Sweetheart in the 90s.
It’s likely that this character is contemplating some type of proposal: a date, prom or marriage. She’s in a perpetual state of being adored and doe-eyed. Her style is classically preppy, so her wardrobe is filled with high-waisted jeans, racerback vests and Ralph Lauren polo sweaters to tie around her waist. An omnipresent scrunchie is tied up into her hair or on her wrist, adding to her girlish appearance. Characters that are emblematic of this archetype are Jennifer Anniston as Rachel on the show Friends and Tiffani Amber Thiessen as Kelly Kapowski on Saved by the Bell. She’s the best friend, a cheerleader and as the name entails, a total sweetheart.
Oftentimes, this character is a role-model who is put on a pedestal for her looks, moral values and practical sensibilities. If you gravitate toward this type of character, you appreciate the appeal of your own good-natured charisma. Why be so complicated?
The Ditz
Karyn Parsons’ character on the TV show The Fresh Prince of Bel Air laid out The Ditz archetype for viewers.
She’s out doing damage on her plastic, hanging out with friends, or running stop signs. The Ditz is on her own planet and comes back down to Earth in time for some comedic relief. It’s typical for this archetype to belong to an affluent family, which is a plot device that lends itself to a luxurious wardrobe. She’s dressed in sheer, feather-trimmed button downs, plaid skirts, block heel pumps and impressive hats. She’s usually carrying shopping bags in tow, blissfully unaware of just how many she has on her arm. Characters that embody this archetype are Hilary Banks on The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Christina Applegate’s Kelly Bundy in Married With Children, Cher Horowitz in Clueless and Jackie on That 70s Show.
If this is a character you loved, you’re typically an extrovert who is always game for a good laugh, spending, and have a laissez-faire attitude toward life and credit scores.
If you grew up in the 90s, then these archetypes were an integral part of finding your place in society. And it doesn’t mean you are just one, you were probably influenced by several types.
While talking to our editor, Anabel (who identifies as 45% Upper West Side Intellectual, 45% R&B Babe, and 10% Bitch You Hate to Love), I was reminded of how different archetypes and their sub-aesthetics lent themselves to our sense of identity and belonging. If you liked the R&B Babe, you may have come from a minority background, or you didn’t have the comforts and quintessential upbringing that creates the America's Sweetheart trope (or, you were just a lot more emotional by nature). That the Upper West Side Intellectual trope was aspirational for bookish young women higher on the Openness trait, who were likely aspiring to be writers; their intellect was always one of their strong suits. The Ditz archetype resonated with people who got their energy from outside of themselves growing up and relied heavily on the social skills to get places; they’re probably the most proficient networkers today.
The average person probably saw and still sees a bit of themselves in all of these archetypes. Thinking of how they have influenced us and our style stories helps us to reconnect to our inner child, which is a healthy dose of nostalgia to help us get through these uncertain, transitional times that we’re living in.
Of course, starting with the building blocks of personality - the Big 5 model - can also uncover more understanding about who you are. Follow the link to our personality test below.
In the world of post-pandemic dressing, one word has taken social media by storm: cheugy (pronounced: chew-gee). In the worlds of fashion and lifestyle, cheugy describes a look, a thing or a person that’s considered out of date.