This Is What Cool Girls Were Wearing in the Summer 20 Years Ago

Twenty years ago, the '90s were starting to come to a close, and the aesthetic of the decade was fully formed. Sorry to be meta, but you might even say that it was peak '90s. And since that decade is such an overarching theme in 2019, we were curious to see exactly what the coolest girls were wearing in July in the late '90s, in both the spirit of nostalgia and in hopes that we'd walk away with some fresh outfit or shopping inspiration. Sure enough, we got both.

Cool girls such as Halle Berry, Cameron Diaz, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Leelee Sobieski were living in a world of slip dresses and skirts, tube tops, pouch bags, and platforms, and we're 100% here for it. The 15 photos below are providing a slew of summer outfit inspiration, so read on to see what the coolest girls were wearing exactly 20 years ago, and shop pieces inspired by the July 1998 looks at the end.

best-summer-outfits-90s-262709-1531336339641-image

(Image credit: Ron Galella, Ltd./WireImage)

As Halle Berry shows here, it doesn't get more classic '90s cool girl than a spaghetti-strap tank top and a slip skirt paired with strappy sandals.

best-summer-outfits-90s-262709-1531336318512-image

(Image credit: Ron Galella, Ltd./WireImage)

Leelee Sobieski wore a maxi dress in July 1998 that makes us see why the leopard-print trend is back with such a vengeance.

best-summer-outfits-90s-262709-1531336315250-image

(Image credit: Barry King/Liaison/Getty Images)

Salma Hayek wore three things that people are wearing again in 2018: lavender, pouch bags, and minimal sandals.

best-summer-outfits-90s-262709-1531336345077-image

(Image credit: Ron Galella, Ltd./WireImage)

Leave it to SJP to find the easiest-to-copy 'fit of July 1998.

best-summer-outfits-90s-262709-1531336325422-image

(Image credit: Ron Galella, Ltd./WireImage)

Saved by the Bell's Lark Voorhies proved that straight-leg jeans and a sweetheart neckline will always be a good combo.

best-summer-outfits-90s-262709-1531336347612-image

(Image credit: Ron Galella, Ltd./WireImage)

Who wore it best: Cindy Crawford or Barbie? (Answer: Cindy Crawford.)

best-summer-outfits-90s-262709-1531336331656-image

(Image credit: Ron Galella, Ltd./WireImage)

Michelle Williams's choker, strapless LBD, and furry shoes make for a combination we've definitely seen repeated in the current decade.

best-summer-outfits-90s-262709-1531336327984-image

(Image credit: Margaret Norton/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)

Two observations: Jennifer Lopez clearly doesn't age, and she could undoubtedly get away with wearing this chic slip dress today.

best-summer-outfits-90s-262709-1531336334788-image

(Image credit: Ron Galella, Ltd./WireImage)

If it's the '90s minimalist look that you love the most, look no further than Claire Danes's simple sheath dress and slingback sandals. Nineties style doesn't get more timeless than this.

best-summer-outfits-90s-262709-1531336322703-image

(Image credit: Ron Galella, Ltd./WireImage)

Cameron Diaz's tube top and low-slung trousers were a uniform for many cool girls in the late '90s.

best-summer-outfits-90s-262709-1531336311839-image

(Image credit: David Keeler/Online USA/Getty Images)

Jennifer Aniston (and plenty of others who are in the know) have been wearing sheath dresses for years.

best-summer-outfits-90s-262709-1531336337363-image

(Image credit: Ron Galella, Ltd./WireImage)

Believe it or not, everything about Jessica Biel's quintessential '90s look is back in style: oval glasses, ruched tube top, miniskirt, anklet, and platform shoes included.

best-summer-outfits-90s-262709-1531336341934-image

(Image credit: Ron Galella, Ltd./WireImage)

Two decades ago, Christina Applegate displayed the most sophisticated way to wear the sheer trend.

best-summer-outfits-90s-262709-1531336350678-image

(Image credit: Alain BENAINOUS/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)

Claudia Schiffer's silver cowl-neck gown is the epitome of evening dressing in 1998.

best-summer-outfits-90s-262709-1531336354179-image

(Image credit: Ron Galella, Ltd./WireImage)

We're pretty sure we've seen Courteney Cox's exact outfit on Instagram this year.

Shop Pieces Inspired by July 1998

This story was originally published at an earlier date and has been updated. Next up, see the '90s makeover our editor in chief recently gave herself.

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.