Today, men’s streetwear is all about 1990s preppy fashion. The fashion sense of the men of “Friends” is the order of the day in today’s nostalgia fashion retread. What’s the deal with 2024 streetwear for men? It’s function over form.

It remains super-practical and simple, especially if you’re following the cues of 1990s era nostalgic fashion and go for a minimalist preppy chic look.

The Essentials of Menswear in the 1990s

The essential or key factor of a ’90s preppy wardrobe as streetwear for men is minimalism. Even non-retro outfits in 2024 wish to convey the ennui of the 2024 youth generation in keeping things simple.

• Keep It Simple and Fresh: Make your 2024 feel like it’s the 1990s again without necessarily going full Grunge or Kurt Cobain with your style by pairing your style with straight-legged jeans or casual linen shorts this summer.

• Go for Practical Options: Sometimes, a polo shirt over a white undershirt and jeans plus sneakers or khakis and brown shoes with matching plaid is all you need to achieve that preppy menswear look. Keep things Casual Friday, in other words.

• A Versatile Wardrobe: For guys, they might already be dressing preppy by reflex unless they’re being influenced by other styles of the time, like Goth, Emo, Hipster, or Rocker. It’s a fashion sense that you can wear on any occasion.

• Easy-Breezy for that Nineties Feely: No need to explore your creativity excessively when going for the easy-breezy style of preppy. Just look presentable with your ironed-out button-up and take off layers rather than add to them. The hat is optional.

• Express Yourself with Simplicity: You don’t need to be an Abercrombie and Fitch model to achieve that preppy look. No need to go overboard with those popped collars like you’re playing tennis at the Country Club. You can also pair the button-up with slacks for the office.

• When is Practical too Practical? It becomes less of a specific look and more of a utilitarian sensibility if you carelessly pair up your jeans and white shirt with any clothing article you can grab. Find things like a relaxed-fit crisp cotton Poplin shirt.

In Summary

The return of the preppy style is like returning to a simpler time without going too far back. It’s not too bygone of an era and remains familiar but with a current twist. In today’s economy, it’s more practical for men to go not-too-shabby chic.

Dress for success and practicality. Don’t overthink it, because preppy chic is about classic silhouettes in muted rather than neon tones. Sometimes, a crisp, striped button-up is enough and you can base the rest of your outfit from there. Don’t go with the JNCO jeans of the late 1990s, though!