How to Build a 90s Winona Ryder Capsule Wardrobe

A white background with 28 items for the 90s Winona Ryder Capsule Wardrobe

Band Tee | Black Tee | Oversized T-shirt | Turtleneck | Cardigan | Star Sweater | Black Sweater | Oversized Cardigan | Brown Blazer | Black Blazer | Jeans | Brown Trousers | Black Trousers | Grey Trousers | Skirt | Dress | Coat | Leather Jacket | Belt | Sunglasses | Black Bag | Zebra Print Bag | Purse | Heeled Boots | Brogues | Flats | Heels | Sneakers

I figured I would piggyback off of last week’s post and do a 90s Winona Ryder capsule wardrobe since she is the other style icon that I mentioned I loved.

While 90s Kate Moss had minimalism built with an edge, the 90s Winona Ryder is all about comfort and a relaxed look, but also with some edge.

I read an interview with her in Vogue. At least I think it was Vogue.

They asked what her 5 piece wardrobe would be, and she said socks, underwear, a pair of comfortable jeans, a t-shirt, and a soft sweater.

That sounds about right if I had to pick 5.

Socks and underwear are very important to me.

What I loved about 90s Winona is that she rewore her wardrobe. A lot.

She always seemed to be wearing something she previously wore but in a new way each time you saw her.

She still wears that Tom Waits shirt to this day, and yes I found a reproduction of it.

A biker jacket was worn with jeans, or with evening wear.

Oversized blazers were a favourite, and trousers with brogues and flats. There was often a touch of androgyny to many of her day-to-day looks, often favouring black and other dark colours.

But when she glammed up she seemed to favour the 1920s, 30s, 40s, and 50s looks like the gold shoes that I included, as well as the faux fur collar coat.

She would keep her wardrobe fairly basic and minimalist but would play with textures like a velvet blazer, or satin black trousers which she would wear both to an evening event, and then with sandals and a jean jacket.

To replicate the satin trousers that she was often seen in I chose a black pair that have a sheen to mimic that feel.

Black Converse lows were her go-to sneakers, and she seemed to favour a top handle bag which gave a bit of femininity to her relaxed and casual vibe.

Her accessories were always very minimal and usually consisted of a black leather belt and a choker or small chain necklace.

Matching oversized two piece suits were a regular wear, and you often saw her in a black trouser/blazer combination, or a dark brown one.

Then she would wear all the pieces separately on different occasions.

Seeming to favour mixing and matching over wearing new before that became a thing.

It was so interesting going through all the old pictures because she rewore her wardrobe so much that I had to see if the image was just a different one from the same day or if it was from an entirely different time.

I love seeing that and love seeing how her style then, is also reflected in modern style.

You can tell how classic and timeless it is because I had no issues replicating some of her favourite looks.

Similar pieces were readily available which really shows how great style lasts forever.

Reality Bites is one of my favourite movies, and both her wardrobe and her hair were my goals back then.

I remember sitting in front of our computer in the early days of dial up internet, waiting for an image of her to download so that I could print it off for a hair reference.

It took 3 hours to download.

And my hair never looked like that to my dismay.

It ended up looking more like Drew Barrymore in Mad Love, but not as good and a lot crunchier feeling.

Did I forget to mention that 90s Drew Barrymore is also one of my style icons?

Maybe next week?

Winona Ryder 90s Style

A White background with 12 outfits from the 90s Winona Ryder Capsule Wardrobe.
A White background with 12 outfits from the 90s Winona Ryder Capsule Wardrobe.

Band Tee | Black Tee | Oversized T-shirt | Turtleneck | Cardigan | Star Sweater | Black Sweater | Oversized Cardigan | Brown Blazer | Black Blazer | Jeans | Brown Trousers | Black Trousers | Grey Trousers | Skirt | Dress | Coat | Leather Jacket | Belt | Sunglasses | Black Bag | Zebra Print Bag | Purse | Heeled Boots | Brogues | Flats | Heels | Sneakers

You might also like:
How to Build a 90s Kate Moss Capsule Wardrobe
How to Make Your Winter Capsule Wardrobe More Androgynous
Styling Navy and Black in a Fall Capsule Wardrobe
An Edgy Chic Minimalist Capsule Wardrobe for Autumn
A Blue Capsule Wardrobe for Fall
It’s Not Easy Being Green Capsule Wardrobe for Fall
A Dark Academia Fall Capsule Wardrobe
A Warm Palette 90s Minimalist Capsule Wardrobe
A 90s Minimalist Fall Capsule Wardrobe

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Sara

Sara is the founder and creative behind livelovesara. A George Brown College Fashion Styling Graduate, she provides advice on finding your personal style regardless of age and budget. She is always on the hunt for the perfect wardrobe piece and is a vintage and thrifting enthusiast who can't wait to share her newest finds. She is also trying to learn French.

3 Comments

  1. I love these 90’s minimalist capsules—especially this week. I am in the fashion industry, and at 50+, have been pretty down about how to put myself together anymore. I recently discovered your website and am looking at it daily! I forgot how the 90’s were a great fashion time for me, and these capsules gave me such a spark of joy! I recently went thru my closet and realized that I still had a good amount of these looks hidden away—-just regret getting rid of band tees though.
    Thanks for giving me inspiration and a ass-kick to my closet!

  2. I absolutely loved this post! Winona Ryder’s style in the ’90s was iconic and so effortlessly cool. The tips on mixing vintage pieces with modern items are really helpful. Can’t wait to start curating my own capsule wardrobe inspired by her looks! Thanks for sharing!

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