‘What were you like in the ’90s?’: Nostalgia fuels viral trend
Source: Drew Barrymore / Instagram
For those who lived through the ’90s, social media’s latest nostalgic trend is a chance to reminisce about the fashion, hair, music and movies of an iconic decade.
For gen Alphas and later gen Zers, it’s a glimpse into the lives of their parents and all they themselves missed out on – good and bad.
Hollywood A-listers, international sports stars, musicians and Australian celebrities are among those who have jumped on the “What were you like in the ’90s” trend, posting throwback photos from a simpler, more analogue era.
Most slideshows begin with a current photo, are accompanied by American rock band Goo Goo Dolls’ 1998 hit Iris, and pose a question purportedly from the user’s children: “Mum (or mom/dad), what were you like in the ’90s”.
“Oh the 90s! I went down memory lane looking at these photographs,” wrote actor and talk-show host Drew Barrymore, whose last decade of the old millennium included roles in films such as Scream (yes, the first one) and The Wedding Singer.
Described by one fan as “the epitome of ’90s cool” in a comment on Instagram, Barrymore shared images her younger self rocking pencil-thin eyebrows and a succession of cute pixie haircuts.
Brooke Shields included a photo of herself with Barrymore in her own TikTok reel, which has amassed more than 1.3 million views and was shared with the caption: “Feels like a lifetime ago… the ’90s, babe!”
While it’s not clear exactly how the viral trend kicked off, it is seen as part of a broader interest in nostalgia and what is often seen as a simpler time.
“The ’90s were the last great decade,” wrote one X user.
“We had technology, but it didn’t consume our lives. We had real, authentic relationships. Your friends were everything. We shared culture. Watched the same movies, the same shows. We had so much in common.”
Source: Alicia Silverstone / Instagram
Other actors who have shared old photos include Molly Ringwald (Pretty in Pink, The Breakfast Club), who opted for British alt-rock band’s Pulp’s Common People as her soundtrack; The X-Files’ Gillian Anderson, who joked “I remember none of it”; Oscar-winning Monster’s Ball and Catwoman star Halle Berry; Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s resident witch Alyson Hannigan, and Everybody Loves Raymond’s Phil Rosenthal.
Courteney Cox, who captioned her post “’90s fashion … Still not into it”, included photos of her Friends castmates. Among them was Jennifer Aniston, whose character’s iconic haircut “The Rachel” trended itself in the mid-’90s.
Many of the celebrity slideshows have struck a chord with fans, including the one by actor Alicia Silverstone, who included photos from her iconic role in Clueless alongside a caption joking: “Wasn’t your mom a total Betty? 😉😂”.
“I look at these photos and can still smell the sample perfume in my Seventeen Magazine 🧡,” wrote one Instagram user.
“Me in the ’90s = trying to be you in the ’90s. Me in 2026 = still trying to be you in the ’90s,” commented another.
Australian singer-songwriter Natalie Imbruglia, who starred in Neighbours from 1992-94 and released her worldwide hit Torn in 1997, wrote that she “had to jump on the #90strend!”
“The hair, the fashion…everything was AMAZING! 🤩. What an iconic decade it was. Honestly… who else wishes we could go back?”
Musician and American Idol judge Lionel Richie shared retro photos of himself performing in tight leather pants and sparkly shirts, R&B singer Usher showed off his ’90s washboard stomach while insisting “I was just doing it My Way”, the Spice Girls’ slideshow epitomised ’90s pop culture, and Rufus Wainwright offered up an eclectic collection of smouldering portraits – including several with cigarette in hand.
Sports celebrities such as basketball star Shaquille O’Neal and tennis players Serena Williams and (a then long-haired) Andre Agassi have also got in on the act.
In Australia, digital creator Brooke Warne posted a heart-warming photo carousel titled “Mum, what were you and dad like in the ’90s”, featuring throwback images of her family – including her mother, Simone, and father, cricketer Shane Warne.
Source: Brooke Warne / TikTok
And proving that both social media trends and nostalgia know no bounds, Queensland Museum has even jumped on the bandwagon with a slideshow that begins with a couple of black and white photos of the building in the 1890s and then fast-forwards to the 1990s.
“We just had to jump on this trend because why not?” says the caption.
Want to see more stories from The New Daily in your Google search results?
- Click here to set The New Daily as a preferred source.
- Tick the box next to "The New Daily". That's it.
