Though music had a huge impact on adult style in the nineties, children is fashion often looked to movies and television. For girls, a powerful influence throughout the decade was Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. From matching outfits in early 1990s films to more distinctive looks as they grew older to their red carpet looks.

In the early part of the decade, the twins were often dressed in matching or coordinating outfits. In addition to wearing bright dresses, they also wore the typical casual styles such as overalls . As they grew older, the girls and their characters began to wear more distinctive outfits . In mid- to late-nineties movies along with their late-nineties TV show Two of a Kind, Mary-Kate preferred pants and “tomboy” outfits while Ashley favored dress, skirts, and more feminine styles. This allowed the twins to appeal to a wide range of personalities.

Mary-Kate and Ashley had firmly established themselves as style icons by the end of the nineties. They had grown up throughout the decade and their style had grown with them. Young girls followed both their characters styles and clothes worn by them on the red carpet . By the end of the decade, they even had a line of clothing at Walmart so that young girls could continue to emulate their style.

Like womenswear, in the 1990s menswear also became more and more casual. Jeans and untucked shirts became typical casualwear as trends in music like grunge, hip-hop and Britpop influenced styles throughout the decade.

In the early part of the decade, the sartorial influence of grunge bands like Nirvana and Pearl Jam pervaded. The look was simple: an oversized flannel shirt, sometimes worn over a t-shirt, and jeans. Other grunge styles included beanies, band t-shirts, knitted sweaters with patterns and Converse shoes. Nirvana's Kurt Cobain epitomized the look with holes in his jeans and cardigan sweaters . The overall look was disheveled and could be bought second-hand in a thrift store. Though it became a fashion trend, it was born of a desire to not engage with fashion at all. Towards the mid-nineties, grunge began to fade in popularity, but the casual approach to fashion remained. Other styles of music, including hip-hop and rap, continued to influence fashion during this period. The popular styles to come from this predominantly included sportswear, including baseball caps and jackets, basketball shorts, tracksuits, and hoodies, but flannel shirts also carried over from grunge .

De la Haye and Tucker note the connection between sportswear and the more casual styles of the decade writing: “The prevalence of urban sportswear in male dress can also be directly correlated to the increasingly informal approach to workplace clothing. Jeans and sweatshirts became acceptable during the mid-nineties in all but the most formal industries as 'Friday wear' began to extend its influence throughout the week.”

Like womenswear and menswear, children's wear in the 1990s also saw casual styles prevail. Fashions for children largely followed those of adult's with flannels, jeans, and The Gap all playing a prevalent role in nineties children's styles. Shows like Boy Meets World, which ran from 1993 to 2000, grew up with the characters and demonstrate the progression of styles for young people. While the girls' fashion varied more, boys' fashion maintained a theme of baggy jeans and loose shirts, often layered .

Young boys and girls in the 1990s wore casual styles throughout the decade. Jeans with flannels or sweatshirts worn over turtlenecks were popular in the early part of the decade for both boys and girls. Layers were especially prominent, as were denim accents.

Sportswear was also popular for children with Champion sweatshirts and track suit jackets popular styles. Team pride could be on full display as boys could find tops and bottoms with their team logo . Babydoll dresses were a favorite of young girls during the early part of the decade. For both boys and girls, logoed t-shirts and sweatshirts were wardrobe staples. Some of Disney's most famous animated films came out during the early to mid-nineties and many children wore clothing themed around movies such as The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin (among others) throughout the early part of the decade . Later in the decade, The Gap's branded sweatshirt was nearly ubiquitous.