The '90s Accessory Making an Explosive Comeback in 2025
The celebrity-approved trend harkens back decades and is best worn when it's chilly out. Plus, see how Rihanna styles it.
It's never a dull moment when Rihanna steps outside. Over the weekend leading up to New Years Eve, the Fenty Beauty founder made a quick run to Target in New York City, sporting a flurry of plain cool pieces: indigo-hued baggy jeans, a leather jacket featuring forest green suede elbow panels by Enfants Richés Déprimés, a vintage Tupac and Biggie commemorative T-shirt layered with her own diamonds, Bottega Veneta Haddock lace-up ankle boots, and a ’90s Gucci by Tom Ford green fur evening bag. But the one that stood out the most was her vintage fur hat by Oscar De La Renta.
Fur hats were huge in the '90s. Pamela Anderson's pink cap at the MTV Video Music Awards in 1999 or Missy Elliott's pastel Kangol number are easy references. While the trend faded in the decades that followed, it's been making a comeback in the 2020s, thanks to the likes of Kendall Jenner, Bella Hadid, Hailey Bieber, Emily Ratajkowski, and (of course) Rihanna. Even North West and Tyler, The Creator have put their own twist on it, usually opting for fur trapper hats and ushankas.
The hat, suitable for any face shape or hair pattern, offers both a stylish, trendy look and the warmth needed to face the season’s first winds. It seems to be part of a theatrical fur obsession as of late, evident across Fall/Winter 2024 runways. But fur toppers add an even more playful, textural spin. Milliners are increasingly offering styles in this vein, whether it's Ruslan Baginskiy's wispy blonde or lilac fur faux fur aviators; Rudsak's trappers; or Kangol's options.
Rihanna has been curating an enviable collection of fur toppers long before. Her archive spans from bubblegum-pink Emma Brewin bucket hats to vintage Chanel and Oscar de la Renta creations. Just weeks before Sunday’s ensemble, Rihanna turned heads with a stunning headpiece again at the British Fashion Awards on December 2nd. She wore a turquoise fur hat from Christian Lacroix’s Fall 2002 couture collection, completing the look with a plunging fur dress and black bustier bra underneath.
This playful trend is versatile but unmissable, and it's especially cozy during the winter. No wonder some of its styles, like the traditionally Russian ushanka, originated in notoriously cold climates. Seen in iterations from bucket hats to baseball caps and aviator hats, this accessory makes a good case for a place in many different wardrobes. While fuzzy bucket silhouettes have been popular for a few years, these fur accessories now exude a more luxurious, refined vibe—offering both a free-spirited party girl and cool aunt flair. As more celebrities play with the accessory and as more designers reimagine the item, it’s safe to say, this one will be staying a while.
