The 1990s gave rise to five big Pauly Shore movies. What you might not know is, if you are an anthropologist of 1990s fashion, Pauly’s attire is actually a treasure trove of 90s fashion artifacts. I’m no expert in fashion but, having watched all five movies recently in preparation for “Pauly Shore” week on the80sand90s.com, I noticed some things. Since I was actually around back then, I guess I may very well be a living expert after all. So, sit back, wheeze the juice and check out these five 90s fashion trends highlighted by Pauly himself in his five big movies.

60s and 70s Revival - Encino Man

The 90s saw a revival of both 1960s and 1970s fashion and Pauly had a mix of both in “Encino Man”. Tie-dye from the sixties and bell-bottoms from the 70s made a big comeback. Neonify these, put them on a surfer dude, and you have Stoney’s look. Again, I am no fashion expert or cultural anthropologist, but I believe this 60s/70s revival would be the precursor to 1990s Rave fashion. Wide-leg, JNCO jeans and Ecstasy-friendly psychedelics seem like a logical evolution.

Overalls & Country Chic - Son in Law

As Crawl in “Son in Law”, Pauly Shore might have donned overalls to fit in with the Dakota natives, but he might not have known that he would have been fashionable in many 1990s urban environments just the same. Overalls were not just for farmers in the 1990s. They were prevalent in 90s pop, hip-hop and even television culture. They were especially stylish with just one strap buckled ala Fresh Prince. Let’s also not forget two other things: 1.) The 90s were the biggest decade of country-as-pop ever, and 2.) Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake showed up to an award show with denim on denim, including a denim cowboy hat. Enough said.

Military Chic - In the Army Now

Camouflage was fashionable in the 1990s, often especially in hip-hop culture. No one was more casual and “unsat” with their military uniforms than Bones and his crew from “In the Army Now”. Naval attire was also a thing with the more Grunge crowd. When I left the Navy, my younger cousin wanted all my uniforms. She wore the prison-style shirt they had back then open-buttoned. She thought it was cool it had her last name on it already. She modified the bell-bottom dungarees to fit her and the navy pea coat was the envy of her friends. It looked a hell of a lot better on her and I was glad they could be put to some use.

Not-So-Formal - Jury Duty

Before a nice, sleek suit was appreciated again at the very end of the 90s, inspired by films such as “Men in Black” and “The Matrix”, most of the 90s had an unkempt, “I’m a slacker who’s only wearing this suit because I have to” look. Suits were often oversized and mixed with very casual apparel such as jeans or sneakers. This look was already familiar among stand-up comedians but went more mainstream in the early to mid-90s. Pauly Shore’s character Tommy sported the same disdainful look alongside Tia Carrere in “Jury Duty”. Given Pauly’s stand-up roots, this might have been natural for him.

Pucka Shell Necklaces - Bio-Dome

Yeah, men actually wore pucka shell necklaces like Bud and Doyle did in “Bio-Dome”. I wore them sometimes. I was also younger, more handsome, and a sailor at the time. Moreover, the navy did not allow frosted tips on their sailors. Good thing too. It wasn’t the necklaces that made guys look like surfer-bro douchebags. It was a combination of the necklaces with frosted tips or pseudo-dreads, sleeveless vests, and all the other 90s male fashion badness that did it. For some reason, the douchiest looking of the surfer-bros were usually Canadian. Things that make you go, “hmmm”.

I don’t know if Pauly Shore or his movies started any of these trends, but I would not be surprised if they did. Even if that isn’t true, Pauly Shore was certainly a trendy fellow in the 1990s and studying Pauly Shore is an essential part of any scholarly activity as it pertains to 1990s fashion.