90s Costumes: Boy Band

Boy Band Costume

This costume takes a group effort to pull off properly, but it's well worth it. The pop sensations that infected the airwaves of 1990s radio and music television are fine fodder for costume fun. Whether you choose to mimic the Backstreet Boys, *NSYNC or 98 Degrees, there is a fairly wide variety of different costumes to choose from. Boy Bands were created by jaded producers looking to sell records based on simple melodies and a few pretty faces. As a result, their clothing styles largely reflected the fashion trends of the day instead of setting them. However, there is a great way to differentiate your particular Boy Band by having each member take on a specific persona:

The Sensitive One: Earth tones, a suit vest and tie, and of course, clean shaven.
The Rebel: A leather jacket, leather pants, a white t-shirt and a goatee. Spiky hair.
The Guy with All The Piercings: He's like the Rebel, but with dread locks, a tribal necklace and as many clip-on piercings as you can find.
The Star: Although it's a group, there's always one member of the band poised for a solo career as soon as he gets the first opportunity. Decide who gets to be the Justin Timberlake of your Boy Band and make sure he's wearing the most cutting edge leisure suit you can get your hands on.
The Jock: This is the role for your buffest friend, so throw him in a muscle shirt with yellow-tinted sunglasses, or give him an open puffy vest and cargo pants for that outdoorsy X-Games look.

For more inspiration, watch these classic boy band music videos:

Follow 90s 411

Boy Band Costume