Minimalism in the 90s was never really about owning less. It was about owning the right few things, cut well, in colors that did not shout. Inspired by Calvin Klein, Jil Sander and Helmut Lang in that decade, by Phoebe Philo's years at Céline from 2008 to 2017, and by the bias-cut Narciso Rodriguez slip dress Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy wore to her wedding in 1996, this is my case for the look now. Picture a gray morning, a paper cup of coffee, a long coat over something silky. The slip is where it starts. A good one skims rather than clings, falls past the knee, and comes in black, chocolate or a shade close to skin. Tibi's The Slip Dress in black is the one I would buy first. Fendi's lace-trimmed silk slip, Saint Laurent's lace-edged slip skirt and Brunello Cucinelli's brown satin Monili dress are the dressier options, and DÔEN's Elowen skirt in brown satin is the softest. The Row's Ivera slip skirt, or Khaite's Loxley, a long black column skirt, is the version for people who would rather wear a sweater on top.

The slip needs a counterweight, and in the 90s that was a long coat. Not a puffer, not a cropped jacket, but a coat that falls toward the calf and moves when you walk. Max Mara's Manuela in camel hair is the obvious reference: belted, wrapped, generous through the shoulder. The Frankie Shop's Leroy wrap coat in gray and Acne Studios' single-breasted black coat are the sharper, plainer versions. Loulou de Saison's Olmo is double-breasted and black, the most severe of the four. Gucci's technical twill trousers are the ones to reach for when it rains. Under the coat, trousers do what jeans cannot. Toteme's cady wide-leg pants and Khaite's Walter pant both have a soft fall and a long line, so they break gently over a shoe. Wear either one with a fine knit or a white shirt and you have the whole look without a slip at all. That, to me, is the real test of a minimal wardrobe: it still works when you take a piece away.

The accessories are where 90s minimalism earns its reputation. A pointed shoe lengthens a wide trouser, and a plain leather bag with quiet hardware says more than one covered in logos. Givenchy's patent pumps and Isabel Marant's Padim pumps are sharp and simple, while Tibi's Beasley heel is lower and kinder on a long day. Cult Gaia's Vienna boot has a gold plate across the toe, which is the one flourish I would allow here. For bags I prefer structure over slouch: Toteme's T-Lock crossbody, DeMellier's Siena saddle bag and Jacquemus' long Turismo are all clean shapes in good leather. Here is what I would skip: chunky square toes on everything, and any bag with a logo bigger than your palm. Both date an outfit faster than anything else on this page. If you only add one thing from this section, make it a black pump, since it goes with every trouser here.