The 90s saw a lot of things change in the wrestling business. One of those things was the fashion. Just like the 80s improved on the fashion from the 70s, the 90s improved on the style of the 80s. The 90s still featured flash and extravagance but not at the same level as the 80s. This was especially true the more the decade progressed.
By the end of the decade, the fashion was almost unrecognizable compared to the 80s. This was reflected in many of the entrance attires that wrestlers wore. While certainly not as flashy, a handful of entrance attires from the 90s are worth taking a second look at.
10 Goldust
While the majority of characters were less over-the-top in the 90s compared to the 80s, Goldust was an anomaly. The original androgynous version of Goldust was as over-the-top flamboyant as it got in wrestling. Honestly, it’s hard to imagine that character being greenlit during any other decade but the 90s.
Goldust’s entrance attire made sure fans were paying full attention to him even before the bell rang. Not only would Goldust come to the ring wearing a luxurious gold robe, but he’d also wear a wig. The entrance attire set the tone for Goldust and he would push the envelope in WWE for about a year before being creatively castrated.
9 Sting
There is perhaps no bigger example of the evolution of pro wrestling during the 90s than Sting. At the beginning of the decade, The Stinger was very much still stuck in the 80s. He had a larger-than-life personality and oozed energetic charisma. This was even reflected in the attire Sting wore. During the early 90s, bright colors were Sting’s style.
This included several eye-catching entrance jackets. The Stinger seemingly had an entrance jacket for every occasion. While the jackets were great visually, they’d eventually get fazed out when Sting’s character took a dark turn. By the end of the decade, the bright colorful entrance jackets would be replaced by a black trench coat.
8 “Stone Cold” Steve Austin
Much like Sting, Steve Austin’s character evolution during the 90s was reflective of the times. As “Stunning” Steve Austin, he would experience limited success in WCW. After he was fired from the promotion, Austin made a pit stop in ECW before joining WWE. He’d debut in WWE as The Ringmaster but his character and appearance would quickly evolve.
By the middle of 1996, Austin had become “Stone Cold.” Along with a change in attitude, Austin also changed his appearance. Aside from the shaved head and goatee, Austin also introduced an entrance vest that would become iconic. It was all black with silver lettering and deco on the back and sides.
7 Lord Steven Regal
Here’s a sleeper entry. During the mid-90s, Lord Steven Regal helped carry WCW’s mid-card. Regal was a perennial WCW World Television Champion, often putting on the best matches on the WCW card. On top of his great work inside the ring, Regal had a great handle on his character.
Regal played the role of a proper, snooty Brit to perfection. Regal’s entrance attire only enhanced his character. Regal would often come to the ring wearing an elegant robe and collar ruffle. The look certainly got Regal lots of heat from fans which was the main reason for it.
6 Razor Ramon
Simplicity goes a long way sometimes in pro wrestling. In the case of Razor Ramon’s entrance attire, that statement is certainly true. The Razor character oozed confidence and machismo, as he very well should have. He was also quite fashionable. Razor had some of the most underrated looks of the 90s.
His ring attire was always on point and his entrance attire was always a great compliment. His entrance gear was simply a vest and some gold chains but they took Razor’s look to the next level. It’s hard to imagine the character having the same appeal without dripping in gold and without rocking his memorable vest.
5 The British Bulldog
Patriotic wrestling attire has historically been a hit with wrestling fans. The British Bulldog is a performer who always paid tribute to his homeland with his attire. While repping Great Britain on his wrestling tights and boots was a great look, Davey Boy Smith’s attire wouldn’t have looked the same without his entrance cape.
Davey Boy wore a cape with Dynamite Kid during the 80s as part of The British Bulldogs tag team. However, his entrance cape in the 90s was a whole other level of elegant and eye-catching. The most iconic version featured a huge Union Jack on the back side while the inside had the word “Bulldog” stitched across. It was a thing of beauty.
4 The Undertaker
The Undertaker is perhaps the greatest wrestling character ever presented by WWE. No other performer has ever experienced such longevity in the wrestling world. The main way The Undertaker achieved such impressive longevity was by never being afraid to evolve his character. During the 90s, specifically, “The Deadman” sported several looks.
Unquestionably his most iconic look came during the early and mid-90s when he dressed like an old tyme undertaker. During that run, ‘Taker’s entrance attire was simple but wildly popular. It was a hat, a trench coat, and an old-fashioned necktie. The classic Undertaker color scheme was gray although many fans also enjoyed the purple version.
3 “Macho Man” Randy Savage
A wise wrestler once said, “The cream will rise to the top.” It turns out, that wrestler was not only wise but one hell of a dresser. “Macho Man” Randy Savage is the only wrestler to crack the top three in both the 80s and 90s versions of this list. And for good reason. Savage might just be the most iconic fashionista in wrestling history.
While he set the groundwork for that label in the 80s, the 90s is when Savage became a wrestling fashion icon. Every hat, jacket, and pair of tights Savage wore was color-coordinated. There wasn’t an aspect of Savage’s attire that wasn’t strategic. In full regalia, with his entrance jacket and hat on, Savage always looked like a million bucks.
2 Shawn Michaels
During the 80s and early 90s, “Macho Man” Randy Savage walked so that Shawn Michaels could run in the mid and late 90s. Though not by design, Michaels was Savage’s spiritual successor when it came to eye-catching entrance gear. The two men had completely different styles but brought the same passion and attention to detail to their attire.
Michaels was never really one for entrance jackets. Instead, HBK fancied him some leather chaps and eccentric leather tops. The flamboyance of his entrance attire always fit Michaels’ boy toy persona and only endeared him to his legions of rabid fans. Admittedly, flamboyance aside, it was a great look.
1 Bret Hart
While HBK had the over-the-top entrance attire on lock, Bret Hart went a different route. “The Hitman” preferred him a classic leather entrance jacket and shades. Bret’s jackets would evolve over the years and get a little flashier but never quite reach Shawns’ level. Despite that, Bret’s entrance attire is arguably more iconic than Shawn’s. Specifically for two reasons.
First, Bret and Jean Pierre Lafitte once had a brief program that centered around Bret’s entrance jacket. Second, Bret’s entrance shades were a big part of his entrance. At the peak of his babyface stardom, Bret would always award his shades to a young fan as part of his entrance. That’s next-level fan interaction and the reason why Bret edges Shawn on this list.