Entertainment

Where These 11 Cool Girls Of The '90s Are Today

by Chloe Kent

If the internet is to be believed, all it took to be a cool girl in the '90s was a landline phone, a functioning Tamagotchi, some roll-on body glitter, and a few editions of Now That's What I Call Music. And then, of course, there were the outfits. There were clearly-defined demarkations of the trademark '90s girl style depending on the part of the decade. In the early years, it was all about plaid flannel and combat boots with an eye to circa-Nirvana grunge, while later on, closer to the millennium, it become all about accessories: slap on some butterfly clips, a tattoo choker, a tiny backpack (preferably in the shape of a small animal), and anything adorned with a yin-yang or a smiley face, and you might as well have been the fourth member of the Jawbreakers clique.

Yet while it may have been easy enough to look cool back then (by '90s standards, anyhow), actually being cool was a whole other challenge. Could you have kept it together if you were dating Johnny Depp (a la Kate Moss)? Would you have remained as poised as Tatyana when she was forced to film her first kiss in front of a live studio audience for The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air? (Do yourself a favor if you're a fan and read the great story behind it.) Of course you couldn't have; you're a true '90s kid who can't even function in the same internet as Ryan Gosling. Yet the 11 women below totally could, as, let's face it, they were some of the coolest girls from the '90s.

1. Kate Moss

Then:

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Before taking her turn as a fashion designer, mother and wife, Moss was setting runways ablaze as a Marc Jacobs muse (among others) and the face of Calvin Klein's famous "heroin chic" campaign.

Now:

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Not much has changed — she's still just as cool and collected.

2. Chloë Sevigny

Then:

After being discovered by an editor at Sassy (arguably the coolest cool girl magazine of the '90s), Sevigny (pictured here with BFF Natasha Lyonne) went on to model for X-girl and the Beastie Boys' clothing line designed by Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth, as well as appear in the band's "Sugar Kane." A seven-page New Yorker profile cemented the 19-year old's It-Girl status and led to a string of acting work, including a role in Larry Clark's Kids and a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nom for her work in 2000's Boys Don't Cry.

Now:

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Some things never change. Still a muse, an actor, and a close friend of Natasha Lyonne. Thanks to her successful Opening Ceremony line, Sevigny can also now add designer to her resume.

3. Kim Gordon

Then:

After graduating from art school in Los Angeles, Gordon moved to New York City and formed Sonic Youth in 1981.

Now:

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After Sonic Youth broke up in 2012, she formed a new group, Body/Head, and released her memoir, Girl in a Band , last year.

4. Tatyana Ali

Then:

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After growing up before our very eyes as Ashley Banks on the '90s sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, she appeared in a number of film and music projects over the years.

Now:

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Ali is set to appear in Brandy Norwood's BET series Zoe Ever After, and she has a number of projects in post-production. Also, she may or may not have hooked up with Drake. Not too bad.

5. Christina Ricci

Then:

After debuting opposite Cher and Winona Ryder in 1990's Mermaids, Ricco rose to fame as Wednesday Addams in 1991's The Addams Family at the ripe old age of eleven, going on to appear in cult classics such as Now and Then and Casper.

Now:

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After playing title roles of F. Scott's wife Zelda Fitzgerald and the infamous Lizzie Borden in two miniseries in 2015, she's set to star in Mothers Day this year, alongside Courtney Cox, Selma Blair, Sharon Stone, Susan Sarandon and number six on this list.

6. Mira Sorvino

Then:

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After winning an Oscar and a Golden Globe for her role in Woody Allen's Mighty Aphrodite, she co-starred as one-half of your favorite '90s BFF duo in 1997's Romy and Michele's High School Reunion.

Now:

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With six roles on the horizon, Sorvino is showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

7. Stacey Dash

Then:

After notable appearances on The Cosby Show and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, she was cast in what would become her pinnacle role, Dion in 1995's Clueless.

Now:

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After joining FOX News as a commentator in 2014, she's gotten herself into hot water time and again with the press for her often-controversial remarks on feminism, racism and, well, most anything else. She still acts from time to time.

8. Gillian Anderson

Then:

Anderson was beloved for playing FBI Special Agent Dana Scully on all nine seasons of The X-Files.

Now:

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She's reprising her role as Agent Scully for a six-episode X-Files revival this year.

9. Rachael Leigh Cook

Then:

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After cutting her teeth as a child model and appearing in 1995's The Baby-Sitters Club and Tom and Huck (helllooooo, Jonathan Taylor Thomas!) she starred in her breakout role as Laney Boggs in 1999's She's All That.

Now:

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After appearing alongside Eric McCormack (Will from Will & Grace) in three seasons of TNT's Perception, she welcomed her second child with The Vampire Diaries' Daniel Gillies last year.

10. Bridget Fonda

Then:

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Born into a veritable acting dynasty (there's her grandfather Henry, father Peter, and aunt Jane), Fonda appeared in such notables as The Godfather Part III, Single White Female, It Could Happen to You, and Jackie Brown.

Now:

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Here's one who totally fell off the map. After appearing in her final major role opposite Jet Li in 2001's Kiss of the Dragon, Fonda left show business completely to raise a family with husband Danny Elfman.

11. Beverley Mitchell

Then:

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She played Lucy on all 11 seasons of a little show called 7th Heaven. Ever heard of it?

Now:

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After getting married in Italy in 2008 — yes her former 7th Heaven castmates Mary (Jessica Biel) and Ruthie (Mackenzie Rosman) were bridesmaids — Mitchell appeared in a regular role on The Secret Life of the American Teenager and welcomed her second child with husband Michael last January.

These women were the absolute coolest.