If you were an adolescent girl in 1994 or 1995, chances are that any mention of My So-Called Life stirs up the same emotions as asking you about your first kiss or first major argument with your parents. Our teenage years are tender times, when we pledge undying loyalty to any book, TV show or album that echoes our angst. My So-Called Life falls firmly into that category, and the costume designer can take some of the credit.

Because yes, our hearts broke watching Angela Chase (Claire Danes, pre-Homeland) mope around after Jordan Catalano (Jared Leto, pre-hair icon status). And yes, we totally sympathised when Angela's uptight mother wouldn't let her do what she wanted, and we understood in a vague but anxious way that Rayanne and Rickie did not have 'happy home lives'. But what brought the whole show to life were the perfectly observed details of teenage life – not least, the way each character dressed.

From Angela's schoolgirl grunge to Rayanne's chaotic, mismatched layering, they all had their own look, and though the show only ran for one season, we never forgot them. Unbelievably, My So-Called Life turns 20 this year; in celebration, we've gathered some of the most notable outfits – good and bad – and taken a closer look.

If you miss the deep emotional insights of My So-Called Life as much as the outfits, then you might want to watch the below video first. But then put on Everybody Hurts by R.E.M, click on the gallery and let's talk nineties fashion.