Remember record stores? I do, though today’s Gen Z will never understand the struggle of having to physically haul yourself to a store to score your favorite artist’s new album, and that is a sad fact that I have grown to accept. My small town’s local mall had only one CD store, and it would be my first stop every single time I went there. Whereas my town was filled with mostly farmers and hunters, the record store was filled with people like me: emo-style youth wearing too much eyeliner and those huge, buckled Tripp pants. It was a destination to express your individuality, all the while going through the latest Good Charlotte or Evanescence CDs (or better yet, the posters!).

This experience is immortalized in Empire Records, which turns 30 today. Released in 1995, it wasn’t meant to be a nostalgic film, but it certainly is a trip back in time now. The film follows a crew of record store employees over the course of one eventful, action-packed day. The Delaware store’s too-cool workers include stars such as Liv Tyler, Renée Zellweger, Robin Tunney, Johnny Whitworth, and more. When I first watched it, I remember being especially struck by what they were all wearing. They all had their own distinct fashion vibe going on. With her shaved head and cropped tank top, Debra (Tunney) was the resident bad girl with an attitude. The mohair sweater and plaid skirt worn by Corey (Tyler), meanwhile, read more America’s sweetheart. My favorite look of the whole movie, however, is the one worn by A.J. (Whitworth). He sports a checkerboard shirt worn with a chunky cardigan and jeans. It’s grungy (very Kurt Cobain), very laissez-faire, and like all of the other Empire Records employees’ looks, it’s downright cool.

Photo: Courtesy of Everett Collection