Grunge fashion

1990s grunge fashion

Grunge fashion is the clothing, accessories and hairstyles of the grunge music genre and subculture which emerged in mid-1980s Seattle, and had reached wide popularity by the early 1990s. Embraced by Generation X as an anti-fashion, it contrasts from the flashy excessiveness of the 1980s. Grunge fashion is characterized by durable and timeless thrift-store clothing, often worn in a loose, androgynous manner to de-emphasize the silhouette. The style was popularized by music artists Kurt Cobain, Courtney Love, and Pearl Jam.

Origins

The term grunge was adopted by the music industry for a style of music that had become wildly popular in the American northwest during the early 1990s.^[1] The term first appeared in 1972, but it did not become a popular term in widespread media until the late 1980s, influenced by the surge and decline of punk.^[2] This view made its mark on the youth of the time and translated into their choice of fashion; "flannel shirts and Doc Martens boots were worn as an anti-fashion statement that is undoubtedly related to the unassuming and unvarnished nature of the music itself".^[3]

Pop-culture influence on 90s grunge

Accessories used in grunge fashion

Music, fashion, TV and movies during the 1990s gave Generation X a voice. This classically rebellious generation did not want their success to be judged by their property or money. Generation X wanted their own voice and some commentators say that the Grunge scene appealed to these shared generational sentiments.^[4] One of the biggest influences on grunge fashion was rock star Kurt Cobain, the lead singer of the hugely successful band Nirvana. It is widely believed that Cobain represents the core of the grunge movement and the phenomenon of the Grunge scene's influence on Generation X. Cobain's style was a combination from both male and female fashion, and "his Seattle thrift-store look ran the gamut of masculine lumberjack workwear and 40s-by-way-of-70s feminine dresses."^[5] Cobain's wife, Courtney Love, was mostly known for her "kinderwhore" sense of style which was used by many female grunge bands. The look consisted of barrettes, tiaras, ripped tights, Mary Janes, slips and Peter Pan collared dresses. Love claims that she drew the inspiration for her kinderwhore look from Christina Amphlett of Divinyls.^[6] Pearl Jam made their mark on the grunge fashion scene with leather jackets, kilts, shorts-over-leggings, ripped jeans and snapbacks. They were best known for inspiring the Doc Martens trend.^[7]

Men's fashion

Grunge fashion was influenced by disheveled and androgynous thrift-store clothing, defined by a looseness that de-emphasized the body's silhouette. Men wore second-hand or shabby T-shirts with slogans, band logos, etc. A plaid shirt would accompany the T-shirt, along with ripped or faded jeans.^[8] Black combat-style boots, such as Doc Martens, would complete the ensemble.^[9] In 1992, The New York Times wrote: "This stuff is cheap, it's durable, and it's kind of timeless. It also runs against the grain of the whole flashy aesthetic that existed in the 80's."^[10] As for hairstyles, men followed the "hair-sweat-and-guitars look"^[10] of Kurt Cobain.

Women's fashion

In the 1990s, less was more and dressing-down was an acceptable norm.^[11] For shoes, women started wearing clunky combat boots and Doc Martens. They typically wore slip dresses with flannels, flannels and ripped jeans, and plaid in layers. Low-rise and ripped, wide-legged jeans were popular. The clothing was paired with simple jewelry such as chokers and hoop earrings and dark, rich-colored lipstick.^[12] Bell-bottom jeans from the 1970s were popular again by 1995, along with the baby-doll T-shirt.^[13] When flannels were worn, they were oversized and when it became too hot to wear them, they were tied around the waist.^[14] Hairstyles included the half-up-half-down style and messy hair that made the impression nothing was done to it.^[12]

Grunge today

Updated version of grunge fashion

According to a 2013 Today magazine article, the 1990s made a comeback after New York Fashion Week (NYFW) when designers shared their interpretations of Seattle's early 1990s boho-chic. This led to grunge fashion appearing in shopping malls and grunge-inspired back-to-school looks.^[15]

References