Tattered jeans, flannels, Doc Martens, neon lights, Nirvana Tees, emo teens, VHS filters, and a bunch of cigarettes—if you’re picturing all of these things on an influencer’s Instagram account, you might be headed in the right direction!
One of the best things about being grunge is that it suits the procrastination-loving generation. How? Well, to be drenched deep in the juices of grunge aesthetic, one of the key elements is a lack of effort coupled with the knock-on effects of a lazy lifestyle.
However, the aesthetic isn’t constrained to just clothing and lifestyle. To be grunge, you need to infuse yourself with a rebellious and edgy spirit—along with tons of other elements. Perhaps, taking a peek into the story of the aesthetic would help you to relate more.
In order for you to enjoy this quick journey into the world of grunge: make sure to put on a Nirvana song, maybe light a cigarette, and keep on reading.
History of Grunge
The word “grunge” is a slang word; it means something along the lines of “being dirty or abhorrent.” Given how messy the style elements tend to be, it makes sense (dear reader: it’ll make even more sense when you learn about the roots).
The early history comes from the hard rock scene of the 1980s, when musicians were pushing the idea of anti-consumerism, were cynical towards corporates, had mistrust of authority, and reflected social issues through their art. Nirvana, Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, and Pearl Jam were some of the most popular figures during that time.
Yet, the slang was purely based on the production value of the music and the artist’s appearance. Because of their small budgets, fashion wasn’t really a style choice—it was a reflection of their financial condition. These artists couldn’t hit the “fancy” stores for shopping, so their go-to places were thrift stores and shops that sold second-hand clothes. They needed clothes that were cheap and lasted longer. Flannel shirts, old and tattered durable jeans, combat boots, and fleece jackets were some of the most famous and popular pieces of clothing among these artists. Hair was usually messy (and long), and clothes were greasy and dirty.
Moreover, the quality of music was recorded using cheap resources—so, you can imagine how raw or “dirty” the sound would have been to the “so-called” experts.
Grunge in Music
Grunge was a sub-culture and an alternative genre in music that emerged in America during the mid-1980s, mostly in the vicinity of Seattle—which is why it’s also called the Seattle sound. If you know a little about punk culture, you can sense its element in grunge. Most punk music from the ’80s was edgy, rebellious, and anti-establishment in nature. In comparison to grunge, it was closer to metal and sounded faster as well as heavier.
Punk evolved into grunge as we moved into the ’90s. The lyrics became more introspective, personal, and nihilistic. The mohawks turned into long hair, often untidy. And the music was less niche and more relatable for the general public—slow, sludgy sound instead of high tempo and hardcore rock music.
However, despite being a grown-up cousin of punk, the image of grunge was still a bit infamous, both in terms of appearance and sound. The lyrics were dark, and artists wanted to paint a different picture of the world from what was being celebrated at the time—they wanted to be less elegant, more real.
Grunge in Fashion
Well, essentially, grunge wasn’t a style choice. Most of the people in the early days of grunge weren’t trying to redefine thrift stores or second-hand clothing—they were just poor. As most struggling artists weren’t well-off financially either, grunge was befitting the bill.
However, it must be noted that (please pay attention to this) the core values behind dressing up that way were authenticity, anti-consumerism, and a non-conformist attitude.
Men wanted clothing that was durable and reliable, so they were usually seen wearing oversized t-shirts, flannel shirts, combat boots, and ripped jeans.
During that time, women’s clothing didn’t necessarily have to define their sex appeal. Their style looked similar to their male counterparts: plaid shirts, knee-socks, dark makeup, as well as torn and ripped jeans.
In the mid-1990s, singers Kat Bjelland and Courtney Love popularized another clothing style for women, called Kinderwhore. The look consisted of ripped tights, a torn or low-cut babydoll dress, a tattered fur coat, heavy makeup, knee-socks, dark eyeliner and leather boots (or Mary Jane shoes). Dazed magazine even called Courtney Love one of the “ten women who defined the 1990s”–talk about impact!
Sliding into the Mainstream and Disappearing in a Jiffy
Grunge saw its peak during 1992-1994, when some of the most popular grunge artists started getting global recognition. It was hard not to notice their unorthodox clothing. Unsurprisingly, grunge became a mainstream trend, and fancy brands didn’t miss the opportunity to hop on the grunge bandwagon.
At the time, it may have been great to see this particular ‘non-conformist’ style getting the recognition it deserved. Yet, when the same thrifted flannel shirts and ripped jeans started selling at much steeper prices, it made the entire scene completely ironic.
The popularity of grunge was much shorter than anyone anticipated. Most likely, in 1994, its downfall was set in motion by the tragic suicide of one of the most prominent pioneers of grunge, Kurt Cobain. Grunge started dying slowly as we moved into the 2000s, and the start of the 21st century saw the trend getting more obsolete.
How Grunge Made a Comeback and What’s Modern Grunge Like?
Every couple of years, it’s never surprising to see old fashion trends resurfacing. Grunge was no different.
We love nostalgia; we love it so much that we put VHS filters over current media to add that needed nostalgic vibe. In addition, social media has made it possible for people to vent their thoughts and personal discontent. Therefore, all that pent-up, rebellious rage was getting expressed through different outlets and communities that shared the same beliefs—can you see where this is going?
All these combined ingredients created a perfect setup for grunge to resurface. However, the overall style got blended in with a bunch of contemporary ethos, giving rise to diverse sub-genres of grunge.
A Diverse Range of Grunge Aesthetics
’90s Grunge
This is the base for all of the hybrids that grew out of this style. ’90s grunge is the purest form of the aesthetic. To wear it like a pro, all you need to do is channel that rebellious spirit, look messy (effortless if you’re not compulsive about being hygienic), and make peace with your imperfections, nay embrace them—like Kurt would say, come as you are.
Put on the flannels, metallic jackets, baggy pullovers, band tees (Metallica, AC/DC, Nirvana would be perfect) and, of course, Doc Martens.
Most importantly, your jeans MUST be ripped—there’s no alternative here.
’80s Grunge
Remember how we talked about the evolution of punk into grunge? Punk heavily dominated most fashion choices in the ’80s. So, the primary elements and themes of ’80s grunge would have ingredients of punk; it should be casual and dark.
Going with ’80s grunge means sporting a dark—heavily influenced by black—theme that’s a little more attitude-heavy than its ’90s counterpart. Go with band T-shirts, long boots, or biker jackets if you’re feeling more of the masculine vibe. For the ladies, put on dark makeup, mom jeans, crop tops, or a band t-shirt. Don’t forget the choker necklaces, beanies or flannel!
This style also has elements of a Punk Grunge vibe. If you tweak your appearance a bit more, like adding a nose-piercing, memento mori tattoo, or mohawk, your look would be closer to Punk Grunge.
Vintage Grunge
We’re slowly moving to the non-traditional versions of the aesthetic. Vintage grunge is a perfect style if you don’t want to embrace too much of a lighter vibe, or be too contemporary.
Retro accessories are necessary for this: tinted glasses, classic blazers, floral prints, and slip dresses. Vintage grunge is a very balanced aesthetic and one of my favorites!
Indie Grunge
Indie grunge is similar to vintage grunge; it’s basically more of a modern version. It looks effortless because the type of clothing is oversized denim, loose Tees, and mini backpacks.
You can still wear tinted glasses and keep clothing more plain and straightforward.
Hippie Grunge
Did the name spark some spiritual and care-free energy? Well, I mean…it should!
This aesthetic primarily suits females. Patterned skirts, florals, rings, and choker necklaces are some of the most common features of this boho aesthetic. Give a bit more attention to the accessories and makeup, and make sure to carry a lively energy!
Soft Grunge
It’s okay to be drawn to the grunge aesthetic without being overly edgy—that’s where soft grunge kicks in—blending the old staples of grunge aesthetic with contemporary influences to bring out a lighter appearance.
Soft grunge is an ideal aesthetic for starters. You don’t have to change your entire wardrobe to pull this off. Just add a few elements of grunge to your regular clothes such as ripped denim, plaids!
Comfy Grunge
This one needs no explanation—you just need your appearance to look effortless and comfortable. So, you can ditch the heavy boots, tight jeans, or anything that’s adding a sharp look to your appearance. Go with plain tees or band tees, flannels, as well as leggings. Mom jeans with bell-bottoms work well with this look. Keep in mind you that you have to focus on simplicity, but don’t let it come at the cost of your grunge spirit.
Pastel Grunge
With this style, you will want to incorporate more vibrancy into your look, and wash the black color out of the aesthetic. Pastel grunge tends to lean more towards a girly vibe. It has less black, showcasing chic pastel colors: yellow, blue, and purple.
This style focuses more on being confident than just being rebellious—don’t worry, you can still be a rebel without the darkness. Don’t shy away from adding a pastel hue to your hair to nail down the aesthetic.
Cute Grunge
We’re moving towards a more charming and confident side of grunge. Most of the teens you see wearing grunge on Instagram tend to go for the cute grunge look.
One important note to keep in mind: put on a complete dress (a plaid shirt dress, skater dress, or overalls).
The idea is to look like a cute troublemaker that must be handled with care.
In Conclusion
The grunge aesthetic has had a fascinating journey. You can still sense its influence and how closely people relate to its theme.
Before ending, I’d suggest you focus well on the accessories to make sure you’re making most out of the aesthetic.
If you are going for more of the ’90s styles, make sure to keep your shoes either bulky and flat. Otherwise, canvas trainers, sandals, and creepers go perfectly with the modern forms of grunge. No need to pay too much attention to the hair—the messier, the better!
If you want to put on some makeup, either go with a striking appearance (smokey eyes, dark or wine lipsticks) or keep it totally minimal and natural.
Shake your hair, make sure to mix all these ingredients correctly, and take a deep breath—yes, that’s the smell of the teen spirit!