Grunge fashion initially developed in the 80s and grew popular in the 90s, specifically within the Northwestern USA. Many famous grunge rock bands came from this area. Nirvana for example, was founded in Washington. Both Nirvana and Pearl Jam are considered the bands that made grunge culture so appealing.
The grunge movement eventually expanded across the country, and consecutively across the world. Fashion is much more than what people are wearing. It reflects the everyday frustrations and emotions of the society that wears it.
What is Grunge Style?
During the 80s and 90s, capitalism surged within economies—this caused many ideas to appear, citing an attempt of rebellious behavior. Grunge style is a reflection of this rebellious attitude that Generation X was feeling. It stood against the status quo, and stood for the liberty to be openly careless.
Grunge fashion is characterized by the aspect of ‘dressing down’. There are endless stylistic deviations from the 90s seen in current fashion trends.
If I was to throw out a pivotal list of grunge womenswear.
Here it is:
- Silk slip dresses
- Babydoll dresses
- Plaid flannels
- Vintage floral prints
- Black leather
- Ripped jeans
- Crop tops
- Chokers
- Chunky black boots
These are styles that are still worn by influencers and celebrities. They became popular in the 90s, but fashion is an endless repetitive cycle and they have become popular once again.
80s Grunge Fashion
The word ‘grunge’ was briefly mentioned during the 70s, but did not attract attention until the 80s. During this decade, grunge music and fashion began to grow due to the decline of punk music. The grunge style during the 80s had many similarities to punk, even though they are now considered completely different aesthetics.
They are similar in terms of the careless vibe they give off to spectators; even though grunge is much more effortless than punk. Punk fashion is about trying to look effortless, while grunge is about just being naturally effortless.
Grunge fashion during the 80s was defined by a combination of the two subcultures, and later evolved fully on its own throughout the 90s.
Early 90s Grunge Fashion
Grunge fashion developed into a more minimalistic concept during the early 90s. Throughout the 80s, grunge elements were attempted in combination with punk. At the beginning of the 90s, grunge was established through a fully careless attitude—wearing comfortable, minimalistic clothes, that reflected the carefree and liberal state of Generation X. Grunge fashion had its official breakthrough in 1992.
Courtney Love is one of the great American female musical artists of the 90s. Love made a huge impact within the grunge genre scene. Admired for her fearless personality, shameless attitude, and incredible voice, Courtney seemed to live through a grunge lifestyle—one that her fans highly admired.
When thinking of her, images of Kurt Cobain immediately come to mind. She was married to the king of grunge, and the two were often seen showing their incredible sense of style together.
Late 90s Grunge Fashion
The late 90s grunge fashion was heavily influenced by other cultures and past fashions. The 70s made a comeback during the late 90s, which had an effect on grunge. The 70s was also a time fueled by energetic rock and roll bands, such as Ramones and Sex Pistols.
See the influence of this past decade within the late 90s, from 1997 onward. These were combined with trendy bright color palettes. Unusual, yet at the time, an modern interpretation of grunge.
Winona Ryder
Winona Ryder was an icon of grunge fashion based on her street style looks. She was heavily publicized during the early 90s not only because of her successful acting career, but because she was dating equally as famous Johnny Depp. Winona was admired for her effortlessly cool fashion looks.
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