Ask Angie: your definition

DeniseP

Guess I've been living under a rock, but in several of your fashion finds the description is "grunge." What style is that?
The dictionary says grunge fashion is flannel shirts, torn jeans and ratty tees. It also says it means dirty or nasty.
Is that your take on the meaning when referring to clothing?
Because I like the clothing piece, but don't want to portray that "look."

12 years ago

Dressing

5 replies

Latest reply was from DeniseP

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Ah. Well. Grunge refers to an era of very late '80s and 'early 90s music - alternative rock - like Sound Garden, Pearl Jam and Nirvana. AND it all started in Seattle. It was a mixture of punk, heavy metal and probably a few other things. (We are huge grunge music fans so that's why I know a bit about this. We love, love, love Chris Cornell from Sound Garden - and saw him in concert again a few weeks ago).

With the music era came a style of grunge clothing - much like what you described. Along with super model Kate Moss who epitomized the grunge fashion look. Very RATE, "just got out of bed chic", rock 'n roll, distressed, tough, thrown together. Not polished.

I wore my version of grunge back in the '90s. Faded 501s with studded belt and combat boots, open flannel shirt with lace camisole underneath. And of course, I was polished. We have to make these looks our own. Order the item of clothing and make it work for you.

Hope that helps.

12 years ago

DeniseP

Active Member

This helps tremendously, Angie, and thank you for the detailed response!
(In the 90s, I was forty-something so that explains my ignorance, ha!)
Bottom line for me: I shouldn't put that much emphasis on a style descriptor of an item if I like it, but do as you suggest: make it work!

12 years ago

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

There you go. Don't let clothing or footwear boss you around. You have the final say in all of it. Always.

12 years ago

Gigi

Veteran

Denise, one thing I've learned from this forum is that if you have an item of clothing that's a little out of your usual style is that you can combine it with more traditional pieces to "tone it down" a little. Your question made me think of destroyed jeans--they can look downright grungy if worn with an oversized hoodie, a ratty old T-shirt, and sneakers with holes in them, or they can look not so grungy but more just casual when worn with a form-fitting top and perhaps a structured blazer. So you can kind of limit the amount of grunge an item has by pairing it with things that aren't so grungy. :^)

12 years ago

DeniseP

Active Member

Gigi, thanks for this reminder! Hopefully, one day these fashion tips will become second nature to me ... And, I too have learned a wealth from this forum!

12 years ago

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