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.

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. 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. 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".

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. 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." 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.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.

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