Fashion magazines and blogs have been blasting that 90s grunge is back, and they’re back hard. It’s the antithesis of chic. Deconstructed, a little messy, and in no way matchy-matchy. As the following fashion reviews of the runways will tell you, the key is layer, layer, layer.
Contrast flannel and chunky knits over spangled evening wear and fishnet tights, finished off with moto boots, as seen in Saint Laurent’s runway from the spring. Refinery 29 threw ladylike sense into the mix with a printed pencil skirt for work and a turtleneck over a slip dress, and even some “Boy Meets World”-worthy high-waist jeans. Or take a trip down memory lane from this New York Times article about the stripped-down rebellion of the 90s heralded by Kate Moss.
The mash-up of West Coast street and uptown glamour are back in full force. As the New York Times article observes, 90s grunge is a trend that just keeps returning. And maybe because it wasn’t all that long ago, for those of us in our twenties, we still have a fondness for overalls (with the straps off the shoulder, of course) and tough boots worn with dainty dresses.
In a way, 90s grunge represents the clash between highbrow and low brow art, music, culture and fashion. And to me, a child of the 90s, grunge represents that dissonant middle ground of high versus low, glam versus street, plucky versus emo dourness. The breakdown of categories opens our minds to innovation in all areas of life. Those who are unafraid of stepping outside the boundary — Dries Van Noten, Nirvana – lead the way for the rest of us who strive to reinvent our fashion daily.
-300x225.jpg)
