Tackling topics both in and out of their music, such as toxic masculinity, suicide, and addiction, shocked people but resonated greatly with teenagers across the nation, who supported rather than shunned this authenticity. Participants in the movement were viewed as radical, since they emphasized discussing the political and social issues of the world. Those part of the movement embraced these qualities with pride. It was characterized by loud music, a disobedient spirit, and a defiance unseen since hippie culture in the 1960s- all things that clashed greatly with the clean-cut image of the nineties. The grunge sound also paved the way for a culture founded on rebelliousness and nonconformity. Yet, as this unique sound continued to rise and dominate the charts, the name stuck. The term 'grunge' was first coined as a joke, since these artists described their music in self-deprecating terms. With those bands and more came its sudden recognition. Heavy baselines, memorable riffs, and abrasive electric guitars quickly became attached to the genre long before the bands of Nirvana and Pearl Jam popularized it. Originating in Seattle, Washington, around the mid-1980s, this music drew influence from punk rock and heavy metal sounds. By doing so, it takes away what grunge fashion once stood for: a way for people who didn't have access to designer clothes or trendy accessories to become included in mainstream fashion.īefore grunge became a lifestyle, it was a music genre. One may ask, how far removed is this modern image from the grunge movement that began in the nineties? What's the harm in this subculture of such a noteworthy style? To that I say, the problem isn't the new fashion the problem is calling it grunge.

Surprisingly little yielded from the search for 'real grunge.' There's limited research on the comparison between the current Tumblr style and the famous nineties movement, but the striking differences I did discover between the two were eye-opening. Was the fashion sense I was choosing to follow not this badass aesthetic, but instead a ripoff of a bigger nineties movement? In it, the user shows the audience what 'real grunge' is, complete with pictures of Kurt Cobain and oversized shirts. It was this TikTok that sparked my curiosity. What I found, however, was more worthwhile than any of that. In the months that followed redoing my wardrobe to achieve this 'grunge' style, I scrolled through TikTok to get some inspiration for my outfits. But does it live up to the revolutionary fame of its nineties predecessor?Īs someone who was always drawn to more unconventional fashion, I was immediately hooked on this aesthetic. These are some of the most common things one would see if they just searched for the 'Tumblr grunge aesthetic' on Pinterest or Google. Ripped skinny jeans, chain-link fences, and taking pictures of battered Converse sneakers.

Tumblr icons grunge