Lately, we’ve been seeing many fashion trends from the 80s, 90s and even 2000s coming back. The indie sleaze is one of them. So get your metallic leggings, leather jackets, and knit beanies out of the closet and get ready to feel nostalgic.
First and foremost, we need to understand what both words mean. “Indie” is an abbreviation of the word independent, which means that the indie style has nothing in common with the traditional style of the mass culture. “Sleaze” can be explained as something informal or sloppy. The indie sleaze style is a messy mixture of the grunge style from the 90s and the vintage style from the 80s.
Also, it is influenced by the indie musical style that became so popular in the early 00s. Arctic Monkeys, Florence and the Machine, and The Smiths are some indie bands with underground music. The indie sleaze is also related to the emo style that was trendy in the late 2000s. Celebrities used to post pictures on social media blogs, such as Tumblr and Fotolog, making everyone obsessed with their alternative outfits.
The term “indie sleaze” was created by fashion analyst Mandy Lee, who explained that the pandemic could have influenced this style to become trendy again. She said that people were missing the “party life” and the creativity in fashion because we were confined for two years without having contact with other individuals.
The Fashion Icons of Indie Sleaze
Kate Moss is one of the most famous supermodels in the world. Her style is considered to be minimalist, but chic. She had some iconic indie looks from festivals and parties. The model was commonly seen in the British music festival Glastonbury, known as the “fashion festival” from 2010. She would always choose to wear jeans, boots, mini skirts, belts, and leather jackets. Kate Moss is still a reference to vintage rock fashion.
Alexa Chung is also a British fashion icon that had an indie sleaze style. Back in the 2000s, her must-haves for the Glastonbury festival were knee-high rubber boots, jackets, mini dresses, and accessories, such as hats or sunglasses. Nowadays she works as an editor at Vogue UK.
Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen are the twins that debuted on the TV series Full House. When they were teenagers, the sisters were considered to be “It Girls”, because their style was different from the other TV teens. The Olsen twins also started the hair trend of messy and effortless cool waves called “the indie sleaze waves”. Nowadays they run a fashion ready-to-wear brand named The Row.
The Emo Trend is Now Reinvented
Although we are still seeing some celebrities rocking the old indie sleaze style from the 2000s, the trend has changed. Glamorous pieces, inspired by the glam rock trend from the 70s, have been added to the new indie sleaze style.
Animal prints, such as leopard, metallic outfits, faux fur coats, and bold makeup choices that add a pop of color to the eyes and lips are some examples of the new indie sleaze. Celebrities like Kourtney Kardashian, Meghan Fox, and Miley Cyrus are investing in this aesthetic.
Indie Sleaze on the Runway
Some fashion stylists have shown indie looks that represent this trend. Let’s take the Versace Spring 2023 Fashion Show as an example. The scenario of the show was glamorous: a purple light lit up the runway, bringing an “edgy” atmosphere while Prince was playing in the speakers.
According to the brand, the collection had a dark gothic goddess in mind. The main colors that ruled the fashion show’s looks were purple, black, and a bit of fuschia (a genius touch of Y2K in this goth aesthetic). Donatella Versace said that she always loved a rebellious woman who is confident and a little bit of a diva. Certainly, this came through the spring collection.
How to Get the New Indie Sleaze Look
Makeup
There’s not much effort needed: a smudged black eyeliner and mascara with a little bit of glitter or metallic eyeshadow. Also, try bold colors on the lips, like red or purple. If you want to deep down into the aesthetic, you can use concealer to fake bleached eyebrows.
Accessories
You can abuse wearing accessories, such as necklaces, rings, bracelets, belts, and earrings. Don’t forget your black sunglasses! For the hair, you can add a hat or make a hairstyle of your choice. It is also possible to use a maxi bag, but it depends on how you feel about carrying it everywhere.
Outfit
To get this look, you can wear leather jackets, faux fur coats, metallic skirts and dresses, animal prints, and black tights. You don’t need to overuse black, choose other colors like red, blue, and purple.
For the shoes, opt to wear boots, like the vintage western ones, or combat boots. In addition, you can wear high heels or flats, such as chunky loafers or classic moccasins.
Hair
The “indie sleaze waves” are back. You can achieve them by air-drying and texturing your hair or using a large-barrelled curler. For the ones who have natural wavy hair, just let your curls dry out without any tools. If you are willing to get a haircut, now is your chance to get bangs! They are making a comeback and were often used by the indie sleaze icons.
The article above was edited by Julia Bonin.
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