Grunge is a style of music popularized by bands such as Nirvana and Soundgarden in the 1990s. Soon after, grunge spread across the country and became a way of life. To be a grunge girl, consider your clothes, shoes, demeanor, and taste in music. If you follow a few simple steps below, you'll be on your way.
Step
Method 1 of 4: Dressing (Upper Body)
Step 1. Choose a plaid shirt
The most important element in a grunge girl's dress style is her plaid shirt. Grunge girls like this were common on TV shows in the '90s. For example, Angela Chase and Rayanne Graff of the program My So-Called Life, who always wear plaid shirts. To avoid light colors, focus on earthy and darker tones, such as browns, reds, maroons, blacks, grays, mustard yellows, and dark greens. Your plaid shirt should always be oversized and with holes.
- Try searching flea or thrift stores for flannel shirts. These shirts are usually worn and look faded. This is the kind of look a grunge girl should wear.
- If you're buying a new plaid shirt, avoid one that fits perfectly or is specifically made for women. The grunge look is unstructured and loose. Try looking in the men's section or buy a size or two larger than your usual size.
- You can wear the shirt alone or as an outside with another shirt inside, or tie the shirt around the waist. Avoid wearing it by wearing all buttons. At this rate, you look more like a grunge guy than a grunge girl.
- If you want a more feminine plaid look, look for a chess-patterned plaid dress that you can wear with ripped jeans.
Step 2. Put on the band shirt
The grunge persona is created from a musical genre, so band shirts are a must here. The grunge style icon of the '90s, Winona Ryder, wore a band t-shirt as her main style of display. Look for bands from the '90s that are popular in their genre, such as Nirvana, Silverchair, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, and Stone Temple Pilots.
- You can wear clothes that are too big or fit well, depending on your overall look. If you're wearing body-fitting clothes, balance it with a plaid shirt or oversized overalls.
- Vintage t-shirts are also suitable. Try looking for some touring t-shirts or original albums at a thrift or thrift store. These t-shirts are more authentic and cool because they look worn and shabby with age.
- Some retailers and department stores sell reprinted band t-shirts. If this is your thing, do something to make the shirt look old. Try washing it a few times to get the fabric limp. Cut the sleeves and make them into a tank top. You can also cut the collar and wear it over the shoulder.
Step 3. Try on tops with cutouts
Apart from the masculine style associated with her style, the grunge girl displays her feminine side by showing a little skin in the midsection. This style was popularized by icons in the '90s such as Gwen Stefani, the lead singer of the band No Doubt. Look for a cut top, which can be a t-shirt or sweater, with a plain color like black, gray, white, or maroon. You can also choose a design that is not too flashy. Just make sure your clothes are short enough to show your tummy.
- If you can't find a top that's short enough, trim the bottom. You can cut it with a bit of serration to make it look more worn.
- The result is a top with an asymmetrical hem line. It will look cool with a flannel tied around the waist.
Step 4. Choose a tank top
Adhering to the grunge lifestyle isn't just about oversized clothes. Try a wife beater tank top in white, black, gray, or brown. All of these tank tops look great when worn under a flannel shirt.
You may also be able to find tank bands. It can be a snug fit or an oversized one, depending on what you find. If it's too big, pair it with a black bra and let the straps hang from your shoulders
Step 5. Choose a baby doll dress
Grunge girls reinforce their feminine side by wearing baby doll dresses, usually with floral patterns. Stick to neutral and earthy tones. Grunge girls in the '90s mixed styles and added layers of irony to their outfits. The key is to wear a flannel shirt as an outer or around the waist so that you go from preppy to grungy.
- One of the most influential '90s grunge style icons was Courtney Love of the band Hole. She is also the wife of Kurt Cobain, guitarist for Nirvana. She wears a baby doll dress all the time and mixes it with other grunge elements to create a feminine messy look.
- Don't mind if the patterns don't match. You don't have to match clothes when you go grunge.
Method 2 of 4: Dressing (Lower Body)
Step 1. Buy loose, ripped, or patched jeans
One of the advantages of the grunge style is that it feels comfortable – of course, nothing is more comfortable than worn, baggy jeans. Buy jeans a size or two larger than usual. Make sure you avoid the skinny genies. Jin-jin like this are made to give a tight look. Try looking for jeans that are torn, have holes in them, or have patches on them – they look tattered so they match the grunge style.
- You can save money by buying normal jeans and then ripping them apart yourself. Hole-less jeans are usually cheaper and you can punch holes anywhere you want.
- You can also try buying jeans at a thrift or thrift store. The jeans will look more worn and feel more comfortable when worn.
- If the weather is warm, you can also wear cut jeans. These pants look great when paired with a crop top and flannel shirt around the waist.
Step 2. Try an A-line patterned skirt
If you don't want to wear a full dress, try an A-line patterned skirt. Liv Tyler popularized this style both on and off screen, for example in music videos for Aerosmith and films such as Empire Records. Try plaid skirts or have floral designs and earth tones. This way, your look will be more feminine.
A-line skirts look great when worn with an oversized t-shirt and flannel around the waist. You don't have to worry if the plaid shirt doesn't match the pattern on the skirt – you'll look even more grunge
Step 3. Wear overalls
Denim overalls were a trend in the '90s, and the grunge style has made good use of it. Buy overalls and pair them with a band t-shirt or tank top. You can wear flannel as an outer or around the waist because these two styles look great with overalls.
You can also try to go with a one-shoulder style. Instead of wearing overalls with both straps attached, remove one of them and fold it on both sides of the overalls. This variation looks great with a crop top and flannel
Step 4. Wear torn or hose tights
If you don't really like wearing jeans all the time, try holey or hose tights for a full grunge look. Courtney Love usually pairs her baby doll dresses with ripped tights. Buy tights in neutral or patterned colors. Just like jeans, make rips or holes and thread the fabric around the calf. Pair these pants with patterned skirts or dresses. You can even wear it under jeans.
You can add multiple layers of tights, with different hole locations in each layer. This way, you get that extra extra texture to your style, especially if your tights or hose are made up of two different patterns or colors
Method 3 of 4: Finishing the Appearance
Step 1. Make up as minimal as possible
The grunge style is made to look as comfortable and easy to maintain as possible. This principle is then also implemented in makeup. Pair a little brown or dark eye shadow with eyeliner and mascara. Look for a messy smokey eye look, but don't let it look bad.
You can top it off with dark lipstick if you want to add some make-up or a bit of feminine appeal. Liv Tyler often uses dark red lipstick as the finishing touch to her crop top, floral skirt, and ripped tights
Step 2. Color the hair
The grunge girl knows how to dye her hair. You can color all or only part of the bottom area. Try dark reds, maroons, dull blondes, browns, or caramels. You can even use pastel pinks, purples, or blues. Just make sure the colors aren't too real.
- Gwen Stefani dyed her hair blue, pink and orange. Angela from My So-Called Life dyed her hair maroon in her first grunge act of rebellion.
- Make sure your hair looks messy and natural. Don't straighten your hair. Don't make it look as if you're overdoing it. The more messy your hair, the stronger your grunge look will be.
Step 3. Put on war bots
A grunge outfit wouldn't be complete without a pair of battle boots. Buy black, maroon, gray, or brown. You can even buy a patterned pair. This way, your grunge style looks more comfortable and casual. Pair it with a band t-shirt, a floral skirt, flannel around the waist, and perforated tights for a real grunge look.
- The most popular bot brand is Doc Martens. Many women in various cultures wear this unique footwear. Actresses like Liv Tyler and Winona Ryder wore these boots and Angela and Rayanne looked cool wearing them on My So-Called Life. Even the grunge style icon from the '90s cartoon series, Jane Lane, wore it in the film Daria. A grunge girl's look wouldn't be complete without these bots.
- If you don't like the style of war boots, you can also wear big shoes like Mary Janes, or canvas shoes (eg Converse). Kurt Cobain is known to love wearing Converse, and Drew Barrymore usually wears these shoes with baggy ripped jeans.
Step 4. Put on a beanie
A beanie is a great accessory for getting a grunge look. Actresses such as Drew Barrymore popularized this accessory by wearing it with plaid shirts and ripped jeans. Choose a black, gray, brown, or dark red beanie. You can set your hair up or down. The beanie goes well with almost any hairstyle.
If you don't like beanies, try a bandana. Bandanas also give the feel of a grunge look, but have more color and design options. Bandanas are also more comfortable to wear in hot weather
Step 5. Prepare some accessories
Accessories can add a feminine feel to a grunge dress style. Liv Tyler and Gwen Stefani usually wear the right necklace or earrings. Try choosing a braided tattoo choker, a simple cross necklace, or large earrings. You can also choose several silver and colored rings by stacking them in layers.
Method 4 of 4: Doing Your Part
Step 1. Stop caring
The grunge principle was developed based on a sense of disregard for society, consumerism, and conformity. The clothes are worn, big, and comfortable, because you don't care about things anymore. Don't run around and stress about everything. Grunge girls are content with just sitting and listening to quality music. He is usually not easily angered or obsessive. He lets things happen without overthinking or caring about them.
Step 2. Adjust the behavior
Once you have mastered the look, adopt the behavior. While grunge girls don't really care, they usually get annoyed with people who try to get them to fit in or join certain things. Ignore people who tell you to do something. Tell them that you want to sit and listen to music all day long. Do what you need in life, but get irritated when other people interact with you.
- The way Courtney Love, Liv Tyler, and Drew Barrymore acted in the '90s is a great example of this behavior. They lack respect for authority and are sharp, so they often get into trouble and even get arrested by the police.
- This does not apply to your grunge friends. They understand your recklessness and apathy about the world, so you don't have to be annoying to them to get your point across.
Step 3. Master the music
Grunge is not a way of life without its music. Although Nirvana popularized grunge music, there are many other bands you should be familiar with. Do some research to find out the important bands of the era and listen to their music. Head to the nearest music store and browse through their rock music collection.
- While there were many grunge bands in the '90s, some of the most influential were Hole, Green Magnet School, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Garbage, Rage Against the Machine, Alice in Chains, Smashing Pumpkins, 7 Year Bitch, Fastbacks, Temple of the Dog, Mad Season, Cat Butt, Veruca Salt, Skin Yard, Mother Love Bone, Tad, The Gits, Bush, Seven Mary 3, L7, Screaming Trees, Green River, The Melvins, Mudhoney, and Stone Temple Pilots.
- Newer bands sometimes still retain the grunge style. Listen to bands like Modest Mouse, Afghan Whigs, and Dinosaur Jr.
