It’s hard to imagine when you are a child but it’s inevitable: in every generation there is going to be a generation gap and while you may not think that your parents got you when you were younger, you are only going to have the same problems with your children. One of the most popular trends today that many parents do not understand is the rise of emo culture. Emo is shortform for emotional and is a culture that is heavily influenced by punk, goth, and post-punk except much more sensitive. Emo is dominating the airwaves with such popular bands as Fall Out Boy, influencing the movies with such fare as Garden State, and the television with shows like The OC and One Tree Hill. The influence of emo culture has spread to the fashion world and emo fashion is making its influence felt on the runways of today.
In emo culture, feelings are placed at a premium and emo fashion can only be described as being extremely non-threatening. Much like emo’s attitude towards life, comfort is placed at a premium in emo fashion. Typically, tight jeans are a staple in emo fashion. However, you don’t want your pants to be too tight or then you’ll be entering the world of 80’s glam rock fashion.
Additionally, vintage clothing is considered to be a great and cheap way to accessorize yourself and express your own personal style. A popular staple of emo fashion is wearing vintage T-shirts or t-shirts of popular emo bands that will impress your friends. Mirroring the entrepreneurial attitude that is so popular today, it is not uncommon for emo fashion to incorporate t-shirts supporting smaller fashion labels or skateboarding companies. Distancing itself from the much more glammed out 80’s fashion, emo fashion can be described as being a bit nerdy, reflected in the huge popularity of thick, black-rimmed glasses.
Oddly enough for a subculture that strongly emphasizes personal expression, your typical emo fashion haircut involves brushing back long bangs to one side of your face. Additional staples in emo fashion include wearing studded belts and wearing Chuck Tyler Converse All-Stars shoes. Eschewing style for comfort, emo fashion can be seen when you walk through any college campus today. It is slowly making its influence felt in the working world and really any fashion trend that emphasizes comfort over style can’t really be all that bad, right?
