As the months pass by, the trend cycle seems to be moving faster and faster. In with the Avant-basic, then out with it, and then in with that one pair of teal tights with the black swirls on them, and then oh yeah, who could forget House of Sunny? Oh, wait. We’ve forgotten. As the pandemic dismally rages on, the grasp that TikTok has on youth culture seems to be getting stronger and stronger. Are we just bored? Or still, coping with the fact that a virus has ransacked our youth for what is about to be the third year? Nevertheless, micro-trends have found a very comfortable home online, and after rushing through the y2k-craze in recent months, we have now found ourselves amidst the powerhouse trends of the early-to-mid 2010’s — twee and grunge.
I feel as though there wasn’t much overlap between twee and grunge, as the two styles are the complete antithesis of one another. You were either cute, quirky, silly or sad, damaged, and perpetually annoyed. For anyone who needs clarification, twee is the mustache-loving, 3d glasses-wearing girl who loves cats (!!), championed mainly by Zoey Deschanel. Grunge needs less explaining, but if you’re still lost, think Sky Ferreira, ripped tights and Doc Martens.
While the two styles can be easily categorized by looks alone, a certain mentality holds the undercurrent of each group. The twee attitude is a lighthearted one; they embrace kindness and not taking themselves too seriously. The attitude of the grunge community, specifically in its Tumblr circa 2014 era, is a much darker one. They take themselves perhaps too seriously; there is so much angst! There is so much to be sad about!
Fashion is a million things, one of which is a coping mechanism. It’s how we react to the world around us. I can’t help but find it ridiculously interesting that these two trends are coming back into the zeitgeist simultaneously; it goes so much further than whether people are wearing fishnets versus tights with cats on the knees. I know that we have heard the word “unprecedented” far too many times in the past two years, but it seems to be the most accurate word to describe our current times. When people are overwhelmed, they want to go back to what makes them comfortable, what they already know. So maybe instead of figuring out a way to cope with the world around us, we’re reverting to the trends of eight years ago.
Now I’m sure that by this time next year at the latest, twee will be out of sight and grunge will be condensed to some miniskirts shoved in the back of closets, but while they’re around, for the time being, I plan on finding comfort in their presence. Personally, ‘Everything is Embarrassing’ by Sky Ferreira has wiggled its way back onto my Spotify rotation, and I think that tells you everything you need to know about which side of the Tumlr-sphere I was a part of. So maybe our world is crumbling all around us, but if you’re looking for a semi-nostalgic feeling when you get dressed today, maybe revisit your 2014 self. But maybe let’s skip the fake mustaches.
Words by Nicholson Baird.
Graphic by Emily Tobias.