As a child growing up in the 90’s, the Seattle grunge-rock scene was a scene that I totally got into and still hold some interest today. The pained lyrics, droning guitars, and all of that flannel stirred an emotional and cultural revolution in the way artists convey their feelings into music and even some into their high-fashion designs.
Modern grunge, as seen on Lindsay Lohan, suits well with her year-round leggings collection, and designers with plaid heritage such as Burberry or Pringle of Scotland will have some certainty over their hold on the more influential youth market since these staples can be priced lower and seen as key investment pieces.
Burberry Prorsum also has a fan by the name of Rihanna which translates the flannel in a more cheerful style, while Kelly Osbourne brings it closer to her biker chic style and fiercer roots that her father would approve of.
Just remember to keep this look chic and not geek with these winning and losing combos:
- Chic = Plaid with leggings
- Geek = Plaid with oversized jeans
- Chic = Plaid with patent heels and ballet flats
- Geek = Plaid with dirty sneakers
- Chic = nouveau grunge a la Kelly Osbourne/Agyness Deyn/Kirsten Dunst
- Geek = grunge a la Axl Rose/Kurt Cobain (RIP)
Today’s fledgling economy forces fashion consumers to be savvy and to look for the bottom line (i.e. "investment pieces"), which utilizes existing pieces within their wardrobe.
With the re-insurgence of this hot 90’s style trend, reinventing your wardrobe has never been easier.
Grunge Revisited
90s Flannel Fashion C'est Chic for 2009
Trend Themes
1. Modern Grunge - The resurgence of this 90s style trend presents opportunities for designers to experiment with modern takes on grunge fashion.
2. Plaid - As a staple of grunge fashion, plaid presents opportunities for designers to leverage their plaid heritage and invest in new plaid pieces for the youth market.
3. Investment Pieces - In a tough economy, the trend of looking for investment pieces presents opportunities for designers to create versatile, timeless pieces that can be worn across different fashion trends.
Industry Implications
1. Fashion - With grunge fashion back in style, the fashion industry has opportunities to experiment with new takes on grunge and plaid clothing, and capitalize on investment pieces.
2. Retail - Retailers have an opportunity to invest in and highlight grunge and plaid fashion pieces as timely, long-lasting parts of their inventory.
3. Music - The resurgence of grunge fashion presents opportunities for musicians to connect with audiences by using fashion that reflects the grunge and plaid aesthetics of the 90s.