Going For the "Grunge Look"

In the early 1990's, one trend originated in Seattle, WA that transcended others at the time was "the Grunge Look."

"Grunge" was defined by several trend factors such as:

-torn and dirty jeans (Dickies)

-clunky boots (Doc Martens, Catepillar)

-plaid flannel shirts

-long hair

-sloppy, laid back and comfortable clothing well worn and adapted from the industrial clothing worn by many loggers and manufacturing workers in the Pacific Northwest.

"Grunge" was viewed as a reaction by the anti-disestablishment youth of the the time in response to many of the clean and preppy looking business professionals that had found work in the area due to a growth in the high-tech industry with companies such as Microsoft and Amazon. Outside of this effect, the "grunge" trend was also influenced by local bands at the time such as Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains etc. all of whom had members that grew up in blue-collar households and had been exposed to such industrial clothing. The growing popularity of these bands greatly perpetuated the trend and introduced it to a global audience it otherwise may have never met.

In response to the "Grunge" trend, designers such as Calvin Klein became the first to produce jeans and other clothing that were intentionally damaged and dirty before they were put on the market. Although the style subsided after two years and was dismissed as a "ridiculous" fad, impressions of it can still be seen in the popularity of damaged denim jeans which continue to sell on the market.


Posted by: Rob Goodman

Sources:

Mason Blair, Karen. (1990). The Grunge Look: Alice In Chains. Corbis. Retrieved September 28, 2009 from http://pro.corbis.com.

Crave Online. (2009). 10 Things About the 90's I'd Like to See Make a Comeback. Retrieved September 28, 2009 from http://www.craveonline.com/entertainment/humor/article/10-things-about-the-90s-id-like-to-see-make-a-comeback-73055/2