The Rebel look is 80's punk and 90's grunge, brought back simultaneously into the 21st century. The thought of grunge and punk being put together into the same name and reincarnated may sound a bit, well, much. But this look has been updated, and given a lick of (black) glossy paint. It's sophisticated. It's a look that any modern woman can rock with attitude.
From Elle Uk. The Rebel look. Saint Laurent grunge look.
For me, I don't think it's a trend that ever really went away. I've always loved and lived the grunge/punk looks in various ways, from my well worn Doc Martens to my absolute love of studded things. (bags, shoes, collars of shirts... even my IPhone case has studs on). I've always loved a 'rock chick' look. For me, you could always make this look work no matter what was 'on trend'. It was just about having the right attitude to pull it off.
However, the fact it is officially 'back' still makes me happy. Now there will be an abundance of tartan, leather, lace, and oversized jackets all over the high street, surely? Of course, it's been brewing for a while. Even the Met Ball was Punk themed. Tartan skirts, trousers and leggings have been every where the last few months, and all of a sudden Doc Martens were no longer just for skinheads, and creepers were no longer just for the goths of Camden. They've been catapulted into the mainstream, with everyone from New Look to Missguided doing their own versions. But now you can expect to see it everywhere. I don't know if this will come to denounce punk in a way. Hasn't punk always been about NOT conforming after all? Then again, despite it's new high fashion status, it still takes a type of gal to pull it off. Some girls just wont dig it. Preferring the ladylike looks that will also define the season, such as the pink coat or the continuation of the midi-skirt.
Givenchy. The perfect mix of feminine and grunge, with plaid and floral prints.
Having said that, the great thing about this new punk/grunge look, is you can embrace it however you like. You can go in full force, with every inch of you, from the lashings of black kohl around your eyes to the buckles of your chunky 'man-repeller' boots being punked out. Or you can do it subtley. A tartan jumper with some black skinnys, or a leather jacket and chunky boots with a girly dress. You can do it your own way. My way will be to go in full force. But it will also be cheap. Because that's the problem with 'new trends'. It breaks your fucking bank. It's not fair to be confronted with all these gorgeous shiny new things in the window of Topshop and in the glossy magazines. But punk, you can do cheap. By digging out your old clothes, and seeing value in a few key pieces.
Instead of spending your entire student loan, just make sure you have some essentials to see you through this trend. A lot of which will outlast the trend, and you may already have in your wardrobe?
Chunky Shoes. Some call them 'man repellers', which entertains me. Some call them 'the wrong shoe' (ok one columnist in Elle, but I enjoyed that also), for me, they are just a nice, chunky, clumpy shoe or boot. Preferably in black. If you want to go for a real investment go for some Doc Marten boots, or alternatively for their smart manly shoes, which will tick so many boxes. Alternatively, go for some creepers. They're comfy and go with everything. You can splash out on an Underground pair, or go for some of New Look's own. I also love the 'cut out' boot that's been around this season. It is a boot, and will work in winter with some chunky tights or knitted socks, but the cut-out bit also makes it barmy weather suitable. I recently bought these gorgeous gold buckled pair from River Island, which look the spitting image of Jeffrey Campells 'Coltrane', for a fraction of the price (studded ones pictured below).
For me, with any look, it's all in the shoe. Work from the ground up. Once you have your shoes, you can wear anything really and still be rocking a look.
Tartan. Omg OBVO. You can not go for punk this season without getting some tartan in your life. Get one or two pieces, and don't be afraid to wear them a lot with different clothes and accessories, to inject a bit of punk into any outfit. I recently bought a tartan skirt from Primark, but i've also been eyeing up these sexy leggings from Black Milk. I'm desperate for them but can not justify it quite yet. Whether you go for a jumper, blouse, trousers, leggings or skirt in tartan, make it work for you. I feel that this trend will last.
Saint Laurent are really working grunge this season. This Tartan Dress is cute and punky.
A decent jacket. For any A/W trend, the choice of jacket plays a major part. Mostly out of necessity. it will be chilly out there. To rock this trend, you can go for denim, or you can go for leather.
The denim jacket has always been a grunge staple. A nice, oversized jacket, either in dark denim or stonewash. To be honest, you could probably find a decent one in any good vintage shop. The best part is, the grunge trend encourages customisation. And nothing is more fun than going back in time to a year 4 art class and DIYing a denim jacket. Put studs on it, paint it, dip dye it, sew other materials on to it. If you get a cheap one thats worth wrecking of course.
If you prefer a more sophisticated look, then a nice leather jacket is the obvious choice. The best part about the leather jacket is it's never a one trick pony. It's always in style. And you can wear it in any season, to work whatever look you are going for. I'm still searching for the perfect one. I want a jacket that will be reliable, comfortable, and not too expensive. But I don't want the zip to break either. If anyone has any ideas where I can find this, let me know. Please.
This biker Jacket from Topshop (£75) has a sherling touch for extra grunge, mixed with extra sophisticaiton
A touch of black lace. Black lace gives a feminine touch to an otherwise harsh look. Get a nice lacy body. Wear it with your tartan leggings, leather jacket and chunky boots. I bet you look well hot.
Of course, obtaining all of these things can be as cheap or as expensive as you make it. Another great thing about this trend is it triumphs creativity. You know when you look at the photo-shoots in a magazine and all the clothes put together look really crazy, and you go, 'well thats great, but you can't do that in real life can you? lets face it'. Well with this trend, you can! You can make it work for you. Like I said above, this trend enjoys the DIY treatment. So get some studs, safety pins and paint, get your old clothes out, and start DIYing the shit out of everything. It will cost you pennies, and will give you a unique look none of your friends have. Plus, as I said above, this trend has been creeping around for a while, and you can probably still use the stuff you picked up last season. For example, camo might not be on the catwalk, but if camo aint grunge I don't know what is. The same with the S/S trend of dungerees. It;s so grunge it hurts. So make the most of these still recent purchases. Don't let the fash pack tell you they are last season. They are last seasons this season, is what you'll say back. Savvy.
Of course, the easiest way to get the punk look isn't even in the realm of clothes. It's in the realm of hair and make up my friends. And unless all you have in the way of make up is vaseline, and you don't know what a comb is, it probably won't cost you a lot either.
In terms of make up, I like to do my face how I normally would. A nice foundation, followed by a touch of bronzer. If you usually use bronzer like I do, only use a bit. Punk doesn't like an orange face. Then again, you don't need to look dead either. A bit of colour doesn't hurt. Channel the punk look in your eyes. Apply lashings of kohl, but before you go all emo on us, don't just circle your eyeliner around your eyes carelessly. Apply most of it on your bottom lashes. Don't be afraid to go thick, adding some black eyeshadow to define and soften the look. On the top lid, go for some black or grey shadow. If you really want to embrace the look, be daring and add a flick of liquid eyeliner, and of course, lashings of mascara.
Stick to the eyes for 'subtle', or go all out, and go for a dark red on the lip. I like mixing my classic red lipstick with a dark purple, to give an oozing, sexy, 'don't mess with me' lip colour.
Dark, Sultry eyes will make an impact.
For hair, if your hair is short, lucky you. Punk likes you. Go cray cray gurl. Backcomb your hair to your hearts desire. Go for a mohawk if you wish. This trend is all about being rebellious so do things a little differently.
However if you have longer hair, like me, then go for a sophisticated mess, as I like to call it. I'll ruffle my hair a bit, tease the roots to give some volume, and use hairspray to hold. I also like using some of this powder too to really give volume and texture (I always nick it off of my friend). And of course, for added texture, there is always dry shampoo.
See, all you need is a decent comb, hairspray, and dry shampoo, and maybe a bit of wax if you want to get creative. It's hardly going to break the bank and gives you the chance to actually be creative with your hair, in an easy, effortless way.
There she is again. Check out that texture and effortless waves.
That, my friends, in a nutshell, is 21st century punk/grunge (punge? grunk? REBEL?). It's what I think of it, it's how to do it, and it's how to do it cheaply.
P.S. This was my first post, really, on fashion trends. I've done posts before on what i'm wearing, micro-trends I like, or what i've been buying, but this is the first time I've done a real comprehensive look on new trends. To be honest, I really enjoyed it, because most fashion articles are more pictures, less words. I would love to know what you thought, even if you've never read this blog before. Is this something you enjoyed reading? And is it helpful for the fashion lover who can't afford all the designer clothes that frequent the fashion mags? And also, what do you think of the punk trend? Is this something you'll be rocking? Let me know in the comments below!
